| 1961–62 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 | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Western champions | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Western runners-up | Detroit Pistons |
| Finals | |
| Finals champions | Boston Celtics |
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| NBA seasons | |
| ← 1960–61 | |
The 1961–62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their fourth straight NBA championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
Notable occurrences[]
- The Chicago Packers entered the league, bringing the number of teams to nine.
- The NBA schedule was expanded for the third consecutive season. This time it went from 79 games per team, to 80.
- The 1962 NBA All-Star Game was played in St. Louis, Missouri, with the West beating the East 150-130. Local favorite Bob Pettit wins the game's MVP award.
- In a game played in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Wilt Chamberlain made history by scoring 100 points in the Philadelphia Warriors 169-147 win over the New York Knicks. It still stands as one of the greatest individual feats in sports history. Chamberlain would go on to average 50 points per game this season, another record.
- This year witnessed the only occurrence of a player averaging a triple-double throughout a season when Oscar Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 11.4 assists, and 12.5 rebounds per game.
- This was the last season of the NBA on NBC, however it would return in 1990.
Final standings[]
Eastern Division[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics C | 60 | 20 | .750 | - |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 49 | 31 | .613 | 11 |
| Syracuse Nationals | 41 | 39 | .513 | 19 |
| New York Knicks | 29 | 51 | .363 | 31 |
Western Division[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 54 | 26 | .675 | - |
| Cincinnati Royals | 43 | 37 | .538 | 11 |
| Detroit Pistons | 37 | 43 | .463 | 17 |
| St. Louis Hawks | 29 | 51 | .363 | 25 |
| Chicago Packers | 18 | 62 | .225 | 36 |
C - NBA Champions
Statistics leaders[]
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 4,029 |
| Rebounds | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 2,052 |
| Assists | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 899 |
| FG% | Walt Bellamy | Chicago Packers | 51.9 |
| FT% | Dolph Schayes | Syracuse Nationals | 89.9 |
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: Walt Bellamy, Chicago Packers
- All–NBA First Team:
- All-NBA Second Team:
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on NBA.com