1959–60 NBA season
| 1959–60 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Number of games | 75 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| TV partner(s) | NBC |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) |
| Top scorer | Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Boston Celtics |
| Eastern runners-up | Philadelphia Warriors |
| Western champions | St. Louis Hawks |
| Western runners-up | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Boston Celtics |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Hawks |
The 1959–60 NBA season was the 14th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 2nd straight NBA Championship, beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
Notable occurrences
- On November 7, 1959 in a game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia Warriors, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain played the first game of their 10-year professional rivalry.
- The 1960 NBA All-Star Game was played in Philadelphia, with the East beating the West 125–115. Rookie Wilt Chamberlain of the local Philadelphia Warriors won the game's MVP award.
- The Minneapolis Lakers played their final season in the Twin Cities. There would not be another NBA team in Minnesota until the birth of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989–90.
- In an interesting quirk in the schedule, the Philadelphia Warriors and Minneapolis Lakers play a two-game series in California on January 31 – February 1, 1960, with the first game being played in San Francisco (the Warriors' future home) and the second in Los Angeles (the Lakers' future home).
- The NBA schedule was expanded from 72 games per team to 75.
Final standings
Eastern Division
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Boston Celtics | 59 | 16 | .787 | – | 25–2 | 24–9 | 10–5 | 28–11 |
| x-Philadelphia Warriors | 49 | 26 | .653 | 10 | 22–6 | 12–19 | 15–1 | 22–17 |
| x-Syracuse Nationals | 45 | 30 | .600 | 14 | 25–4 | 12–19 | 8–7 | 21–18 |
| New York Knicks | 27 | 48 | .360 | 32 | 13–18 | 9–19 | 5–11 | 7–32 |
Western Division
| Wins | Losses | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Division | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-St. Louis Hawks | 46 | 29 | .613 | – | 28–5 | 12–20 | 6–4 | 27–12 |
| x-Detroit Pistons | 30 | 45 | .400 | 16 | 17–14 | 6–21 | 7–10 | 20–19 |
| x-Minneapolis Lakers | 25 | 50 | .333 | 21 | 9–15 | 9–21 | 7–14 | 17–22 |
| Cincinnati Royals | 19 | 56 | .253 | 27 | 9–22 | 2–20 | 8–14 | 14–25 |
x – clinched playoff spot
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 2,707 |
| Rebounds | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 1,941 |
| Assists | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics | 715 |
| FG% | Kenny Sears | New York Knicks | .477 |
| FT% | Dolph Schayes | Syracuse Nationals | .893 |
Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
NBA awards
- Most Valuable Player: Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors
- Rookie of the Year: Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors
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References
- 1959–60 NBA Season Summary basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
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