Decade overview
1960s NBA champions
Only two franchises won in the 1960s: Boston took nine titles and Philadelphia one. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain defined a decade of bruising, defense-first basketball.
Boston won nine championships in ten years (1960 through 1966, then 1968 and 1969). Philadelphia broke through in 1967. No other franchise cut down the nets in the entire decade.
Bill Russell won eleven rings in his career and anchored almost every Celtics title in this stretch. Wilt Chamberlain finally broke through with the 1967 76ers after years of falling short to Boston. Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and Hal Greer were the other headline names on those championship rosters.
Defense and rebounding drove winning. Boston ran a fast break off missed shots, but half-court sets still flowed through big men and mid-range scorers. The pace was faster than the 1950s, yet the game remained rough and interior-focused compared to later eras.
Each season below links to a full article with the Finals result, roster, and context for that year.