| 1961 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Date | March 27, 1961 |
| Location | St. Louis,Missouri[1] |
| Network | NBC |
| Overview | |
| 107 total selections in15 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| Teams | 9 |
| First selection | Walt Bellamy,Chicago Packers |
| Hall of Famers | |
The1961 NBA draft was the 15th annualdraft of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 27, 1961, before the1961–62 season. In thisdraft, 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 theprevious 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 theirterritorial pick.[2][3] An expansion franchise, theChicago 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.[4] The draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 107 players selected.
Walt Bellamy from theIndiana University was selectedfirst overall by theChicago Packers. Bellamy went on to win theRookie of the Year Award in his first season and was also selected to theAll-Star Game.[5][6] In his rookie season, he averaged 31.6points per game, the secondhighest scoring average for a rookie, and 19.0rebounds per game, the third highest rebounding average for a rookie.[7][8] 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.[6] For his achievements, he has been inducted to theBasketball Hall of Fame.[9]
Three other players from this draft, 7th pickTom Meschery, 21st pickDon Kojis and 32nd pickBill Bridges, have also been selected to at least one All-Star Game.[10][11][12]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 basketballpoint shaving scandal.[13][14] He eventually played in theAmerican 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.[15] After his playing career, he became a head coach. He coached four NBA teams and won theCoach of the Year Award in1988 with theDenver Nuggets.[16][17]Ray Scott, the 4th pick, played for theDetroit Pistons for five and a half seasons before he moved on to play with two other teams in the NBA and ABA.[18] 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 in1974.[19] Two other players drafted also went on to have a coaching career: 12th pickJohnny Egan and 60th pickDonnie Butcher.[20][21]
Similar to the1951 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 agambling scandal. While none of the players selected this year were considered to have been as high profile of players asGene Melchiorre, the #1 pick of the1951 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 ofLeroy 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 becomeHall of Famers following the case.
| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least oneAll-Star Game |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game |
The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.[24][25]
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 25 | Bevo Nordmann | C |  United States | Cincinnati Royals | Saint Louis |
| 3 | 26 | Doug Kistler | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Duke |
| 3 | 28 | Chuck Osborne | F | United States | Syracuse Nationals | Western Kentucky |
| 3 | 32 | Bill Bridges+ | F/C | United States | Chicago Packers | Kansas |
| 4 | 33 | George Blaney | G | United States | New York Knicks | Holy Cross |
| 5 | 42 | Bill Smith | G/F | United States | New York Knicks | Saint Peter's |
| 5 | 44 | Danny Doyle | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Belmont Abbey |
| 5 | 50 | Howie Carl | G | United States | Chicago Packers | DePaul |
| 6 | 51 | Cleveland Buckner | F/C | United States | New York Knicks | Jackson State |
| 7 | 60 | Donnis Butcher | G | United States | New York Knicks | Pikeville |
| 7 | 61 | Dave Zeller | G | United States | Cincinnati Royals | Miami (OH) |
| 10 | 91 | Larry Comley | G | United States | Chicago Packers | Kansas State |
| 11 | 92 | Kevin Loughery | G | United States | New York Knicks | St. John's |
| 12 | 100 | George Patterson | F/C | United States | Cincinnati Royals | Toledo |
These players were not selected in the 1961 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Burton | SF | United States | Allentown Jets(EPBL) |
^ 1: Tom Meschery (née Tomislav Mescheryakov) was born inHarbin,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.[26][27]