RealGM

In this thread we'll discuss and vote on the top 5 best player seasons of 1961-62.

Schedule will be Mon-Fri, and Thu-Mon. Typically this will be morning to morning.

Some things to start us off:

NBA
The Year in Review http://www.basketball-reference.com/lea ... _1962.html
Playoff Summary http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... _1962.html
Award Voting http://www.basketball-reference.com/awa ... _1962.html
Final Box Score http://webuns.chez-alice.fr/playoffs/1962.htm

Bill Russell was NBA Most Valuable Player (18.9 points, 23.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists in 45.2 minutes per game) during a season in which Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points, 25.7 rebounds and 48.5 minutes per game, Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 11.4 assists), and Elgin Baylor averaged 38.3 points, 18.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 48 games while serving in the Army.

Russell and Wilt Chamberlain faced 10 times during the regular season:

#1) 11/3/61: 28 pts, 12-31 FG, 4-9 FT (38.7% FG, 40.0 TS%)
#2) 11/11/61: 41 pts, 17-40 FG, 7-13 FT (42.5% FG, 44.8% TS)
#3) 11/23/61: 31 pts, 12-34 FG, 7-12 FT (35.3% FG, 39.5% TS)
#4) 12/13/61: 52 pts, 22-43 FG, 8-12 FT (51.2% FG, 53.9% TS)
#5) 12/30/61: 41 pts, 17-34 FG, 7-13 FT (50% FG, 51.6% TS)
#6) 1/14/62: 62 pts, 27-45 FG, 8-10 FT (60% FG, 62.8% TS)
#7) 2/9/62: 48 pts, 15-32 FG, 18-23 FT (46.9% FG, 57.0% TS)
#8) 2/10/62: 38 pts, 16-33 FG, 6-14 FT (48.5% FG, 48.5% TS)
#9) 2/24/62: 26 pts, 11-24 FG, 4-13 FT (45.8% FG, 43.7% TS)
#10) 3/7/62: 30 pts, 13-30 FG, 4-11 FT (43.3.% FG, 43.1% TS)

#1) 11/3/61 @ BOS: In his first meeting of season with Chamberlain, Russell had 21 points and 25 rebounds, and held Chamberlain to 28 points—23.2 points below the 51.2 points per game he averaged the first five games of the season—on 12-for-31 shooting (38.7 percent), and Bob Cousy had a team-high 27 points as Boston won 112-98.

#2) 11/11/61 @ BOS: Russell scored a team-high 28 points and grabbed a game-high 28 rebounds, Bob Cousy and Frank Ramsey had 23, Tom Heinsohn had 20, and Sam Jones 16 as Boston won 128-125. Russell held Chamberlain to 27 points until the final five minutes of the game, where Russell backed off after drawing five fouls (Tri City Herald, November 12, 1961). Chamberlain finished with a game-high 41 points on 17-for-40 shooting (42.5%) and 21 rebounds. Paul Arizin had 27 and Al Attles had 21 for Philadelphia.

#3) 11/23/61 @ PHI: “Bill Russell turned in a defensive gem, holding Wilt Chamberlain to 31 points, far less than the Stilt’s average of 47.8 points per game” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov. 24, 1961), on 12-for-34 shooting (35.3%) in a 119-106 win. Russell held Chamberlain to a single field-goal in the fourth quarter. Tom Heinsohn scored 18 of his team-high 31 points in the third quarter, and Bob Cousy had 14 assists as the Celtics came back from a 59-55 deficit to take the lead for good.

#4) 12/13/61 @ BOS: Boston won 123-113 for their twentieth win in twenty-three games. Six Celtics were in double figures, led by Sam Jones’ 35. Russell had 21 points and a game-high 31 rebounds. Chamberlain scored 52 points on 22-for-43 shooting (51.2%) to tie the Boston Garden single-game scoring record, and grabbed 30 rebounds.

#5) 12/30/61 @ PHI: Boston won 116-111 in overtime in the second game of a doubleheader at Convention Hall. Chamberlain scored 41 points on 17-for-34 shooting (50%) and grabbed 28 rebounds.

#6) 1/14/62 @ BOS: Chamberlain scored 62 points on 27-for-45 shooting from the floor (60%) and 8 of 11 from the line (62.8% TS) and grabbed 28 rebounds, but Boston won 145-136. By the fourth quarter Boston led by 31. Chamberlain scored 21 in the fourth quarter to bring the lead from 119-92 at the end of the third quarter to nine. Russell fouled out with 4½ minutes remaining. Sam Jones had 30, Tom Heinsohn 27, Russell 23 and a game-high 29 rebounds, and Cousy 20. In the first quarter, Russell blocked four Chamberlain shots and intercepted a pass, Tom Heinsohn blocked another shot, and Cousy deflected two passes aimed to Wilt.

#7) 2/9/62 @ BOS: Chamberlain scored 48 points on 15-for-32 shooting (46.9%) and grabbed 29 rebounds as Philadelphia won 126-124.

#8) 2/10/62 @ PHI: Philadelphia won 107-106. Chamberlain scored 38 points on 16-for-33 shooting (48.5%), grabbed 31 rebounds and had four assists, and blocked a Tom Heinsohn hook shot just before the buzzer.

#9) 2/24/62 @ PHI: Chamberlain and the Warriors were held to their lowest point totals of the season as Boston won 109-86. Chamberlain scored 26 points on 11-for-24 shooting (45.8%) and 43.7 percent true shooting. Bob Cousy led Boston with 22 points (The Telegraph, Feb. 26, 1962).

#10) 3/7/62 @ BOS: Five days after scoring 100 points in a game, Chamberlain was held to 30 points on 13-for-30 shooting (43.3%) and 43.1 percent true shooting in a 153-102 Boston win.

BOSTON (AP)—Wilt Chamberlain probably isn’t looking forward to coming back to Boston in the National Basketball Association playoffs.

A hero with 100 points in a single game only last Friday night, the 7-foot 2-inch Philadelphia Warriors scoring sensation managed only 30 against the undisputed defensive kings of the NBA—the Boston Celtics—last night. Boston won by the lopsided score of 153-102.

That was Chamberlain’s second lowest point production of the season, Boston having held him to 28 points on an earlier occasion. But that wasn’t the worst part of it.

Wilt went the first 10 minutes of the game before breaking into the scoring column. Then he went another six minutes before getting two points. He had only 14 at the half. In the final stanza he was so disgusted with himself that he continually passed up shooting opportunities, passing, instead, to a teammate and pointing one arm to the Boston Gardens girder in a silent command for the other player to shoot.

Boston’s Bill Russell did most of the defensive work on Chamberlain. Russell garnered 21 points himself before leaving the game with four minutes gone in the last period.

Wilt had 25 points at that time, adding five more with Jim Loscutoff guarding him over the final eight minutes. (The Telegraph, March 8, 1962)

“Typically, Chamberlain outscored and outrebounded Russell, but Russell held Chamberlain’s scoring well below his average” (John Taylor, The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball [New York: Random House, 2005], p. 158). Against Russell, Chamberlain averaged 39.7 points on 34.6 field goal attempts, 46.8 percent shooting from the floor, 56.2 percent shooting from the line and 49.2 percent true shooting, 28.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Chamberlain averaged 51.9 points on 51.0 percent shooting from the floor, 61.8 percent shooting from the line and 54.1 percent true shooting against everyone else. Chamberlain had two sub-30-point games during the regular season, both against Russell.

“I tried to make him less efficient,” Russell said. “In other words, if he got 40 points, it wouldn't hurt us that much if he had to take 42 shots to get them. I wanted to make sure that he didn't get those 40 points with 20 shots. So I tried to neutralize the impact of his points.”

January 23, Russell sprained his ankle against the Lakers in New York and was out for a week. Boston played St. Louis January 24 and lost 135-126 for their first defeat of the season. “[W]ithout Russell the Eastern Division leaders couldn’t stop the Hawk offense” (Reading Eagle, Jan. 25, 1962). “Without Bob Cousy or Tom Heinsohn or Bill Sharman the Boston Celtics are still the world’s greatest basketball team. Without Bill Russell they can be beaten” (The Milwaukee Journal, Jan. 25, 1962).

They played the Warriors January 27 in Philadelphia and January 28 in Boston, Chamberlain scoring 53 points on 21-for-28 shooting (75%) to lead the Warriors to a 131-106 win in the first game and 50 on 17-for-31 shooting (54.8%) the next night in a 133-129 win. The latter was their fourth straight loss.

If anyone doubts the value of Bill Russell to the Boston Celtics, the performance of the three-time National Basketball Association champs in the last four games may change their mind.

Russell, considered the best defensive player in the game, has missed the last four games because of a foot injury and the Celtics have lost every one.

Their four game losing streak matches their longest since March, 1957, and has cut their Eastern Division lead from 10 to six games.

“We’re going to stay put, just go with what we have,” sighed Boston coach Red Auerbach Sunday after his team lost to Philadelphia for the second straight time, 133-129 in overtime.

With Russell out, the tallest Celtic player is 6-foot-7 Tommy Heinsohn. Every other club in the league has a pair between 6-foot-9 and 7-foot-3.

The lack of height was obvious Sunday as two Celtics fouled out attempting to control Philadelphia’s Wilt Chamberlain. It was Chamberlain’s 50 points and the clutch free throws of Tom Meschery that won the game.

Chamberlain averaged 51.5 points on 29.5 field goal attempts, 64.4 percent shooting from the floor, 69.2 percent shooting from the line and 67.6 percent true shooting in the two games against Boston without Russell. Russell returned to the lineup January 31, and end the streak with a 122-115 win over Chicago.

LOUISVILLE (AP) — Bill Russell, 6-10 defensive and rebounding wizard of the Boston Celtics, was named the most valuable player in the National Basketball Association for the second straight year yesterday.

Selection of Russell was made by a 27-man committee representing the United States Basketball Writers Association. The committee was composed of three writers in each of the nine NBA cities.

Russell received 19 first place votes and a total of 283 points on the basis of 12 points for first, 7 for second, 6 for third, 5 for fourth, etc. He finished more than 100 points ahead of Philadelphia’s 50-point a game scorer, Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain, the 1961 winner, drew five first place votes and 174 points. Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals was third with three first place votes and 160 points.

In the postseason, Russell averaged 22.4 points, 26.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 48 minutes per game (he played all 672 minutes of his 14 playoff games), shot a career playoff-best 72.6 percent from the line, and led the league in win shares (3.60) and defensive win shares (2.15). He led Boston in scoring.

Eastern Division Finals – Boston Celtics (60-20) vs. Philadelphia Warriors (49-31):

Russell had 16 points and 30 rebounds in Game 1 to Chamberlain’s 33 points and 31 rebounds as Boston won 117-89. “Defense was the key,” said Auerbach. Russell held Chamberlain to 12 points in the first half “when the game was being decided.” “Philadelphia, caught between the Celtics’ ball-hawking, rebounding, shot-blocking antics and its own errors, experienced the worst half of the year before intermission. By that time Boston led 50-35 and Bill Russell had held Chamberlain to 12 points” (Schenectady Gazette, Mar. 26, 1962). Boston held Philadelphia to 12-for-46 shooting in the first half (26.1%). “Tom Sanders covered Paul Arizin so well the scoring great didn’t get a field goal for the first 15 minutes” (Schenectady Gazette, Mar. 26, 1962). “We weren’t anywhere near our best offensively,” said Cousy. “But if we play a strong defense like Saturday, offense will take care of itself. We were off our shooting game but still scored 117 points. If we can play another strong defensive game at Philadelphia Tuesday night, I believe it will be a short series” (Daytona Beach Morning Journal, Mar. 26, 1962).

Game 2 in Philadelphia, Chamberlain had 42 points and 37 rebounds—dominating Russell, who had nine points and 20 rebounds—to lead the Warriors to a 113-106 win. Paul Arizin had 27. Chamberlain scored 16 in the fourth quarter and rookie York Larese had eight to bring Philadelphia back from a 85-79 deficit. “The Warriors trailed 91-80 with a little more than 10 minutes remaining, but they rallied to tie at 102 with 3:56 left on Chamberlain’s field goal. It was Larese’s steal of a Bob Cousy pass which set up the tying basket. After Boston went ahead by one point on Tom Heinsohn’s free throw Chamberlain scored again to put the Warriors ahead for good” (The Telegraph, Mar. 28, 1962). Tom Heinsohn lead Boston with 24, Bob Cousy had 19, and Frank Ramsey and K.C. Jones had 18 each.

In Game 3, “Russell scored a unanimous decision over Chamberlain in the third of a current best-of-seven National Basketball Assn. playoff series […]. And it was Russell, more than anyone else, who led the Celtics to a 2-1 edge in games with a 129-114 victory over the Warriors” (The Pittsburgh Press, Mar. 29, 1962). Russell out-rebounded Wilt 31-29 and was right with him in scoring, with 31 points (12-? FG, 7-9 FT) to Wilt’s 35 (14-?, 1-12 FT). Russell out-scored Wilt 21-13 in the first half and out-rebounded him 14-11 to give Boston a 21-point 76-55 lead. Russell and Heinsohn combined for 10 of Boston’s first 11 points, and a Cousy steal and pass to Russell who scored and made it a 3-point play after being fouled by Meschery gave Boston a 13-point 62-49 lead. Chamberlain led all scorers, but his points came too late. Tom Heinsohn tied Russell for the team high with 31, Sam Jones had 19, Bob Cousy had 17. Tom Meschery had 27, Paul Arizin 16, and Al Attles 15.

In Game 4, Chamberlain had 41 points (15-29 FG, 11-22 FT) and 34 rebounds “as he dominated Boston’s Bill Russell in the battle of giant centers” (The Milwaukee Sentinel, Apr. 1, 1962) to lead Philadelphia to a 110-106 victory to tie the series at two. Russell had 31 points and 30 rebounds, “but his rebounding prowess was curtailed when he drew four first-half fouls” (The Milwaukee Sentinel, Apr. 1, 1962). “With Russell in foul trouble, Auerbach alternated Jim Loscutoff and Satch Sanders on Chamberlain. But both fouled out trying to stop the fadeaway jumpers, tap-ins and dunk shots of the Warriors’ ace” (The Milwaukee Sentinel, Apr. 1, 1962). “Boston led 25-23 at the end of the first period, but trailed by a point, 55-54, at the intermission. The Warriors led 78-77 after three quarters, then put the game away with a 32-point final period as against only 29 for the defending champion Celtics” (Park City Daily News, Mar. 30, 1962).

In a 119-104 Game 5 win, Russell out-rebounded Wilt 26-14, scored 29 points to Wilt’s 30, and had seven assists. Russell held Wilt to 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting in the first half (30.8%), and out-rebounded him 11-9 to give Boston a 23-point halftime lead, 72-49. “Boston jumped out to an immediate eight point lead and were on top throughout, by 10 at the quarter, 23 at the half, 22 at the end of three, and 15 when it was over” (Beaver County Times, Apr. 2, 1962). Sam Jones had 23, and Tom Heinson 17 before fouling out. Guy Rodgers had 16, and Tom Meschery 14 before fouling out for Philadelphia.

The Warriors won Game 6 in Philadelphia, 109-99, Chamberlain with 32 points and 21 rebounds, Paul Arizin with 28, Tom Meschery with 27, and Guy Rodgers with 17. “Wilt Chamberlain finished high for the Warriors with 32 points, but he was completely overshadowed in the first half by Meschery and Arizin. Their shooting put the Warriors out front early in the game. Meschery finished with 27 points, 23 coming in the first half, and Arizin finished with 28” (Schnectady Gazette, Apr. 4, 1962). Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn led Boston with 22 each, Russell had 19 points and 22 rebounds, and Sam Jones had 15. Boston pulled within three points, 67-64 early in the third quarter, but “in less than a three-minute span midway in the period Arizin and Guy Rodgers, who played a superb game with his play making and defense, led a 12-point spree which put the game out of reach for the Celtics” (Schnectady Gazette, Apr. 4, 1962).

In the seventh and deciding game in Boston, Russell held Wilt to a season-low 22 points (7-15 FG), scored 19 himself (7-14 FG), and matched Wilt with 22 rebounds as Boston won 109-107 on a jump shot by Sam Jones with two seconds left. Jones led Boston with 28 points (12-29 FG), Tom Heinsohn had 25 (9-22 FG), and Bob Cousy 21 points (8-21 FG) and eight assists. Tom Meschery scored a game-high 32 points (10-19 FG, 12-13 FT) for the Warriors. “Tom Meschery was great for us in that game” (Wilt, p. 139). Paul Arizin and Guy Rodgers had 18.

“This was the toughest seven game series we’ve ever played,” said Auerbach. “It was harder physically and took a lot out of us. We almost blew this game.”

For the series Russell averaged 22 points and 25.9 rebounds to Chamberlain’s 33.5 and 26.9. Russell’s strategy was this: “his team averaged [125.4] points a game and the Celtics [125.1], so I figured if I could knock a few points off his average, we should win most of those games. That’s what happened” (Bill Russell and Taylor Branch, Second Wind: The Memoirs of An Opinionated Man [New York: Simon & Schuster, 1979], 159-60).

(cont.)

NBA Finals – Boston Celtics (60-20) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (54-26):

Boston won Game 1 122-108. Sam Jones led Boston with 24, Satch Sanders had 16, Cousy had 15, and Russell had 15. Elgin Baylor, flown in on leave from Fort Lewis, Washington, led the Lakers with 35. Jerry West had 21. K.C. Jones suffered a broken nose on a collision with a Jim Krebs elbow in the second quarter.

LA won Game 2 129-122, led by Jerry West, who scored 40, and Elgin Baylor, who scored 36. “The foul line was the decisive battlefield. In the first half, both clubs had 25 field goals but the Lakers hit on 23 of 24 free throw chances while Boston was 0 for 17” (The Milwaukee Sentinel, Apr. 9, 1962). “Los Angeles connected on 37 of 42 free throw tries (88 per cent) and the Celtics 16 of 28 (57 per cent)” (The Miami News, Apr. 9, 1962). Tom Heinsohn led Boston with 27, and Bill Russell and Bob Cousy had 23 each.

LA won Game 3 117-115 on a Jerry West steal and driving layup at the buzzer to take a 2-1 series lead. West hit two free throws to tie the game at 115-115 with three seconds left. Boston called timeout to set up a final shot, and when Boston inbounded the ball at midcourt, West stole the pass and drove unchallenged for the winning basket. “Jerry West, Laker guard, snatched an in-bounds pass thrown by Sam Jones and intended for Bob Cousy. Anticipating the throw, West flashed in front of Cousy just as the ball was about to reach its target. In one sweeping motion, West started a dribble that he continued the 45 feet to the basket, where he sank a lay-up just as the gun sounded” (The Miami News, Apr. 11, 1962). West had 36 points and Elgin Baylor had 28. Bill Russell led Boston with 26 points, 23 rebounds and eight blocked shots.

Boston won Game 4 115-103 to avoid going down 3-1. Bill Russell led a balanced Boston attack with 21 points and 22 rebounds. Tom Heinsohn had 19, Satch Sanders 18, Bob Cousy 17 and 13 assists, Sam Jones had 14, and K.C. Jones had 12. Elgin Baylor led LA with 38 points and 14 rebounds (The Miami News, Apr. 12, 1962), and Jerry West had 26.

BOSTON, April 13 (AP) — A grim Boston Celtics squad whipped through a drill today preparing for the pivotal fifth game against Los Angeles in the National Basketball Association playoff finals tomorrow night.

The clubs are tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven competition.

“This is the big one coming up,” said Frank Ramsey as he sat in a whirlpool bath getting treatment for the severe leg muscle pull which has had him hobbling throughout the series.

“True, we’re even in games won,” Ramsey continued, “but it’s down to a best-of-three situation and tomorrow night is a must for us. It we lose it we’ve lost the home court advantage which we battled from behind to regain.”

Ramsey was referring to the fact that after winning the opener here, Boston lost two straight to the Lakers.

“The key again is Jerry West,” said veteran Carl Braun. “Elgin Baylor will get his 35 points a game, regardless. We need to hold West in the mid 20’s in scoring—24 or 25. That’s a good night. But it means to Lakers have to come up with about 60 points from the other squad members.”

The other players had little to say. Center Bill Russell set the mood. Appearing tired and grim, the Celtics’ big man moved slowly. Once he looked up from the bench to Tommy Heinsohn.

“Hey, you see what Fred Schaus (Los Angeles coach) said?” Russell called. “He said he knows the Lakers will win out there Monday and all they have to do is win one of two here.”

At that, Russell snorted defiantly, then bent down again to resume tying his size 16 shoes.

The Lakers were due to arrive by air late in the evening.

The series definitely will go through a date in Los Angeles Monday and if a seventh is needed it will be played here Wednesday.

Boston owner Walter Brown still was shaking his head over the free throws.

“I’ve just checked over the team figures for the 80-game season and our opponents had a little over three more free throw tries a game than we did,” Brown said.

“But in this series Los Angeles is getting almost 15 more tries a game. It just seems to me the figures shouldn’t be so lopsided when two good teams meet.”
(Schenectady Gazette, Apr. 14, 1962)

LA won Game 5 126-121 to take a 3-2 series lead, led by Elgin Baylor, who scored 61 points—breaking the playoff record of 50 set by Bob Pettit in Game 7 of the 1958 Finals against Boston—and grabbing 22 rebounds. Baylor scored 18 of the Lakers’ 31 points in the first quarter and 33 at the half, breaking the old record of 29 set by Joe Fulk in 1947 and tied by Pettit in ’58. LA outscored Boston 33-22 in the fourth quarter. Jerry West had 26.

The Army private on leave got six fast points 54 seconds from the end to move the Lakers from a 115-114 deficit to a 120-117 lead.

While Sam Jones kept the Celtics alive with two field goals, Laker Jim Krebs hit a long jumper from the corner for only his second field goal of the night, maintaining the edge for the winners.

Los Angeles took time out with 16 seconds left, leading 122-121, and on an out-of-bounds play West was fouled driving for the basket. He connected on both free throws. Just at the buzzer, he hit a jump shot for the final count, bringing his point total to 24. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Apr. 15, 1962)

Tom Heinsohn had 30 for Boston, Bill Russell had 26 points, 29 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocked shots, Sam Jones had 26, Cousy had 16 and a game-high 10 assists. “For much of the game, it appeared Boston’s noted teamwork would overcome Baylor’s individual brilliance. But every time the Celtics were on the verge of putting the game away, their younger foes stormed from behind again. […] In the final analysis, the vital game which may have tolled the death knell for the Celtics—who have won three straight titles and four in five years—appeared to be settled on a combination of talent plus youth” (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Apr. 15, 1962).

Boston won Game 6 in LA 119-105 to force it to a deciding Game 7 in Boston. Sam Jones led Boston with a game-high 35 points on 17-for-27 shooting (63.0%), Satch Sanders had 20, and Bill Russell had 19 points, 24 rebounds, a game-high 10 assists, and nine blocked shots. “Sam Jones killed us,” Lakers coach Fred Schaus said. “He tore us up” (The Dispatch, Apr. 17, 1962). Elgin Baylor and Jerry West had 34 each. LA led 65-57 at the half, but Boston outscored LA 34-16 in the third quarter, holding Elgin Baylor to four points and holding Jerry West scoreless. “Jones scored 12 points in the second quarter and then ignited the big Boston rally with five baskets in the opening minutes of the third quarter to bring the Celtics from behind into a safe lead” (Dispatch, Apr. 17, 1962).

“We blew it; we let them off the hook,” said Laker coach Fred Schaus. “But we’ve won two games in Boston and there’s no reason why we can’t win another.” “Now that we’ve got the Lakers in Boston we’ll beat them,” said Cousy. “This is the kind of club that meets the big challenge. We can have our backs to the wall, and when all seems lost, we come through” (The Owosso Argus-Press, Apr. 17, 1962).

Game 7 in Boston went down to the wire. Boston had a six-point lead at the half, 53-47, despite Sam Jones’ 1-for-10 shooting. Baylor and West with 41 of the Lakers’ 47 points. After three, the game was tied at 75. In the fourth quarter, Satch Sanders fouled out, then Jim Loscutoff trying to guard Baylor, then Tom Heinsohn fouled out with 4:40 left on Baylor’s 37th and 38th points after “a miserable game with eight points, six fouls and 3-of-13 shooting” (Tall Tales p. 247). Auerbach put 14-year veteran guard Carl Braun on Baylor, who only scored three points in the last four minutes. Boston led 100-96 with 40 seconds left, but Frank Selvy made it 100-98. West stole Boston’s in-bounds pass and found Selvy who tied it up at 100 with 18 seconds left. A Frank Ramsey miss was rebounded by Rudy LaRusso, and LA called timeout and had the ball with five seconds left. A wide-open Selvy missed the potential game-winner with three seconds left, and Russell grabbed the rebound as the buzzer sounded. In overtime, Frank Ramsey fouled out in the opening seconds; with their entire forward rotation gone, reserve forward Gene Guarilia—who averaged 8.2 minutes in 45 games during the season—was put on Baylor. Russell scored four of Boston’s 10 points, Sam Jones scored five, and Bob Cousy had the lone other point, and Boston won 110-107 for a record fourth consecutive NBA title.

Bill Russell played the full 53 minutes, scored a team-high 30 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the floor and 14-of-17 shooting (82.4%) from the line (58.9 TS%), grabbed an NBA Finals-record 40 rebounds and had four assists. Sam Jones scored 27, 25 on 11-for-21 shooting in the second half after a 1-for-10 start, and Frank Ramsey scored 23—17 in the first half, and made 15 of 16 free throws. Bob Cousy had eight points on 3-for-13 shooting from the floor (23.1%) and 2-of-10 shooting from the line. Elgin Baylor scored a game-high 41 points (13-40 FG, 15-21 FT) and grabbed 22 rebounds for Los Angeles before fouling out, and Jerry West had 35, playing the full 53.

“I thought it was all over when Selvy shot from the corner,” said Boston coach Red Auerbach. “The guys won it, though, and it was one we had to win. We’re an aging club and if we hadn’t won this one it would have made it rough psychologically for the guys in the future. But now we’re still the champions and the rest of the league still has to catch us.”

“I didn’t think we had much of a chance in that overtime,” Cousy said. “No matter where you are in a game, whoever controls the boards will win. And we were operating with four little men.”

“People say the Celtics are the greatest team in history,” said Laker coach Fred Schaus. “Well, perhaps they are, but if they are then we’re not very far behind” (The Milwaukee Journal, Apr. 19, 1962).

April 30, 1962
Too Much To Beat This Year
By the narrowest of margins and with some high-jumping help the Celtics beat the Lakers, but in the process identified a formidable future foe
Arlie W. Schardt

As they fought through the final game of the National Basketball Association championship last week those longtime rulers of the sport, the Boston Celtics, had a lot of things going for them. There was big Bill Russell, their defensive wonder, knocking opposition shots away from the basket with the casual ease of a man swatting flies. There was the Celtic offense, which attacks with the intuition and confidence of a man raiding his own icebox in the dark. There was Coach Red Auerbach, shouting strategy as his face turned the color his nickname suggests; and there were 13,900 partisan fans creating a din that ranged from amazed anguish to gasping relief.

As it turned out the Celtics needed all these things and very nearly more to finally defeat the young, eager and hungry Lakers from Los Angeles. By winning their fourth straight NBA championship, the Celtics prolonged their reign for yet another season. But never had a Boston title come so hard.

Indeed, the Lakers were within a scant three inches and the flick of a finger of upsetting the Celtics. They had the ball at midcourt with only seven seconds remaining and the score tied, 100-100. Laker Guard Frank Selvy drove through a forest of waving Boston hands and released an easy jump shot. It was three inches too high and rolled off the rim. Los Angeles' great forward, Elgin Baylor, way up in the air and ready to tap the shot in, thought it was going in by itself. He pulled back his hand, giving Bill Russell a chance to snatch the rebound as time ran out. Russell hugged the ball against his chest and sank to the floor on one knee, like a man giving prayerful thanks for his good fortune. He remained there—motionless—for 25 seconds, before getting up and walking slowly over to a rickety chair where the Boston trainer poured a pitcher of ice water across the back of his neck. Then he came back to lead the Celtics to a 110-107 overtime win. It had been that close.

The Celtics themselves realized that the Lakers' play marked the maturity of a rugged rival. Next season Los Angeles, led by the most successful young coach in the league, Fred Schaus, and helped by experience and a big draft choice—Center LeRoy Ellis of St. John's—will be tougher still. Perhaps too tough for a Celtic team on which a Cousy is near retirement and a Russell is dreaming about it.

"There is still no one on the horizon who can counteract the things Bill Russell can do to you," says Fred Schaus. "The Celts will be strong until they lose him." Russell is not so sure. After scoring 30 points and getting 40 rebounds in the final game, during which he never stopped running, passing, or intimidating opposing shooters, the end of his ordeal caused a tremendous emotional release. He got sick the moment he reached the locker room. Then he began to cry.

Russell needed only a quick shower to regain his poise. And he did some thinking out loud while he smoothed his neat goatee. "This one meant more to me than any other," he smiled. "Those Lakers give me the feeling things aren't going to be the same next year."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/ ... /index.htm

Russell averaged 22.9 points and 27 rebounds in 48.3 minutes per game for the Finals, shooting 75.4 percent from the line. He would have been NBA Finals Most Valuable Player had the award existed.

BOSTON (UPI)—This now is the land of the bean, the cod, and Bill Russell.

For the uninitiated, goateed Bill Russell is the difference between winning and losing for the Boston Celtics basketball team. It has been like that for six years now, and the six foor, 10-inch Russell proved it again Wednesday night.

When the former San Francisco all-American and Olympic basketball ace came here, the Boston Celtics had never won a National Basketball Association division or playoff championship.

Four Straight

They’ve now won six straight division crowns and five out of six playoff titles including an unprecedented four in a row.

What happened the year they lost (1958)? Why, Bill Russell was out with an injury, naturally.

The Celtics turned back the Los Angeles Lakers 110-107, in overtime before a packed Boston Garden house Wednesday night. The victory ended a best-of-seven transcontinental title playoff which had been tied at three wins apiece.

The crowd lugged Russell, the veteran play-making ace Bob Cousy, coach Red Auerbach, and the rest of the Celtics off the court.

40 Rebounds

The cold statistics show that Russell, who averaged 19 points during the season and 25 during the playoffs, had a Boston high of 30 points and a record-tying total of 40 rebounds. He scored four of the 10 Boston overtime points.

Thanks to Beast & Reg for kickstarting discussions on one of the more important years in NBA history. I'll be very interested to see how people vote, and expect lots of disagreement.

The main thought in my head is that it seems clear that the trump card in this era is the defensive impact a big man can have. See see that the gap between the best defensive team from the median is WAY greater than the analogous gap on offense. While I do think Russell did this best, I don't think he was alone, and Wilt in '64 is an example of this. However this year, Wilt's force is directed on offense. He's doing it well, but the impact he can have there just can't compete with Russell's defense.

Estimated Pace-Adjusted Numbers 1962

ORtg


DRtg


Individuals numbers placed here later...

Just looking at the PS and PG, is there any reason why pace slows so dramatically from 62 compared to 64? It looks like the league average falls like 10 points just in that two year span. This year like half the league is putting up 120ppg+, including Philly's ridiculous 125 for/122 against line

And with that said it's no surprise this year has absurd statlines from Wilt, Oscar, Baylor, and Pettit. I'd like to see the statlines from this year scaled down to modern day levels and at 36mpg

If you count the FT line trips as shots (using x .4), Wilt averages 46.3 shots and 2.4 assists, or 19.3 shots for every assist.

Two most underrated Wilt stats for this year

17 FTA a game
1.5 PFs in 48.5 minutes (1.1 per 36)

I can't believe this is the 3rd last Wilt year and 2nd last West year/his last ballot year. The Russ/Wilt/West/Oscar era just blew by for me, seems like last week I was looking forward to it starting

This is the very peak in pace in the history of the game. From here on the impact of the Bigs will contribute to lowering the pace. Yeah the stats are mindblowing in this yr. Interesting to see if Bellamy can get any votes this yr.

Not sure what to do about Wilt vs. Russell this year. Wilt's actual 50 ppg doesn't matter to me. His dropping 33/26 on Russell and pushing the superior team to game seven does matter. It seems that when Wilt dominated Russell, his team won. When Russell outplayed or evenly played Wilt, Russell's team won. Doesn't that mean that Wilt is the superior individual?

His game seven is not good though. Wilt should have played better there. Still, his team almost won the series, and his play was great.

Russell does get the advantage of a championship and perhaps the GOAT game in NBA history. 30/40 in a game seven? I mean, wow.....

Baylor's 60/20 finals game against the best defensive team in the league in a crucial game five of the finals guarantees him a spot.

ronnymac2 wrote: It seems that when Wilt dominated Russell, his team won. When Russell outplayed or evenly played Wilt, Russell's team won. Doesn't that mean that Wilt is the superior individual?

If that's the case, then yes. What does it mean though for them to play even though? If both guys go for 30/30, does that make you think they were even?

PBS aired a special, "The Way It Was", about the 1962 Finals. Panel of 3 Celtics and 3 Lakers. Cousy, Auerbach, Heinsohn. Selvy, Baylor, Hot Rod. They were commenting on game footage, and panned in on Selvy as Cousy dribbled out the clock, in Gm 7. The glumness was still fresh on his face as he watched the footage years later. From what I have seen and heard from the 60s guys over the years, I don't think they were able to use the previous losses as motivation; the losses cut a few of these guys deep, not just West.

Game 3:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5O4tuc8Bjg[/youtube]
Game 5:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G85osjuPI94[/youtube]
Game 7:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFHphfjxuAc[/youtube]

This is a year where I kind of have to stick up for Wilt. The 50s Celtics were aging but still tough—this was pre-transition period Celtics in my book. The non-Russell Celtics were better than the non-Wilt Warriors. And the Warriors set a franchise record for wins and took Boston to Game 7. Mendy Rudolph’s goaltending call on Wilt with 23 second left in game 7 was (to put it mildly) controversial, but wilt hit a basket, got fouled, and made the FT to tie the game after that. He was rushing out at Sam Jones, who hit the game winner with a couple of seconds left. All of this leads me to believe that

1) Wilt had great impact.
2) Wilt played strong D (to the point where he was trying to cover guards in the waning second of Game 7).

The 50-point season was lauded, and increasingly dismissed and dissed. But I think the results speak for themselves…franchise record in wins, needed a controversial call to lose Game 7 against the Celtics. Russell had a great year, too, though. And you can’t really count Oscar out either; he was absolutely at his peak; this year. It’s tough for me at #1.

Baylor/West…it’s hard for me to think that Elgin Baylor had more value in 48 games than Jerry West had in 75. But Elgin was the better player at this point, so I’ll have to mull it over, do some more research, and see what others are saying.

Thinking About: Richie Guerin, who was a tough player and good defender….probably as good of a defender as West at this point in the Logo’s career. He had nobody else on his team other than Johnny Green, though, so the team record works against him. Pettit was great, as usual…but the team was in disarray. Don’t think I can put one of those guys higher, although they’re on the radar.

TrueLAfan wrote:Baylor/West…it’s hard for me to think that Elgin Baylor had more value in 48 games than Jerry West had in 75. But Elgin was the better player at this point, so I’ll have to mull it over, do some more research, and see what others are saying.

Perfect. Thanks for the opening to post this.

Simmons:

"It's impossible to fully capture Elgin's greatness five decades after the fact, but let's try. He averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds and carried the Lakers to the Finals as a rookie. He scored 71 points against Wilt's Warriors in his second season. He averaged 34.8 points and 19.8 rebounds in his third season -- as a 6-foot-5 forward, no less -- and topped himself the following year with the most amazing accomplishment in NBA history. During the 1961-62 season, Elgin played only 48 games -- all on weekends, all without practicing -- and somehow averaged 38 points, 19 rebounds and five assists a game.

Why was this better than Wilt's 50 per game or Oscar's season-long triple-double? Because the guy didn't practice! He was moonlighting as an NBA player on weekends! Wilt's 50 makes sense considering the feeble competition and his gratuitous ball-hogging. Oscar's triple-double makes sense considering the style of play at the time -- tons of points, tons of missed shots, tons of available rebounds. But Elgin's 38-19-5 makes no sense whatsoever. I don't see how this happened. It's inconceivable. A U.S. Army Reservist at the time, Elgin lived in a barracks in the state of Washington, leaving only whenever they gave him a weekend pass ... and even with that pass, he could only fly coach on flights with multiple connections to meet the Lakers wherever they happened to be playing. Once he arrived, he would throw on a uniform and battle the best NBA players alive on back-to-back nights -- fortunately for the Lakers, most games were scheduled on the weekends back then -- and make the same complicated trip back to Washington on Sunday night or Monday morning. That was his life for five months.

The only modern comparison would be Kobe's 2004 season, when the Lakers star was accused of sexual assault and flew back and forth between Colorado and Los Angeles or wherever the Lakers happened to be playing. You might remember everyone making an enormous deal about Kobe's "grueling" season even though he was flying charters and staying at first-class hotels. Well, can you imagine if Kobe had been re-enacting Elgin's '62 season? The world would have stopped. We would have given him the MVP on the spot. Forty-six years later, nobody even remembers Elgin's 38-19-5 happened. When he carried the Lakers to the cusp of a championship against a juggernaut Celtics team -- becoming the first-ever member of the 60-20 Club in the process (in Game 5, Elgin exploded for an incomprehensible 61 points and 22 rebounds) -- he came within an errant Frank Selvy 10-footer of winning the title in Boston. Standing under the basket, Elgin jumped too soon for the rebound and didn't tip it in. He would never come closer to a ring."

I may be easily swayed, but... Elgin is going to get consideration from me for #1, 48 GP be damned. He played in all the games he was able to, and that's likely to be forgotten if you don't know why.

In other news, LOVE the huge number year. Wilt's 50/25, Oscar's 31/11/13, Elgin's 38/19/5...

Doctor MJ wrote:

ronnymac2 wrote: It seems that when Wilt dominated Russell, his team won. When Russell outplayed or evenly played Wilt, Russell's team won. Doesn't that mean that Wilt is the superior individual?

If that's the case, then yes. What does it mean though for them to play even though? If both guys go for 30/30, does that make you think they were even?

No, if the stats were identical, I'd give the edge to Russell, because I think Russell is the GOAT ito helping his teammates while hurting the other team's plans.

Another thing holding me back from placing Wilt over Russell is that even in games where Wilt went for big points...in some of them, it seems Russell may have really screwed with him and outplayed him through the important points in the game. It makes me think Wilt of 1962 is Shaq of 1995. He's great and he can produce- even outproduce- the other great C in the league heads-up. He may not be experienced and/or refined enough to know HOW to outplay the other great C at his peak.

TLAF wrote:Mendy Rudolph’s goaltending call on Wilt with 23 second left in game 7 was (to put it mildly) controversial, but wilt hit a basket, got fouled, and made the FT to tie the game after that.

how the hell can you say it was controversial when you didn't even see it ? this is beyond me. reminds me of ronnymac saying in the other thread that West wasn't at his best despite the stats (so he had a huge impact by +/-, great stats, but yet wasn't at his best and he could tell this by ... not watching him play). I'm not trying to attack you people, but when making such statements be aware of limited footage. stats and anecdotes are all we have sometimes. don't act as if you've seen these situations.

Another point:

The SRS gap between the Celtics and the next best team in the league this year (the Warriors) was 5.6. This is huge. The biggest gap out of any of the years in the Celtic dynasty. Big enough that the gap between the Celtics and anyone else was bigger than the SRS gap between the Warriors and the 29-51 Hawks.

I don't mean to dismiss the Warriors record. They had a great regular season, but by no means was it "almost" as good as the Celtics. Combine that with Wilt's tendency to struggle against the Celtics, and MVP choice for me is pretty simple.

Now as we know, Philly made it close in the playoff series against Boston, so maybe that totally makes up for the regular season for you. As mentioned before, I try not to get too excited about a team making a series close - and since Wilt really still struggled in that series, doesn't sway me too much.

Doc can you post that ECF stats from the other thread ? you made an analysis in that thread.

I think the comment about Shaq is a good one. Wilt’s production was extraordinary…but great numbers don’t necessarily translate into wins. In this season, they largely did. I think the difference between Heinsohn/Jones/Cousy/etc. and Philadelphia’s team was large, though. 10 wins worth? Don’t know. The Wilt/Russell debate isn’t an easy one this year, at least for me…and that’s leaving Oscar out, which isn’t clear cut either. (btw … with regard to Wilt's play and production in the Boaston playoff series, in the 11/25/68 SI, Alex Hannum is quoted as saying the following about the 1962 Philadelphia team: “In the playoffs McGuire asked for more balanced team scoring, and Chamberlain responded agreeably, going over 40 points in only three of 12 playoff games to help bring the Philadelphia team to within a bounce of the ball of beating the Celtics.”)

Bastillon… Mendy Rudolph’s call is discussed in Tall Tales, pretty much every book about Wilt, and was commented on by Boston and Philadelphia players and coaches--enough so that future biographers and writers were able to get an earful. (Frank McGuire, apparently, stayed mad about it for the rest of his life.) From what I’ve read and heard, I don’t think Rudolph’s call was as bad as, say, what Richie Powers did in the 70s, but the fact that it was controversial isn’t a mystery, nor was I claiming it was anything other than…a contentious call in the closing minute of a Game 7. Acknowledging a relatively well-known controversy in less than a sentence doesn’t require firsthand visual inspection; most of what we’re talking about by now is well before any of the voters were or could be able to “see” anything. And you want to be a little more calm and polite, too. Really.

bastillon wrote:Doc can you post that ECF stats from the other thread ? you made an analysis in that thread.

Y'know not sure where it was, but ThaReg's post in this thread seems to me to have all the same info and then some.

To summarize though:

7 games
2 40+ (games 2 & 4) point games where I'd give Wilt the clear "win", and his team won
4 games with 30 to 33 points, none of which were that impressive for Wilt. 3 of those games had Wilt really being shut down in the first half where the game tended to be decided, and the 4th game Wilt went for 33 & 29 while Russell did 31 & 31. Boston wins 3 of those 4, and I'd give Russell the nod for superior play in each.
Game 7 Wilt only scores 22, Russell 19. Philly almost wins, but I have a hard time looking at that as any kind of victory for Wilt.

On the whole Wilt's scoring goes down from 51 in the regular season (even more if you don't count the Boston games) to 33 in this series on almost certainly much worse efficiency.