1963-64 NBA season
Encyclopedia
The 1963–64 NBA season was the 18th season of the National Basketball Association
. The season ended with the Boston Celtics
winning their 6th straight NBA Championship, beating the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals
.
Retirement had claimed 50s superstar Bob Cousy
. But Red Auerbach
's club barely slowed down with his absence. Cousy's replacement was a defensive specialist named K.C. Jones, who continued Auerbach's emphasis on defense along with forward Tom 'Satch' Sanders and center
Bill Russell
. While Boston could surely still pass and score, it was their defensive emergence, led by the incredible Russell, that was now leading a streak of NBA titles. Russell led the league in rebounds and was one of two high-volume shot blockers
now dominating the NBA.
The Celtics had six scorers over ten-points per game and two more over eight. Auerbach's sixth man
, John Havlicek
, was the team's leading scorer at 20 per game. This combination of active defense and unselfish shooting got Boston a league-high 59 wins in 80 NBA games.
, a former Royals player from their Rochester
days, finally got his man to help superstar Oscar Robertson
.
Jerry Lucas
had arrived from the folded ABL and immediately elevated his club to contender. He led the league in shooting accuracy at 53%, but was careful not to disrupt the established shooting of Robertson, Jack Twyman
and Wayne Embry
. Lucas was also third in the NBA in rebounds and a willing passer. The most popular player in Ohio
history, thanks to his now-legendary high school and college career, Lucas was a boost to attendance at home and on the road as well.
Lucas was the fourth straight Rookie Of The Year named who had starred on the 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball
squad, which, decades later, is still considered by many as the best amateur team ever. The Royals roster had, at one point, five members of that roster this year.
Overshadowed slightly by Lucas's arrival, Oscar Robertson still had an MVP-caliber year with another legendary performance for the Royals. His 840 field goals made were second in the league, boosted further by an NBA-high 800 free throws made at an 85% clip. By the strict rules of the day, Robertson still averaged eleven assists
per game, quarterbacking the league's best offense. The racehorse game now being played produced plenty of available rebounds. Robertson, likely the best rebounding guard
ever, hauled down an average of nine per game. It was another rare all-around performance that had some wondering if Robertson, not Wilt Chamberlain
or Bill Russell, was the greatest player in league history.
Robertson's 31.4 points per game led a balanced lineup for the Royals that won 55 games, chasing Boston hotly all season long.
The San Francisco Warriors, in their second season in California, won the West with 48 wins in 80 NBA games. Their leader was again superstar Wilt Chamberlain
. Wilt tried 2298 shots in his 80 games, easily a league high, and made a league-high 1204 field goals
at a 52% clip. A poor foul shooter
, Wilt still had a league-high 1016 tries to help boost his 36.9 scoring average, which again led all NBA players. Wilt was second in rebounds, first or second in shots blocked, and first in minutes played with an average of 46 minutes per 48-minute NBA game. Expanding his game to include passing, Wilt edged past Russell to finish sixth in the NBA assists column as well.
The Warriors had five other ten-point scorers and a potential future star in rookie Nate Thurmond
under coach Alex Hannum
.
. The 31-year old star was fourth in the NBA in scoring and fifth in rebounds. His 608 free throws made were second-most in the league also. Coach Harry Gallatin's starting five had balanced support for Pettit, and a number of former ABL stars on the bench, including Bill Bridges
.
. They were led by the super tandem of Jerry West
and Elgin Baylor
. West threw in 28.7 points per game with 48% shooting from the floor and 83% shooting from the foul line. With an all-around game that rivaled Oscar Robertson's, West added six assists and six rebounds per game and excellent defense in the backcourt that produced a number of steals
each game.
Every bit West's equal was Baylor. The 29-year-old averaged 25.4 points per game. The 6'6 forward also hauled in twelve rebounds per game and dished 4.5 assists. Fred Schaus's starting five well-supported the two big stars and the Lakers also had a good bench, but so-so center play continued to be the team's Achille's heel. Baylor, in fact, sometimes had to play that position himself, another example of his incredible all-around game.
played their first NBA season in the West Division, making the former Chicago
club a curiosity. The impact of this is that the Cincinnati Royals would have to beat Boston to make the NBA Finals, their second-best league record notwithstanding. San Francisco, with the league's third-best mark, would have the clear shot from the West instead.
Cincinnati edged the 34-46 Philadelphia 76ers
three games to two in a surprisingly close series where each team won their home games. Cincinnati, luckily, had three of them.
The St. Louis Hawks beat the Lakers 3-2 along the same lines.
A rested Boston club sent the Royals a clear message in the East Final in winning four of five games. Coach Jack McMahon
had been roundly criticized for trading reserve forward Bob Boozer
at mid-season. Boozer had become a reserve with the arrival of Lucas. Now a starter for lowly New York Knicks
, the Royals clearly missed their former teammate at playoff time when bench depth is a key consideration.
San Francisco dismissed the Hawks in much the same manner, four games to one. A knee injury to St. Louis center Zelmo Beaty
limited his effectiveness.
and John Havlicek, while Russell nearly matched rebounds and blocks with Wilt in the middle. The series only went five games, with Boston clearly the winner in four of them.
Boston had won eight of ten games decisively against the league's next two best records to clearly prove they were in their own class as basketball's best team.
Note: Prior to the 1969-70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The season ended with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
winning their 6th straight NBA Championship, beating the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals
1964 NBA Finals
The 1964 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1963-64 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1964 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics...
.
Notable occurrences
- The Syracuse Nationals move from Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
to Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and become the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. - The Chicago Zephyrs move from Chicago, Illinois to Baltimore, Maryland and become the new Baltimore BulletsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, leaving the Windy City with no NBA team until the birth of the BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in 19661966-67 NBA seasonThe 1966–67 NBA Season was the 21st season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA Championship, beating the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals, ending the Boston Celtics' record title run at 8.- Notable occurrences :*...
. - The 1964 NBA All-Star Game1964 NBA All-Star GameGAME 14: at Boston Garden, January 14, 1964.MVP: Oscar RobertsonCoaches: East: Red Auerbach, West: Fred Schaus-Eastern Conference: -Western Conference: -Score by Periods: *Halftime— East, 59-49*Third Quarter— East, 86-77...
was played at the Boston GardenBoston GardenThe Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
in Boston, Massachusetts, with the EastEastern Conference (NBA)The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
beating the WestWestern Conference (NBA)Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
111–107. Oscar RobertsonOscar RobertsonOscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
of the Cincinnati Royals won the game's MVP award.
Season recap
The NBA continued to increase its interests this season, setting another attendance record and increasing its revenue from televised games. The growing interest in the league was certainly a direct result of the arrival of talented players from the college ranks. Players arriving in the league in recent seasons still rank among the greatest to ever play in the NBA decades later.Celtics
The first were the Boston Celtics, which had by now become the game's greatest dynasty ever.Retirement had claimed 50s superstar Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
. But Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
's club barely slowed down with his absence. Cousy's replacement was a defensive specialist named K.C. Jones, who continued Auerbach's emphasis on defense along with forward Tom 'Satch' Sanders and center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
. While Boston could surely still pass and score, it was their defensive emergence, led by the incredible Russell, that was now leading a streak of NBA titles. Russell led the league in rebounds and was one of two high-volume shot blockers
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
now dominating the NBA.
The Celtics had six scorers over ten-points per game and two more over eight. Auerbach's sixth man
Sixth man
The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves, often being the first player to be substituted in. The sixth man often plays minutes equal to or exceeding some of the starters and posts similar statistics. He is often a...
, John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
, was the team's leading scorer at 20 per game. This combination of active defense and unselfish shooting got Boston a league-high 59 wins in 80 NBA games.
Royals
Few considered the Celtics beatable, but the Cincinnati Royals surprised and excited fans with their team this year, easily the NBA's most popular. Coach Jack McMahonJack McMahon
John Joseph McMahon was a professional basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard from St. John's University, McMahon was selected by the Rochester Royals in the 1952 NBA Draft. He played 8 seasons in the NBA, for Rochester and the St...
, a former Royals player from their Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
days, finally got his man to help superstar Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
.
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Lucas
Jerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history...
had arrived from the folded ABL and immediately elevated his club to contender. He led the league in shooting accuracy at 53%, but was careful not to disrupt the established shooting of Robertson, Jack Twyman
Jack Twyman
John Kennedy "Jack" Twyman is an American former professional basketball player and sports broadcaster.-Playing career:...
and Wayne Embry
Wayne Embry
Wayne Richard Embry is a retired American basketball player; a center/forward whose 11-year career spanned from 1959 to 1969...
. Lucas was also third in the NBA in rebounds and a willing passer. The most popular player in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
history, thanks to his now-legendary high school and college career, Lucas was a boost to attendance at home and on the road as well.
Lucas was the fourth straight Rookie Of The Year named who had starred on the 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball
USA Basketball
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic Committee...
squad, which, decades later, is still considered by many as the best amateur team ever. The Royals roster had, at one point, five members of that roster this year.
Overshadowed slightly by Lucas's arrival, Oscar Robertson still had an MVP-caliber year with another legendary performance for the Royals. His 840 field goals made were second in the league, boosted further by an NBA-high 800 free throws made at an 85% clip. By the strict rules of the day, Robertson still averaged eleven assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
per game, quarterbacking the league's best offense. The racehorse game now being played produced plenty of available rebounds. Robertson, likely the best rebounding guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
ever, hauled down an average of nine per game. It was another rare all-around performance that had some wondering if Robertson, not Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
or Bill Russell, was the greatest player in league history.
Robertson's 31.4 points per game led a balanced lineup for the Royals that won 55 games, chasing Boston hotly all season long.
Warriors
After these 50-game winners in the East Division, there were also three 40-game winners in the West Division of the NBA this year.The San Francisco Warriors, in their second season in California, won the West with 48 wins in 80 NBA games. Their leader was again superstar Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
. Wilt tried 2298 shots in his 80 games, easily a league high, and made a league-high 1204 field goals
Field goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
at a 52% clip. A poor foul shooter
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
, Wilt still had a league-high 1016 tries to help boost his 36.9 scoring average, which again led all NBA players. Wilt was second in rebounds, first or second in shots blocked, and first in minutes played with an average of 46 minutes per 48-minute NBA game. Expanding his game to include passing, Wilt edged past Russell to finish sixth in the NBA assists column as well.
The Warriors had five other ten-point scorers and a potential future star in rookie Nate Thurmond
Nate Thurmond
Nathaniel "Nate" Thurmond is a retired American basketball player. Dominant at both center and power forward, he was a seven-time All-Star and the first player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double....
under coach Alex Hannum
Alex Hannum
Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.-Coaching career:Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the...
.
Hawks
Second in the West were the St. Louis Hawks, led by Bob PettitBob Pettit
Robert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
. The 31-year old star was fourth in the NBA in scoring and fifth in rebounds. His 608 free throws made were second-most in the league also. Coach Harry Gallatin's starting five had balanced support for Pettit, and a number of former ABL stars on the bench, including Bill Bridges
Bill Bridges (basketball)
William C. "Bill" Bridges is a retired American basketball player.A 6'6" power forward from the University of Kansas, he spent 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors...
.
Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers went 42-38 in their fourth year in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. They were led by the super tandem of Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
and Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
. West threw in 28.7 points per game with 48% shooting from the floor and 83% shooting from the foul line. With an all-around game that rivaled Oscar Robertson's, West added six assists and six rebounds per game and excellent defense in the backcourt that produced a number of steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
each game.
Every bit West's equal was Baylor. The 29-year-old averaged 25.4 points per game. The 6'6 forward also hauled in twelve rebounds per game and dished 4.5 assists. Fred Schaus's starting five well-supported the two big stars and the Lakers also had a good bench, but so-so center play continued to be the team's Achille's heel. Baylor, in fact, sometimes had to play that position himself, another example of his incredible all-around game.
Bullets
The Baltimore BulletsWashington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
played their first NBA season in the West Division, making the former Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
club a curiosity. The impact of this is that the Cincinnati Royals would have to beat Boston to make the NBA Finals, their second-best league record notwithstanding. San Francisco, with the league's third-best mark, would have the clear shot from the West instead.
Postseason
Three teams in each division made the playoffs, with the second and third place teams meeting in the first round. The division winner then met that winner in the second round to produce NBA Finalists. Only three NBA teams out of nine failed to make those playoffs.Cincinnati edged the 34-46 Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
three games to two in a surprisingly close series where each team won their home games. Cincinnati, luckily, had three of them.
The St. Louis Hawks beat the Lakers 3-2 along the same lines.
A rested Boston club sent the Royals a clear message in the East Final in winning four of five games. Coach Jack McMahon
Jack McMahon
John Joseph McMahon was a professional basketball player and coach. A 6'1" guard from St. John's University, McMahon was selected by the Rochester Royals in the 1952 NBA Draft. He played 8 seasons in the NBA, for Rochester and the St...
had been roundly criticized for trading reserve forward Bob Boozer
Bob Boozer
Robert Louis "Bob" Boozer is a retired American professional basketball player. Boozer was born and raised in North Omaha, Nebraska and graduated from Tech High in Omaha....
at mid-season. Boozer had become a reserve with the arrival of Lucas. Now a starter for lowly New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, the Royals clearly missed their former teammate at playoff time when bench depth is a key consideration.
San Francisco dismissed the Hawks in much the same manner, four games to one. A knee injury to St. Louis center Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo Beaty
Zelmo "Big Z" Beaty is a former American basketball player.A 6'9" center from Prairie View A&M, Beaty was selected with the third pick of the 1962 National Basketball Association Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. Beaty was named to the inaugural NBA All-Rookie Team in 1963, and played a total of...
limited his effectiveness.
Finals
A classic Russell vs. Wilt matchup marked the NBA Finals. Chamberlain tried and made the most shots, tried the most free throws, pulled down the most rebounds, and perhaps blocked the most shots of any player in the playoffs by a clear margin. But he and his supporting cast were no match for Boston, who got strong performances from Sam JonesSam Jones (basketball)
Samuel Jones is a retired American professional basketball player at shooting guard and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was known for his quickness and game-winning shots, especially during the NBA Playoffs...
and John Havlicek, while Russell nearly matched rebounds and blocks with Wilt in the middle. The series only went five games, with Boston clearly the winner in four of them.
Boston had won eight of ten games decisively against the league's next two best records to clearly prove they were in their own class as basketball's best team.
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Wilt Chamberlain Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA... |
San Francisco Warriors Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
2,948 |
| Rebounds | Bill Russell Bill Russell William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association... |
Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... |
1,930 |
| Assists | Oscar Robertson Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks... |
Cincinnati Royals Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
868 |
| FG% | Jerry Lucas Jerry Lucas Jerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history... |
Cincinnati Royals | .527 |
| FT% | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | .853 |
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 PlayerNBA Most Valuable Player AwardThe National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement...
: Oscar RobertsonOscar RobertsonOscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
, Cincinnati RoyalsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... - Rookie of the YearNBA Rookie of the Year AwardThe National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
: Jerry LucasJerry LucasJerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history...
, Cincinnati Royals - Coach of the YearNBA Coach of the Year AwardThe National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
: Alex HannumAlex HannumAlexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.-Coaching career:Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the...
, San Francisco WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
- All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA TeamThe All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The team has been selected in every season of the...
:- Wilt ChamberlainWilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
, San Francisco Warriors - Elgin BaylorElgin BaylorElgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
, Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Jerry WestJerry WestJerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
, Los Angeles Lakers - Bob PettitBob PettitRobert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, St. Louis HawksAtlanta HawksThe Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:... - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
- Wilt Chamberlain
- All-NBA Second Team:
- Hal GreerHal GreerHarold Everett Greer is a retired American professional basketball player.He attended Douglass Junior and Senior High School in Huntington. He played college basketball at Marshall University and was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA in 1958...
, Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA... - John HavlicekJohn HavlicekJohn J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
, Boston CelticsBoston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... - Tom Heinsohn, Boston Celtics
- Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati Royals
- Bill RussellBill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
, Boston Celtics
- Hal Greer
- All-Rookie First TeamNBA All-Rookie TeamThe NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
:- Art HeymanArt HeymanArthur Bruce "Art" Heyman is an American former professional basketball player.-Early years:Heyman, who was Jewish, was born in New York City, New York. A 6' 5" guard/forward, after attending Oceanside High School in New York, Heyman was heavily recruited by many schools, and originally signed a...
, New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... - Gus JohnsonGus Johnson (basketball)Gus Johnson was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and a final season split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA...
, Baltimore BulletsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:... - Jerry LucasJerry LucasJerry Ray Lucas was a basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s, and is now a memory education expert. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in National Basketball Association history...
, Cincinnati Royals - Rod Thorn, Baltimore Bullets
- Nate ThurmondNate ThurmondNathaniel "Nate" Thurmond is a retired American basketball player. Dominant at both center and power forward, he was a seven-time All-Star and the first player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double....
, San Francisco Warriors
- Art Heyman