This Date in NBA History: Wilt Chamberlain Scores 61, Oscar Robertson Tallies 20 Assists, Elgin Baylor Scores 52

Cover photo: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor in a star-studded game in the early 1970s between the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Photo credit: NBA Entertainment.

Three of the NBA’s all-time greatest players posted incredible performances on this date, Dec. 11, two of which happened in the same season.

Sixty-three years ago today, on Dec. 11, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain produced one of his 32 career 60-point games. 

Against the Syracuse Nationals at the Cow Palace in Daly City, Calif., the San Francisco Warriors emerged with the victory, 136-124. The game was tied at 42 after the first quarter, before the Warriors broke away in the second quarter, outscoring the Nationals 36-20. The Nationals scored 36 points in the third quarter to the Warriors’ 25, but the Warriors in the fourth outscored the Nationals 33-26. 

In his usual 48 minutes, Chamberlain produced 61 points (27-of-57 from the field, 7-of-11 from the line), and 26 rebounds. Forwards Willie Nauls (21 points, 14 rebounds) and Tom Meschery (21 points, 13 rebounds) each produced double-doubles, while Warriors’ point guard Guy Rodgers posted 16 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. 

Leading the Nationals was forward Lee Shaffer with 28 points and 9 rebounds. Hal Greer, a future Chamberlain teammate with the Philadelphia 76ers, posted 27 points and 9 rebounds in the game, while guard Larry Costello scored 25 points with 7 assists. Johnny “Red” Kerr, an all-star center who would go on to become a longtime Chicago Bulls’ announcer, registered 21 points and 20 rebounds. Chet Walker, a Hall of Fame forward, secured a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. 

With the win, the Warriors improved their record to 9-16, while the Nationals dropped to 16-9. Chamberlain averaged 44.8 points and 24.3 rebounds per game in 62-63. The Warriors finished 31-49, while the Nationals finished 48-32 and made the playoffs, losing to the Cincinnati Royals three games to two in the Eastern Division Semifinals. 

Exactly one year prior to Chamberlain’s 61, a pair of legends turned in exquisite outings on Dec. 11, 1961. 

In a 133-117 win over the Chicago Packers at the University of Dayton Fieldhouse, Cincinnati Royals’ superstar guard Oscar Robertson put up a triple-double of 32 points (12-of-24 from the field, 8-of-13 from the line), 20 assists, and 15 rebounds in 45 minutes. Power forward Wayne Embry assisted Robertson with 29 points and 14 rebounds, while forward Jack Twyman registered 22 points and 7 rebounds. Forward Bob Boozer posted a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. For the Packers, point guard Slick Leonard scored 31 points with 9 assists, while guard Si Green scored 23. A rookie Walt Bellamy put up 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Royals with the win improved to 16-12, while the Packers dropped to 4-19. The Royals lost three games to one in the Western Division Semifinals to the Detroit Pistons. 

At the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Lakers’ superstar Elgin Baylor posted 52 points (21-of-39 from the field, 10-of-15 from the line) and 15 rebounds in 43 minutes in a 132-119 win over Bob Pettit and the St. Louis Hawks, pushing the Lakers’ record to 22-7 and dropping the Hawks’ record to 10-17. Jerry West aided Baylor with 28 points (11-of-16) and 5 rebounds. Pettit, meanwhile, went for 31 points and 17 rebounds in 41 minutes, shooting 11-of-24 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Center Clyde Lovellette led the Hawks with 32 points (12-of-17 from the field, 8-of-9 from the line) and 11 rebounds, and forward Cliff Hagan posted 23 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Lakers won 54 games in 61-62, and defeated the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Western Division Finals before a NBA Finals’ loss to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The Hawks finished the season 29-51. 

Robertson’s 20 assists would account for the third-highest total in a game in his career. He also registered 20 on Feb. 19, 1961, Dec. 28, 1964, Feb. 28, 1965, and March 4, 1969. The 61-62 campaign was Robertson’s triple-double season - 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 11.4 assists. Baylor averaged 38.3 points, 18.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists for the 61-62 season, a season in which he played just 48 games due to military service.