| 1960–61 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Bill Russell (Boston) |
| Top scorer | Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Boston Celtics |
| Eastern runners-up | Syracuse Nationals |
| Western champions | St. Louis Hawks |
| Western runners-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Finals | |
| Finals champions | Boston Celtics |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Hawks |
| NBA seasons | |
| ← 1959–60 | |
The 1960–61 NBA season was the 15th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their third straight NBA championship, beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
Notable occurrences[]
- The Lakers relocate from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Los Angeles, California.
- The NBA schedule expanded again, this time from 75 games per team to 79.
- The 1961 NBA All-Star Game was played in Syracuse, New York, with the West beating the East 153-131. Rookie Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals won the game's MVP award.
Final standings[]
Eastern Division[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics C | 57 | 22 | .722 | - |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 46 | 33 | .582 | 11 |
| Syracuse Nationals | 38 | 41 | .481 | 19 |
| New York Knicks | 21 | 58 | .266 | 36 |
Western Division[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Hawks | 51 | 28 | .646 | - |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 36 | 43 | .456 | 15 |
| Detroit Pistons | 34 | 45 | .430 | 17 |
| Cincinnati Royals | 33 | 46 | .418 | 18 |
C - NBA Champions
Statistics leaders[]
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 3,033 |
| Rebounds | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 2,149 |
| Assists | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 690 |
| FG% | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 50.9 |
| FT% | Bill Sharman | Boston Celtics | 92.1 |
Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
NBA awards[]
- Most Valuable Player: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics
- Rookie of the Year: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
- All–NBA First Team:
- Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors
- Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics
- Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
- Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks
- Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on NBA.com