Chamberlain, Russell headline AP’s 1960s all-decade NBA team

The 1960s All-Decade Team for the NBA as voted on by AP Sports staffers directly engaged with the season-long NBA At 75 series. The team members are:

ELGIN BAYLOR

Baylor was the game’s first high flyer, known for his dunks and his hanging jump shot. The 10-time All-NBA first-team selection was a versatile player who averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in his career. In 1960, he scored a then-NBA record 71 points against the New York Knicks. His NBA Finals record of 61 points set in 1962 still stands. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977.

WILT CHAMBERLAIN

Chamberlain was larger than life, and the muscular 7-foot-1 center put up numbers to match his frame. He averaged 50.4 points in 1959-60, 27.2 rebounds in 1960-61 and scored 100 points in a game in 1962 -- all records that still stand. He was a four-time MVP who won three in a row from 1966 to 1968. In 1960, he was the All-Star MVP, rookie of the year and league MVP. He was a seven-time scoring champion and 11-time rebounding champion who led the league in assists in 1968. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.

OSCAR ROBERTSON

Robertson averaged a triple-double in 1961-62 -- a feat that wasn’t duplicated until Russell Westbrook achieved it in 2016-17. He made point guard more of a scoring position, averaging 25.7 points in his career. He was Rookie of the Year in 1961, league MVP in 1964 and a three-time All-Star MVP. He was All-NBA first-team nine times and led the league in assists six times. The 12-time All-Star was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

BILL RUSSELL

A game-changing defender and rebounder from the center position, Russell won 11 NBA titles, including eight in a row from 1959 to 1966. He was a five-time league MVP, claiming three in a row from 1961 to 1963. He was a four-time rebounding champion and was named All-Star MVP in 1963. He closed out the decade in style, winning his last NBA title in 1969 as a player-coach. The 12-time All-Star was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

JERRY WEST

The sharpshooting guard known as “Mr. Clutch” averaged 27 points in his career. In 1969, he became the only player to win Finals MVP on a losing team after delivering 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics. He didn’t stop at the end of the decade -- he was named to the All-Defense first team four times in the 1970s. The 10-time All-NBA first-team selection was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

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