All-Time Basketball › Best 1960s Lineup

Best 1960s NBA Lineup

The greatest starting five of the 1960s, chosen from every team of the decade by iKnoBall's era-adjusted engine — and the record they'd run over a full 82-game season.

793projected season
avg overall 96
96
Point Guard
Oscar Robertson
1960s
96
Center
Bill Russell
1960s
95
Shooting Guard
Jerry West
1960s
93
Power Forward
Bob Pettit
1960s
99
Center
Wilt Chamberlain
1960s

Why This Is the Decade's Best Five

Oscar Robertson headlines the 1960s at a 96 overall. The engine assembles a complete five — a lead guard, wings, and a rim presence — from across the decade's teams, then plays out all 82 games. Their 793 projection captures a decade-defining core: enough shot-creation, rebounding and defense to contend for a perfect season, measured on the same era-adjusted scale as every other decade so the comparison is fair.

Full 1960s Player Rankings

PlayerEraPosPPGOVR
Wilt Chamberlain1960sC50.499
Bill Russell1960sC18.996
Oscar Robertson1960sPG31.496
Jerry West1960sSG31.395
Bob Pettit1960sPF31.193
Elgin Baylor1960sSF38.391
Bob Cousy1960sPG18.689
Jerry Lucas1960sPF21.588
Nate Thurmond1960sC21.587
Dave Bing1960sPG27.187
Rick Barry1960sSF25.786
Hal Greer1960sSG24.186
Sam Jones1960sSG25.985
Walt Frazier1960sPG20.984
Billy Cunningham1960sSF24.884
Willis Reed1960sC21.783
Walt Bellamy1960sC23.683
Guy Rodgers1960sPG19.681
Zelmo Beaty1960sC20.681
Dave DeBusschere1960sPF18.281
John Havlicek1960sSF21.480
Cliff Hagan1960sSF24.880
Richie Guerin1960sPG20.180
Tom Heinsohn1960sPF21.779

Build your own 1960s dream team

Spin an era, draft a legend, set your starting five and chase a perfect 82–0 across five sports. Free to play.

Draft Your All-Time FiveGet the App

Every Decade, Ranked

Frequently Asked

What is the best 1960s NBA lineup of all time?

iKnoBall's era-adjusted engine picks Oscar Robertson (Point Guard, 1960s), Bill Russell (Center, 1960s), Jerry West (Shooting Guard, 1960s), Bob Pettit (Power Forward, 1960s), Wilt Chamberlain (Center, 1960s) as the greatest 1960s starting five, projecting them to a 79–3 season.

How good was the 1960s NBA?

The top 1960s five projects at 79–3 with an average starter rating of 96. Ratings are era-adjusted so a dominant 1960s season is measured on the same scale as any other decade.

Who was the best player of the 1960s?

On iKnoBall's scale the top-rated 1960s player is Oscar Robertson at a 96 overall. See the full 1960s rankings above.

All-Time Basketball · Play iKnoBall · About · Privacy

Ratings are era-adjusted and computed by iKnoBall's simulation engine. Records are model projections for entertainment, not predictions. Player names belong to their respective owners; iKnoBall is an independent fan-made game.