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1961 NBA draft

{{short description|Basketball player selection}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox sports draft

| name = 1961 NBA draft

| image =

| caption =

| logo =

| logosize =

| sport = Basketball

| date = March 27, 1961

| location = St. Louis, Missouri{{cite book|last=Bradley|first=Robert D.|title=The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts|year=2013|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810890695}}, pg. 73

| network = NBC

| league = NBA

| teams = 9

| overall = 107

| rounds = 15

| first = Walt Bellamy, Chicago Packers

| territorial =

| hofnum = {{Collapsible list

| title = 1

|1 = C Walt Bellamy}}

| prev = 1960

| next = 1962

}}

The 1961 NBA draft was the 15th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 27, 1961, before the 1961–62 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. In each round, the teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick and then select any player from within a 50-mile radius of its home arena as their territorial pick.{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nba/2003715404_lotterytimeline21.html|title=How the NBA draft became a lottery|work=The Seattle Times|publisher=The Seattle Times Company|date=May 21, 2007|access-date=September 10, 2009}}{{cite news|title=Lakers Select Baylor In NBA Draft Meeting|newspaper=The Daily Collegian|publisher=Pennsylvania State University|date=April 23, 1958|url=http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/BasicArch/Client.asp?Skin=BasicArch&&AppName=2&enter=true&BaseHref=DCG/1958/04/23&EntityId=Ar01102|access-date=September 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410205729/http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/BasicArch/Client.asp?Skin=BasicArch&&AppName=2&enter=true&BaseHref=DCG%2F1958%2F04%2F23&EntityId=Ar01102|archive-date=April 10, 2016|url-status=dead}} An expansion franchise, the Chicago Packers, were assigned the first pick of the first round and the last pick of each subsequent round, along with five extra picks at the end of the second round.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/WizHistory_010806.html|title=A Colorful Tradition|first=John|last=Hareas|work=NBA.com/Wizards|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|date=August 6, 2001|access-date=January 26, 2010}} The draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 107 players selected.

Draft selections and draftee career notes

File:Walt Bellamy 1972.JPG was selected first overall by the Chicago Packers.]]

Walt Bellamy from the Indiana University was selected first overall by the Chicago Packers. Bellamy went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season and was also selected to the All-Star Game.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/awards_rookieofyear.html|title=Rookie of the Year|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=October 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329231204/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_rookieofyear.html|archive-date=March 29, 2010|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/bellamy_bio.html|title=Walt Bellamy Bio|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=May 19, 2010}} In his rookie season, he averaged 31.6 points per game, the second highest scoring average for a rookie, and 19.0 rebounds per game, the third highest rebounding average for a rookie.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&type=per_game&per_minute_base=36&is_playoffs=N&year_min=1947&year_max=2010&season_start=1&season_end=1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&lg_id=NBA&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=&qual=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pts_per_g|title=Player Season Finder: Points per game in rookie season|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&type=per_game&per_minute_base=36&is_playoffs=N&year_min=1947&year_max=2010&season_start=1&season_end=1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&lg_id=NBA&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=&qual=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=trb_per_g|title=Player Season Finder: Rebounds per game in rookie season|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}} He was selected to four consecutive All-Star Games during his stint with the Packers, which later became the Chicago Zephyrs and Baltimore Bullets. He then played for three other NBA teams during his 14-year career. For his achievements, he has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/hof.html|title=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=October 28, 2009}}

Three other players from this draft, 7th pick Tom Meschery, 21st pick Don Kojis and 32nd pick Bill Bridges, have also been selected to at least one All-Star Game.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/meschto01.html|title=Tom Meschery Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kojisdo01.html|title=Don Kojis Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bridgbi01.html|title=Bill Bridges Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100523003502/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bridgbi01.html| archive-date= 23 May 2010 | url-status= live}} Doug Moe, the 22nd pick, never played in the NBA. His contract with the Packers was voided due to his suspected involvement in the college basketball point shaving scandal.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/basketball_scandals_molinas.html|title=Explosion II: The Molinas period|first=Joe|last=Goldstein|work=ESPN.com|date=November 19, 2003|access-date=May 19, 2010}}{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067962/1/index.htm|title=This Joker Is Wild|date=November 7, 1988|first=Bruce|last=Newman|magazine=Sports Illustrated|publisher=Time Warner Company|access-date=19 May 2010 |archive-date=2 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302214709/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067962/1/index.htm|url-status=dead}} He eventually played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for five years. He won the ABA championship in 1969 and was selected to three ABA All-Star Games and two All-ABA Teams.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/moedo01.html|title=Doug Moe Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}} After his playing career, he became a head coach. He coached four NBA teams and won the Coach of the Year Award in 1988 with the Denver Nuggets.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/moedo01c.html|title=Doug Moe Coaching Record|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/awards_coachofyear.html|title=Coach of the Year|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=May 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531191319/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_coachofyear.html|archive-date=31 May 2010|url-status=dead}} Ray Scott, the 4th pick, played for the Detroit Pistons for five and a half seasons before he moved on to play with two other teams in the NBA and ABA.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/scottra01.html|title=Ray Scott Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}} After retiring as a player in 1972, he immediately became a head coach. He coached the Pistons for three and a half seasons and won the Coach of the Year Award in 1974.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/scottra01c.html|title=Ray Scott Coaching Record|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100417070908/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/scottra01c.html| archive-date= 17 April 2010 | url-status= live}} Two other players drafted also went on to have a coaching career: 12th pick Johnny Egan and 60th pick Donnie Butcher.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/eganjo01c.html|title=Johnny Egan Coaching Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/butchdo01c.html|title=Donnie Butcher Coaching Record|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=May 19, 2010}}

Similar to the 1951 draft, this draft would also be marked by a significant number of players being permanently banned in the NBA before even playing a single game due to their participation in a significant college scandal, in this case a gambling scandal. While none of the players selected this year were considered to have been as high profile of players as Gene Melchiorre, the #1 pick of the 1951 NBA draft was, a significant amount of players drafted during this time were still permanently banned due to their participation in the event all the same. Players from this draft who were selected by teams there, but were later permanently banned by the NBA (at least in terms of playing there) included the likes of Leroy Wright (the 16th pick of the draft), Jerry Graves (the 19th pick of the draft), Doug Moe (the 22nd pick of the draft), Tony Jackson (the 24th pick of the draft), Jack Egan (the 29th pick of the draft), and Vincent Kempton (the 107th and final pick of the draft). Many other players that went undrafted following this scandal would also be permanently banned by extension also, including two college freshmen at the time who would since become Hall of Famers following the case.

Key

class="wikitable"

|width="50"|Pos.

width="50"|Gwidth="50"|Fwidth="50"|C
PositionGuardForwardCenter

{{NBA Draft legend|1=y|3=y|5=y}}

Draft

File:Tom Meschery 1965.jpg was selected 7th overall by the Philadelphia Warriors.]]

File:Don Kojis.jpg was selected 21st overall by the Chicago Packers.]]

class="wikitable sortable"

! width="1%"| Round

! width="1%"| Pick

! width="19%"| Player

! width="1%"| Pos.

! width="16%"| Nationality

! width="35%"| Team

! width="20%"| School/club team

align=center|1

| align=center|1

| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| {{sortname|Walt|Bellamy}}^

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| Indiana

align=center|1

| align=center|2

| {{sortname|Tom|Stith}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| St. Bonaventure

align=center|1

| align=center|3

| {{sortname|Larry|Siegfried}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals

| Ohio State

align=center|1

| align=center|4

| {{sortname|Ray|Scott|Ray Scott (basketball)}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Allentown Jets (EPBL){{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=k-AjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8iYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7380,2086286|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629151348/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=k-AjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8iYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7380,2086286|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2012|title=Archie!|date=April 15, 1961|newspaper=The Milwaukee Journal|access-date=May 18, 2010}}

align=center|1

| align=center|5

| {{sortname|Wayne|Yates}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Los Angeles Lakers

| Memphis State

align=center|1

| align=center|6

| {{sortname|Ben|Warley}}

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Syracuse Nationals

| Cleveland Pipers (NIBL){{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VkcrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=otQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=888,3610459|title=National Basketball Draft Brings Smiles|date=March 28, 1961|newspaper=The Nevada Daily Mail|access-date=May 18, 2010}}

align=center|1

| align=center|7

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| {{sortname|Tom|Meschery}}+

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}{{Cref|1}}

| Philadelphia Warriors

| Saint Mary's (CA)

align=center|1

| align=center|8

| {{sortname|Cleo|Hill}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| St. Louis Hawks

| Winston-Salem State

align=center|1

| align=center|9

| {{sortname|Gary|Phillips|Gary Phillips (basketball)}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Boston Celtics

| Houston

align=center|2

| align=center|10

| {{sortname|Whitey|Martin}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| St. Bonaventure

align=center|2

| align=center|11

| {{sortname|Bob|Wiesenhahn}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals

| Cincinnati

align=center|2

| align=center|12

| {{sortname|Johnny|Egan|Johnny Egan (basketball)}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Providence

align=center|2

| align=center|13

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{sortname|Fred|Sawyer}}#

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Los Angeles Lakers

| Louisville

align=center|2

| align=center|14

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{sortname|Chris|Smith|Chris Smith (basketball, born 1939)}}#

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Syracuse Nationals

| Virginia Tech

align=center|2

| align=center|15

| {{sortname|Ted|Luckenbill}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Philadelphia Warriors

| Houston

align=center|2

| align=center|16

| {{sortname|Ron|Horn}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| St. Louis Hawks

| Indiana

align=center|2

| align=center|17

| {{sortname|Al|Butler}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Boston Celtics

| Niagara

align=center|2

| align=center|18

| {{sortname|Jack|Turner|Jack Turner (basketball, born 1939)}}

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| Louisville

align=center|2

| align=center|19

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{sortname|Jerry|Graves}}#

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| Mississippi State

align=center|2

| align=center|20

| {{sortname|York|Larese}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| North Carolina

align=center|2

| align=center|21

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| {{sortname|Don|Kojis}}+

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| Marquette

align=center|2

| align=center|22

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{sortname|Doug|Moe}}#

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| North Carolina

align=center|2

| align=center|23

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{sortname|Jeff|Cohen|Jeff Cohen (basketball)}}#

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| William & Mary

Other picks

File:Bob Nordmann.jpg was selected 25th overall by the Cincinnati Royals.]]

The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1961.html|title = 1961 NBA draft}}{{Cite web|url=http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/past_drafts/1961|title = NBA Past Drafts - RealGM}}

class="wikitable sortable"

! width="1%"| Round

! width="1%"| Pick

! width="19%"| Player

! width="1%"| Pos.

! width="16%"| Nationality

! width="35%"| Team

! width="20%"| School/club team

align=center|3

| align=center|25

| {{sortname|Bevo|Nordmann}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals

| Saint Louis

align=center|3

| align=center|26

| {{sortname|Doug|Kistler}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Duke

align=center|3

| align=center|28

| {{sortname|Chuck|Osborne}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Syracuse Nationals

| Western Kentucky

align=center|3

| align=center|32

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| {{sortname|Bill|Bridges|Bill Bridges (basketball)}}+

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| Kansas

align=center|4

| align=center|33

| {{sortname|George|Blaney}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| Holy Cross

align=center|5

| align=center|42

| {{sortname|Bill|Smith|Bill Smith (basketball, born 1939)}}

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| Saint Peter's

align=center|5

| align=center|44

| {{sortname|Danny|Doyle|Danny Doyle (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Belmont Abbey

align=center|5

| align=center|50

| {{sortname|Howie|Carl}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| DePaul

align=center|6

| align=center|51

| {{sortname|Cleveland|Buckner}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| Jackson State

align=center|7

| align=center|60

| {{sortname|Donnis|Butcher}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| Pikeville

align=center|7

| align=center|61

| {{sortname|Dave|Zeller}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals

| Miami (OH)

align=center|10

| align=center|91

| {{sortname|Larry|Comley}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Packers

| Kansas State

align=center|11

| align=center|92

| {{sortname|Kevin|Loughery}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| St. John's

align=center|12

| align=center|100

| {{sortname|George|Patterson|George Patterson (basketball)}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals

| Toledo

Notable undrafted players

{{further|List of undrafted NBA players}}

These players were not selected in the 1961 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.

class="wikitable sortable sortable"
style="width:19%;"| Player

!style="width:1%;"| Pos.

!style="width:16%;"| Nationality

!style="width:20%;"| School/club team

{{sortname|Ed|Burton}}

|SF

|{{flagu|United States}}

|Allentown Jets {{small|(EPBL)}}

Notes

{{Cnote|1|Tom Meschery (née Tomislav Mescheryakov) was born in Harbin, Manchuria (now part of China) to Russian parents. He moved to the United States at the age of 8 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-09-sp-crowe9-story.html|title=Former NBA tough guy Tom Meschery a man of rhyme, reason|first=Jerry|last=Crowe|date=November 9, 2009|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=October 3, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/International_Timeline.html|title=International Timeline|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=October 2, 2010}}}}

See also

References

;General

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/draft_round1_1960s.html|title=Complete First Round Results 1960–69|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=January 8, 2010}}
  • {{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1961.html|title=1961 NBA Draft|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=January 26, 2010}}
  • {{cite web|url=http://www.apbr.org/5761drft.html|title=1957–1961 NBA Drafts|publisher=The Association for Professional Basketball Research|access-date=December 28, 2009}}
  • {{cite web|url=http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=285&Itemid=103|title=1961 NBA Draft|publisher=The Draft Review|access-date=January 26, 2010}}

{{refend}}

;Specific

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

External links

  • [http://www.nba.com/ NBA.com]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20090315112610/http://www.nba.com/history/draft_index.html NBA.com: NBA Draft History]

{{NBA Drafts}}

{{NBA Draft history by team}}

{{1961 NBA draft}}

{{1961–62 NBA season by team}}

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