Best NBA Players of the 1960s

By the time the 1960s rolled around, the

NBA

was a sports league gaining serious traction. The league and players were already knee-deep into the shot clock, which was implemented in 1954. Players had already implemented it into their game and used it to completely change the dynamic of the game.

The early days of the NBA saw big men dominate, and to an extent, that still is the case. But the 1960s saw the game’s first shift in style, as guards began to emerge and make a big impact on the game. Some of the best players of the decade, such as Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, were prime examples.

Championships are, in the end, the ultimate resume booster for an NBA player, and a sign of their greatness. The 1960s saw the

Boston Celtics

completely dominate the decade, winning all but one title in that period, and therefore snubbing some of the decade’s greatest players who did not play for the Celtics of titles.

Therefore, many of the 1960s’ greatest players did not win titles, but they did win numerous other awards and lead the league in important categories, which ultimately cemented their legacy as some of the game’s greats. The following are the five greatest NBA players of the 1960s decade.

5

Elgin Baylor

Baylor was one of the greatest all-around players of the 1960s

Perhaps there was no all-around player better than Elgin Baylor during his peak, which was in the 1960s. Every year of the decade saw him being a First Team All-NBA player, and he was an All-Star in every year of the decade apart from 1966, which was a rare down year for Baylor.

Apart from 1966 and the final two years of his career, Baylor routinely averaged double digits in rebounds per season. He was constantly finishing within the top ten in rebounds and is ninth all-time in that category. He also put up insane offense, averaging over 30 points per game in multiple seasons.

Baylor was a member of the

L.A. Lakers

for his entire career, and as such, he never won a title as the Celtics repeatedly defeated the Lakers in the NBA Finals. That did not prevent Baylor from putting up insane stats and once again serving as an elite all-around player, one of the best of the 1960s.

4

Oscar Robertson

Robertson lit up the court with otherworldly offense in the 1960s

Oscar Robertson was another player who experienced little playoff success, mostly due to the fact that he spent his entire 1960s career with the Cincinnati Royals (later known as the

Sacramento Kings

). He would go on to win a title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, but that would come after the 1960s.

Despite the lack of playoff success in the 1960s, Robertson was easily one of the most solid and skilled players of the decade. He averaged over 30 points per game in all but two seasons of the 1960s, and led in assists per game seven times in that decade.

In 1962, Robertson averaged a triple-double consisting of 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game that season. While his rebounding would cool off afterward, Robertson was still a solid player who sported a Rookie of the Year Award, an MVP in 1964, and All-Star appearances in every single season of the decade.

3

Jerry West

West was so iconic that he became the league’s future logo

While Oscar Robertson was one of the best guards of the 1960s, it can be argued that West edged him. He was one of the greatest offensive players of the entire decade, and his time with the Lakers made him a star.

The fact that he was on the Lakers for his entire career meant that he would not experience the glory of winning an NBA Finals until after the 1960s, but his play was without a doubt the best in that decade. He was one of the league’s most efficient scorers and to this day ranks eighth all-time in points per game.

West played fourteen seasons in the NBA and had fourteen career All-Star appearances. One need not be a mathematician to realize that West was so great, he was an All-Star in every single season of his career, a truly remarkable and legendary feat.

West’s elite and unique style of play led him to become the actual logo for the NBA. That gave him the simple yet classic nickname of “The Logo,” automatically making him one of the most timeless legends in the game’s history and of course the 1960s.

2

Bill Russell

Russell was one of the most iconic players of all time

Bill Russell was one of the NBA’s greatest and most influential players and was perhaps the greatest defensive player of all time. And in the 1960s, that is exactly the role he played, providing the Celtics with stellar defense throughout his 13-year career, the vast majority of which came in the 1960s.

Russell led the league in rebounds five times in his career, including twice in the 1960s (1964 and 1965). During the 1960s, he was top three in rebounds in every single season. The five-time MVP also possessed an elite passing ability and finished in the top ten in assists four times in the decade.

Championships speak for themselves, and Russell was the king of titles. He served as the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty of the 1960s, where he won 11 championships in his 13-year career, the greatest dynasty in the history of sports.

Russell was an All-Star in all but his rookie year, and his numerous accolades combined with his stellar skills and playoff success make him one of the greatest players of not only the 1960s but all-time.

1

Wilt Chamberlain

Chamberlain was the greatest player of the 1960s and one of the best scorers in history

When assessing the greatest players of the 1960s, Wilt Chamberlain routinely finds himself at the top, and for good reason. His offense was simply ahead of the game’s time and bridged the gap between the old era of the league and the new, leading to him becoming one of the game’s earliest superstars.

There is no question that Wilt Chamberlain was one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, setting numerous individual scoring records (including his mysterious and legendary 100-point game). But Chamberlain accomplished his feats with longevity, more than most players did even at the time.

Chamberlain featured an elite offense which was accompanied by a pinpoint shooting ability. He led the league in field goal percentage seven times in the 1960s, and was also seventh in points per game and eighth in rebounds per game.

He was also one of the few players to actually win a championship in the 1960s while not being a member of the Celtics. He led his hometown Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA Finals win over the Golden State Warriors in 1967, cementing his legacy as a champion.

One of the few players to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, Wilt Chamberlain did so in 1960 and would go on to be an All-Star in every season of the decade, and a seven-time First Team All-NBA player.

His 100-point game and numerous other offensive records and individual accomplishments are only portions of what made Chamberlain the greatest player of the 1960s and one of the best NBA players of all time.

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