1960 NBA draft
The 1960 NBA draft was the 14th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA), conducted on April 11, 1960, at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City.[1][2] The event featured 101 selections across 21 rounds by the league's eight franchises—Boston Celtics, Cincinnati Royals, Detroit Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors, St. Louis Hawks, and Syracuse Nationals—with only 26 draftees ultimately appearing in at least one NBA game, as confirmed by official draft records.[1] Notably, the draft included three future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers, headlined by the first overall pick, Oscar Robertson, selected as a territorial choice by the Royals from the University of Cincinnati.[1] The draft's top selections underscored its talent depth, beginning with Robertson, a 6-foot-5 guard who revolutionized the point guard position and earned Rookie of the Year honors in the 1960-61 season by averaging 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game—the first such triple-double average in NBA history.[3][4] The Minneapolis Lakers followed with the second pick, Jerry West from West Virginia University, a prolific scorer and playmaker who later became a 14-time All-Star, 1969 Finals MVP (despite his team's loss), and key figure in the Lakers' 1972 championship. The 1-2 combination of Robertson ("The Big O") and West ("The Logo") is widely regarded as the best opening duo to start an NBA draft in history.[5] Rounding out the elite prospects was sixth overall selection Lenny Wilkens from Providence College, taken by the St. Louis Hawks; Wilkens developed into a nine-time All-Star guard and later a Hall of Fame coach who led the Seattle SuperSonics to the 1979 NBA title. Beyond the headliners, the draft yielded solid contributors like third pick Darrall Imhoff (New York Knicks, California), a defensive center who played 12 NBA seasons and earned a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics, and fifth pick Lee Shaffer (Syracuse Nationals, North Carolina), though many later selections had limited professional impact amid the era's smaller league size and territorial draft rules.[1] Overall, the class produced 189.2 win shares from Robertson alone, highlighting its enduring legacy in bolstering rosters during the Celtics' dynasty era.[1]Background
NBA Landscape in 1960
In the 1959–60 NBA season, the Boston Celtics captured their third consecutive championship by defeating the St. Louis Hawks 4–3 in the Finals, capping a dominant regular season where they finished with a league-best record of 59 wins and 16 losses in the Eastern Division.[6] The Eastern Division standings saw the Philadelphia Warriors in second place at 49–26, followed by the Syracuse Nationals at 45–30 and the New York Knicks at 27–48. In the Western Division, the Hawks led with 46 wins and 29 losses, ahead of the Detroit Pistons (30–45), Cincinnati Royals (19–56), and Minneapolis Lakers (25–50).[7] This season marked the continuation of the Celtics' emerging dynasty under coach Red Auerbach, while the debut of rookie sensation Wilt Chamberlain propelled the Warriors to a significant improvement.[6] The league consisted of eight teams divided into Eastern and Western Divisions: the Boston Celtics, Cincinnati Royals, Detroit Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors, St. Louis Hawks, and Syracuse Nationals.[7] These franchises represented a mix of established powers like the Celtics and Hawks and struggling teams such as the Lakers, who were grappling with on-court and off-court issues. Key developments in 1960 included the impending relocation of the Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles for the 1960–61 season, driven by years of declining fan support in their original market.[8] Additionally, the NBA approved expansion, with the Chicago Packers set to join as a new franchise for the 1961–62 season, increasing the league to nine teams and signaling efforts to broaden the league's geographic reach and stabilize its growth.[9] Throughout the late 1950s, the NBA confronted significant economic and competitive challenges, including persistently low attendance figures that often hovered below 4,000 fans per game for many teams and intense rivalry from more popular college basketball, which drew larger crowds and greater media attention.[10] These issues contributed to franchise instability, with several teams facing financial losses and prompting the league to pursue relocations and expansions to bolster viability.[10]Draft Rules and Eligibility
The 1960 NBA draft was restricted to amateur players from U.S. colleges who had completed their four-year eligibility, excluding any international or previously professional athletes.[11] This criterion ensured that only graduating seniors or equivalent amateurs entered the pool, reflecting the league's emphasis on domestic college talent during its expansion era.[11] The order of selection followed the reverse standings from the 1959-60 season, with the teams holding the worst records picking first within their divisions.[12] Ties in records were resolved through prior methods, such as coin flips between the lowest-ranked teams in the Eastern and Western Divisions when applicable, though no such tie occurred in 1960.[13] With eight teams divided evenly between divisions, the Cincinnati Royals, finishing last in the Western Division with a 19-56 record, held the top regular pick rights.[1] The draft comprised 21 rounds, allowing for up to 168 selections across the eight teams, though only 101 picks were ultimately made as teams often passed on later choices.[14] A distinctive feature was the territorial pick rule, which permitted one team per draft to forfeit its first-round selection in exchange for claiming a local college star within a 50-mile radius of its home arena to boost fan support.[15] In 1960, the Cincinnati Royals exercised this option to draft Oscar Robertson from the University of Cincinnati, forgoing their regular first-round pick while still recognizing it as the nominal top selection.[15] Unlike modern drafts, there was no salary cap limiting team expenditures or a standardized rookie scale dictating compensation; instead, contracts were negotiated individually between draftees and teams based on market value and leverage.[16] This system allowed for varied signing bonuses and salaries, such as the $33,000 bonus awarded to Robertson, highlighting the personalized nature of early NBA player agreements.[15]Draft Proceedings
Date, Location, and Format
The 1960 NBA draft was held on April 11, 1960, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York.[1] The event was conducted in person, with representatives from the league's eight teams convening to make selections over a single day that encompassed all 21 rounds and a total of 101 picks.[1] Teams alternated turns in reverse order of their win-loss records from the 1959–60 season, with the option to pass on any pick if they declined to select a player. Unlike later iterations of the draft, the 1960 proceedings featured no lottery system to determine the top selection order, as that mechanism was not introduced until 1985.[17] Eligibility was restricted to amateur U.S. college players who had exhausted their four-year eligibility, placing primary emphasis on graduating seniors.Territorial Pick
In the 1960 NBA Draft, the Cincinnati Royals exercised their territorial pick rights to select Oscar Robertson, a guard from the University of Cincinnati, prior to the regular draft proceedings.[15][3] This selection occurred on April 11, 1960, allowing the Royals to claim Robertson without competing in the standard draft order.[18] The rationale for this territorial choice stemmed from Robertson's exceptional collegiate performance at the local university. The territorial pick rule allowed teams to select players who attended college within a 50-mile radius of the team's home city, helping to secure local college stars to increase fan engagement.[19][20] Robertson played for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats from 1957 to 1960 and earned three consecutive All-American honors, while leading the team to a 79-9 record over those three seasons and advancing to two Final Four appearances.[21][22] His dominance, including averaging 33.8 points per game, elevated the Bearcats to national prominence and made him a natural fit for the Royals under the territorial rule.[22] This territorial selection bypassed the regular draft process, enabling the Royals to secure one of the era's top prospects in lieu of their first-round pick.[15] The rule, in place since the league's early years, aimed to boost fan interest by keeping local stars with nearby teams but often disadvantaged smaller-market franchises in acquiring elite talent through open competition.[20] The 1960 territorial pick for Robertson marked one of the final prominent applications of this mechanism before its phase-out; the NBA eliminated territorial selections in 1966 as part of a broader draft revamp that introduced a coin-flip tiebreaker system to determine the top pick.[23][20]Draft Selections
First Round
The first round of the 1960 NBA Draft produced eight selections aimed at addressing key roster gaps across the league, with teams prioritizing versatile scorers, rebounders, and defensive specialists from standout college programs. Held on April 11, 1960, in New York, the round began with the Cincinnati Royals securing Oscar Robertson via territorial rights, allowing them to retain a dominant local talent without forfeiting their regular pick. Subsequent choices reflected strategic needs, such as the Minneapolis Lakers' focus on backcourt reinforcement amid their impending relocation to Los Angeles, and the Boston Celtics' emphasis on adding reliable frontcourt depth to sustain their competitive edge.[1][24][6] The selections drew attention for their blend of proven college performers, with early picks like Robertson and Jerry West generating buzz for their scoring and playmaking potential; scouts noted West's availability as a surprise opportunity for the Lakers after Robertson's territorial claim shifted expectations. Teams like the New York Knicks targeted interior presence to counter rival centers, while mid-round choices emphasized athletic forwards from smaller conferences to provide immediate bench contributions. Overall, the round underscored the NBA's reliance on college dominance as a predictor of professional fit, though some picks, such as Al Bunge, were viewed as reaches due to limited scouting depth at the time.[25]| Pick | Team | Player | College | College Highlights and Team Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati Royals | Oscar Robertson | University of Cincinnati | Three-time All-American who averaged 32.6 points and 16.3 rebounds per game as a junior, leading the Bearcats to the 1960 Final Four; the Royals prioritized him as a territorial pick to anchor their offense with a hometown star from nearby Cincinnati.[26] |
| 2 | Minneapolis Lakers | Jerry West | West Virginia University | Consensus All-American and NCAA Tournament MVP in 1959, where he averaged 32 points per game while leading the Mountaineers to the championship game; the Lakers selected him to bolster their backcourt alongside Elgin Baylor in preparation for their move to Los Angeles, aiming to enhance scoring and perimeter defense.[27][28][24] |
| 3 | New York Knicks | Darrall Imhoff | University of California | Two-time All-American and key contributor to Cal's 1959 NCAA championship, averaging 13.7 points and 12.4 rebounds as a senior; the Knicks chose the 6-10 center to fortify their frontcourt against dominant big men like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.[29][30] |
| 4 | Detroit Pistons | Jackie Moreland | Louisiana Tech University | Three-time All-American in small-college basketball, setting school records with 1,491 points and 1,124 rebounds over three seasons while leading the Bulldogs to a 17-9 record in 1959-60; the Pistons targeted the athletic forward for his rebounding and scoring versatility to improve their transition game.[31][32] |
| 5 | Syracuse Nationals | Lee Shaffer | University of North Carolina | ACC Player of the Year who averaged 18.2 points and 11.2 rebounds as a senior, helping UNC to an 18-6 record; the Nationals drafted the 6-6 forward to add size and shooting to their wing rotation amid a competitive Eastern Division.[33] |
| 6 | St. Louis Hawks | Lenny Wilkens | Providence College | All-American who averaged 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds as a senior, guiding the Friars to a 24-5 record and NIT runner-up finish; the Hawks selected the quick guard to provide playmaking depth behind Bob Pettit, focusing on backcourt speed.[34] |
| 7 | Philadelphia Warriors | Al Bunge | University of Maryland | All-ACC forward who averaged 16.7 points and 12.6 rebounds as a senior; the Warriors picked him to supplement their frontcourt with rebounding prowess, though his selection was seen as a value grab from a mid-major program.[35] |
| 8 | Boston Celtics | Tom Sanders | New York University | All-Metropolitan forward who averaged 13.4 points and 10.6 rebounds as a senior for the Violets; the Celtics added him for frontcourt rotation depth to support Bill Russell during their pursuit of a third straight title.[6] |
Later Rounds
The 1960 NBA draft consisted of 21 rounds, yielding 101 total selections among the league's eight teams, though many franchises passed on later picks after exhausting their early interests.[1] Of these, only 26 players ultimately appeared in at least one NBA game, underscoring the draft's limited depth beyond the marquee choices and the era's challenges in transitioning college talent to professional rosters.[1] The later rounds (2 through 21) accounted for the majority of picks, with selections primarily drawn from U.S. college programs and a high attrition rate—over 70% of draftees never played in the league, often due to skill gaps, injuries, or preferences for other careers.[36][37] Despite the overall scarcity of impact players, the later rounds unearthed a few overlooked talents who carved out meaningful NBA careers, contributing to team rotations and occasionally exceeding expectations. Al Attles, taken by the Philadelphia Warriors in the fifth round (39th overall), emerged as the most prominent example; over 11 seasons, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game while earning a reputation as a tenacious defender nicknamed "The Destroyer."[38] Other solid contributors included Dave Budd (second round, 10th overall, New York Knicks), who played five seasons across multiple teams, and Ben Warley (fourth round, 27th overall, Syracuse Nationals), a durable forward with five years of service, including time on championship-contending squads.[36] The table below highlights select notable players from rounds 2–5 who logged multiple NBA seasons, illustrating the draft's modest but existent depth:| Round | Pick (Overall) | Player | Drafting Team | NBA Seasons Played | Key Career Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 (10) | Dave Budd | New York Knicks | 5 | Averaged 7.1 points; played for four teams.[39] |
| 2 | 4 (12) | Ron Johnson | Detroit Pistons | 1 | Brief stint as a reserve.[36] |
| 3 | 3 (19) | Bob McNeill | New York Knicks | 2 | Scored 9.5 points per game as a rookie.[36] |
| 4 | 4 (27) | Ben Warley | Syracuse Nationals | 5 | Reliable rebounder, 6.6 points average.[36] |
| 5 | 7 (39) | Al Attles | Philadelphia Warriors | 11 | Longevity and leadership; later Hall of Fame contributor.[38] |