1960
Reigning belt holder: Bill Russell
Champion: Boston Celtics
MVP: Wilt Chamberlain
Finals MVP: None
Scoring champ: Wilt Chamberlain (37.6)
PER champ: Wilt Chamberlain (28.0)
The candidates:
Bill Russell: For the 4th straight season, big Bill improved statistically, averaging 18.2 points, 24 rebounds and 3.7 assists. And, for the 4th straight season, Boston was by far the most stifiling defensive force in the incredibly faster paced NBA, blowing away every other team in the league to a 59-16 tune. While he ceded his rebound title to wilt, he did provide a monster 23-point, 51-rebound masterpiece against the Nats. In the conference finals against his new nemesis, he went right at wilt, showing his increased offensive game for an average of 20 points and 27 rebounds. In game 6 Russell outrebounded wilt and came within a point of him offensively, leading Boston back to the finals against his old nemesis, Bob Pettit and the Hawks, who was now flanked in one of the better front lines ever by Clyde Lovelette and Cliff Hagan. The series went the full seven but this is Russell's ultimate legacy: when it mattered most, he provided 22 points and 35 rebounds in a 122-103 Celtics rout, as Boston became the first team in 6 years to repeat as champs.
Wilt Chamberlain: The Warriors kicked off their quest for championship #3 by using their territorial rights to claim Philly's own wilt Chamberlain... out of the University of Kansas. They hoped he'd give 1956 title mainstays Paul Arizin and Tom Gola enough of an inside presence to return to the finals. Wilt responded by breaking the NBA. Wilt 1.0 unleashed biblical terror upon the league, smashing league records for scoring (37.6), rebounding (27.0) and minutes played (46.4). His first career game he had 43 points and 28 rebounds. He broke the 50 point mark just a two weeks later. It absolutely affected the Warriors, as they went from sub .500 in 1959 to the NBA's 2nd best record, as well as its 2nd-best defense. He also left enough room for Arizin to thrive in his twilight with a 22-point average. For all of this, Wilt became the first rookie ever to be named league MVP. Against Boston in the conference finals, the warriors proved overmatched. However, wilt was not intimidated, averaging 30.5 points and 27.5 rebounds against Russell on 50% shooting, including 50 points and 35 rebounds in game 5.
Elgin Baylor: still serving his country as an army reservist, still unable to practice much or properly train or even play on occasion, Baylor was still on an athletic plane of his own. In his second year, he improved his scoring to 29.6 and his rebounding to 16.4, easily claiming his throne as the NBA's dominant small forward. One one night he tuned up the champion Celtics for 64 points, 17 rebounds and 8 assists in a Laker blowout. None the less, his young lakers team was still not close to being ready, limping into the playoffs at 25-50. As he did the year prior, Baylor tried to carry them on his back to the finals, and he nearly pulled it off. Rematched against an improved and more focused Hawks team, the Elgin led the Lakers to a 3-2 series lead with 40 and 18 in game 5 of the western conference finals. It was not to be this time around. Baylor averaged over 35 points between games 6 and 7 but it wasn't enough to keep the Hawks from taking both games.
Bob Pettit: taking a more diversified approach to leading his talented team, Pettit pulled back on the reigns a bit, averaging just 26ppg, but increased his rebounding to 17 and his assists to a career best 3.6. Avenging his loss to Baylor and the Lakers in 1959, Pettit took them apart with 30/18 in a must win game 6, and 28/20 in a game 7 rout. Even though Boston would prove to be deeper and uitmately better in the finals, Pettit was still a guy the couldn't deal with, averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds and nearly 4 assists in another 7-game finals classic.
Reigning belt holder: Bill Russell
Champion: Boston Celtics
MVP: Wilt Chamberlain
Finals MVP: None
Scoring champ: Wilt Chamberlain (37.6)
PER champ: Wilt Chamberlain (28.0)
The candidates:
Bill Russell: For the 4th straight season, big Bill improved statistically, averaging 18.2 points, 24 rebounds and 3.7 assists. And, for the 4th straight season, Boston was by far the most stifiling defensive force in the incredibly faster paced NBA, blowing away every other team in the league to a 59-16 tune. While he ceded his rebound title to wilt, he did provide a monster 23-point, 51-rebound masterpiece against the Nats. In the conference finals against his new nemesis, he went right at wilt, showing his increased offensive game for an average of 20 points and 27 rebounds. In game 6 Russell outrebounded wilt and came within a point of him offensively, leading Boston back to the finals against his old nemesis, Bob Pettit and the Hawks, who was now flanked in one of the better front lines ever by Clyde Lovelette and Cliff Hagan. The series went the full seven but this is Russell's ultimate legacy: when it mattered most, he provided 22 points and 35 rebounds in a 122-103 Celtics rout, as Boston became the first team in 6 years to repeat as champs.
Wilt Chamberlain: The Warriors kicked off their quest for championship #3 by using their territorial rights to claim Philly's own wilt Chamberlain... out of the University of Kansas. They hoped he'd give 1956 title mainstays Paul Arizin and Tom Gola enough of an inside presence to return to the finals. Wilt responded by breaking the NBA. Wilt 1.0 unleashed biblical terror upon the league, smashing league records for scoring (37.6), rebounding (27.0) and minutes played (46.4). His first career game he had 43 points and 28 rebounds. He broke the 50 point mark just a two weeks later. It absolutely affected the Warriors, as they went from sub .500 in 1959 to the NBA's 2nd best record, as well as its 2nd-best defense. He also left enough room for Arizin to thrive in his twilight with a 22-point average. For all of this, Wilt became the first rookie ever to be named league MVP. Against Boston in the conference finals, the warriors proved overmatched. However, wilt was not intimidated, averaging 30.5 points and 27.5 rebounds against Russell on 50% shooting, including 50 points and 35 rebounds in game 5.
Elgin Baylor: still serving his country as an army reservist, still unable to practice much or properly train or even play on occasion, Baylor was still on an athletic plane of his own. In his second year, he improved his scoring to 29.6 and his rebounding to 16.4, easily claiming his throne as the NBA's dominant small forward. One one night he tuned up the champion Celtics for 64 points, 17 rebounds and 8 assists in a Laker blowout. None the less, his young lakers team was still not close to being ready, limping into the playoffs at 25-50. As he did the year prior, Baylor tried to carry them on his back to the finals, and he nearly pulled it off. Rematched against an improved and more focused Hawks team, the Elgin led the Lakers to a 3-2 series lead with 40 and 18 in game 5 of the western conference finals. It was not to be this time around. Baylor averaged over 35 points between games 6 and 7 but it wasn't enough to keep the Hawks from taking both games.
Bob Pettit: taking a more diversified approach to leading his talented team, Pettit pulled back on the reigns a bit, averaging just 26ppg, but increased his rebounding to 17 and his assists to a career best 3.6. Avenging his loss to Baylor and the Lakers in 1959, Pettit took them apart with 30/18 in a must win game 6, and 28/20 in a game 7 rout. Even though Boston would prove to be deeper and uitmately better in the finals, Pettit was still a guy the couldn't deal with, averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds and nearly 4 assists in another 7-game finals classic.
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