The 1962–63 NBA season was the Celtics' 17th season in the NBA. The Celtics finished the season by winning their sixth NBA Championship. In 2024, HoopsHype would list this squad as the team with the 25th easiest route to an NBA Finals championship due primarily to their first round opponent they faced off against in the Cincinnati Royals.[1]
1962–63 Boston Celtics season | |
---|---|
NBA champions | |
Division champions | |
Head coach | Red Auerbach |
Arena | Boston Garden |
Results | |
Record | 58–22 (.725) |
Place | Division: 1st (Eastern) |
Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–2) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | WHDH-TV |
Radio | WHDH |
Offseason
editNBA draft
editThe 1962 NBA Draft results were:
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | John Havlicek | Forward/Guard | United States | Ohio State |
2 | 16 | Jack Foley | Guard | United States | Holy Cross |
3 | 25 | Jim Hadnot | United States | Providence | |
4 | 34 | Roger Strickland | United States | Jacksonville University | |
5 | 43 | Gary Daniels | United States | The Citadel | |
6 | 52 | Jim Hooley | Boston College | ||
7 | 60 | Clyde Arnold | Duquesne | ||
8 | 69 | Chuck Chevalier | Boston College | ||
9 | 78 | Mike Cingiser | Brown |
Regular season
editSeason standings
editW | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
x-Boston Celtics | 58 | 22 | .725 | – | 25–5 | 21–16 | 12–1 | 25–11 |
x-Syracuse Nationals | 48 | 32 | .600 | 10 | 23–5 | 13–19 | 12–8 | 21–15 |
x-Cincinnati Royals | 42 | 38 | .525 | 16 | 23–10 | 15–19 | 4–9 | 20–16 |
New York Knicks | 21 | 59 | .263 | 37 | 12–22 | 5–28 | 4–9 | 6–30 |
Record vs. opponents
edit1962-63 NBA Records | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | BOS | CHI | CIN | DET | LAL | NYK | SFW | STL | SYR |
Boston | — | 8–2 | 9–3 | 8–0 | 4–5 | 10–2 | 8–1 | 5–3 | 6–6 |
Chicago | 2–8 | — | 4–6 | 3–7 | 3–7 | 4–6 | 4–6 | 3–7 | 2–8 |
Cincinnati | 3–9 | 6–4 | — | 4–4 | 3–6 | 10–2 | 6–3 | 3–5 | 7–5 |
Detroit | 0–8 | 7–3 | 4–4 | — | 1–11 | 8–1 | 7–5 | 4–8 | 3–6 |
Los Angeles | 5–4 | 7–3 | 6–3 | 11–1 | — | 5–3 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 4–4 |
New York | 2–10 | 6–4 | 2–10 | 1–8 | 3–5 | — | 2–6 | 3–6 | 2–10 |
San Francisco | 1–8 | 6–4 | 3–6 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 6–2 | — | 3–9 | 3–5 |
St. Louis | 3–5 | 7–3 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 5–7 | 6–3 | 9–3 | — | 5–4 |
Syracuse | 6–6 | 8–2 | 5–7 | 6–3 | 4–4 | 10–2 | 5–3 | 4–5 | — |
Game log
edit1962–63 Game log | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Date | Opponent | Score | High points | Record | |||||
1 | October 20 | New York | 116–149 | Sam Jones (25) | 1–0 | |||||
2 | October 26 | @ New York | 133–108 | Bill Russell (25) | 2–0 | |||||
3 | October 27 | Syracuse | 98–118 | Heinsohn, S. Jones, Sanders (17) | 3–0 | |||||
4 | October 30 | @ St. Louis | 97–98 | Sam Jones (23) | 3–1 | |||||
5 | October 31 | @ Detroit | 115–100 | Tom Heinsohn (24) | 4–1 | |||||
6 | November 2 | @ Chicago | 107–97 | Bob Cousy (23) | 5–1 | |||||
7 | November 3 | Detroit | 114–125 | Tom Heinsohn (21) | 6–1 | |||||
8 | November 7 | @ Cincinnati | 106–105 | Sam Jones (23) | 7–1 | |||||
9 | November 9 | Los Angeles | 133–120 | Sam Jones (23) | 7–2 | |||||
10 | November 11 | N New York | 98–117 | Tom Heinsohn (24) | 8–2 | |||||
11 | November 12 | Cincinnati | 126–137 | Tom Heinsohn (25) | 9–2 | |||||
12 | November 13 | @ New York | 116–102 | Tom Heinsohn (26) | 10–2 | |||||
13 | November 16 | @ Syracuse | 105–113 | Tom Heinsohn (27) | 10–3 | |||||
14 | November 17 | San Francisco | 109–127 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 11–3 | |||||
15 | November 20 | N Chicago | 106–113 | Heinsohn, Russell (20) | 12–3 | |||||
16 | November 21 | St. Louis | 106–115 | Bill Russell (26) | 13–3 | |||||
17 | November 22 | N Syracuse | 130–120 | Frank Ramsey (23) | 13–4 | |||||
18 | November 23 | N Chicago | 104–116 | Satch Sanders (27) | 14–4 | |||||
19 | November 24 | @ St. Louis | 95–97 | Satch Sanders (21) | 14–5 | |||||
20 | November 27 | N Detroit | 115–125 | Tom Heinsohn (24) | 15–5 | |||||
21 | December 1 | Syracuse | 110–129 | Heinsohn, S. Jones, Russell (22) | 16–5 | |||||
22 | December 2 | @ Cincinnati | 128–127 (OT) | Sam Jones (27) | 17–5 | |||||
23 | December 5 | @ Detroit | 106–93 | Sam Jones (20) | 18–5 | |||||
24 | December 7 | Los Angeles | 112–126 | Bill Russell (24) | 19–5 | |||||
25 | December 8 | @ Syracuse | 97–102 | Tom Heinsohn (20) | 19–6 | |||||
26 | December 11 | @ New York | 87–95 | Bill Russell (18) | 19–7 | |||||
27 | December 12 | St. Louis | 98–111 | Sam Jones (27) | 20–7 | |||||
28 | December 13 | N Detroit | 93–103 | Tom Heinsohn (26) | 21–7 | |||||
29 | December 15 | Cincinnati | 124–120 | Bill Russell (23) | 21–8 | |||||
30 | December 22 | New York | 120–106 | Sam Jones (24) | 21–9 | |||||
31 | December 26 | San Francisco | 113–116 | Sam Jones (20) | 22–9 | |||||
32 | December 27 | N San Francisco | 102–108 | Sam Jones (32) | 23–9 | |||||
33 | December 28 | @ Cincinnati | 121–113 | John Havlicek (31) | 24–9 | |||||
34 | December 29 | @ St. Louis | 100–102 | Tom Heinsohn (23) | 24–10 | |||||
35 | January 2 | @ San Francisco | 135–120 (OT) | Tom Heinsohn (41) | 25–10 | |||||
36 | January 4 | @ Los Angeles | 123–125 | Tom Heinsohn (29) | 25–11 | |||||
37 | January 5 | @ Los Angeles | 104–106 | John Havlicek (24) | 25–12 | |||||
38 | January 8 | @ San Francisco | 118–112 | Bob Cousy (19) | 26–12 | |||||
39 | January 9 | @ Chicago | 123–131 | John Havlicek (20) | 26–13 | |||||
40 | January 10 | @ Cincinnati | 121–130 | Bill Russell (31) | 26–14 | |||||
41 | January 11 | Syracuse | 117–134 | John Havlicek (27) | 27–14 | |||||
42 | January 13 | Chicago | 99–143 | Clyde Lovellette (24) | 28–14 | |||||
43 | January 17 | N Chicago | 93–110 | Tom Heinsohn (18) | 29–14 | |||||
44 | January 18 | Cincinnati | 114–122 | Tom Heinsohn (25) | 30–14 | |||||
45 | January 19 | @ Syracuse | 148–149 (OT) | Sam Jones (37) | 30–15 | |||||
46 | January 20 | Los Angeles | 121–133 | S. Jones, Russell (29) | 31–15 | |||||
47 | January 22 | @ New York | 124–100 | Bob Cousy (19) | 32–15 | |||||
48 | January 23 | @ Cincinnati | 133–138 | Tom Heinsohn (25) | 32–16 | |||||
49 | January 24 | N St. Louis | 109–111 | Sam Jones (27) | 33–16 | |||||
50 | January 25 | St. Louis | 98–113 | Sam Jones (21) | 34–16 | |||||
51 | January 27 | New York | 110–123 | John Havlicek (26) | 35–16 | |||||
52 | January 29 | N Chicago | 99–100 | Sam Jones (23) | 36–16 | |||||
53 | January 30 | San Francisco | 111–125 | Bill Russell (23) | 37–16 | |||||
54 | January 31 | N Cincinnati | 125–128 | Sam Jones (22) | 38–16 | |||||
55 | February 1 | Syracuse | 125–111 | Satch Sanders (22) | 38–17 | |||||
56 | February 3 | Detroit | 128–137 | Sam Jones (35) | 39–17 | |||||
57 | February 5 | @ Cincinnati | 106–96 | Sam Jones (27) | 40–17 | |||||
58 | February 6 | @ Syracuse | 109–126 | Sam Jones (22) | 40–18 | |||||
59 | February 8 | @ New York | 129–97 | John Havlicek (19) | 41–18 | |||||
60 | February 9 | San Francisco | 112–118 | Cousy, S. Jones (22) | 42–18 | |||||
61 | February 10 | New York | 123–129 | Sam Jones (21) | 43–18 | |||||
62 | February 12 | N Los Angeles | 93–120 | Sam Jones (25) | 44–18 | |||||
63 | February 13 | Los Angeles | 134–128 | Satch Sanders (25) | 44–19 | |||||
64 | February 15 | N Syracuse | 114–123 | Tom Heinsohn (33) | 45–19 | |||||
65 | February 16 | @ St. Louis | 114–94 | Sam Jones (34) | 46–19 | |||||
66 | February 17 | @ Chicago | 110–107 | Sam Jones (28) | 47–19 | |||||
67 | February 19 | Cincinnati | 126–129 | Heinsohn, S. Jones (25) | 48–19 | |||||
68 | February 20 | @ Detroit | 117–113 | John Havlicek (24) | 49–19 | |||||
69 | February 21 | @ San Francisco | 135–118 | Bill Russell (25) | 50–19 | |||||
70 | February 22 | @ Los Angeles | 105–113 | Sam Jones (24) | 50–20 | |||||
71 | February 24 | @ Los Angeles | 119–109 | Sam Jones (28) | 51–20 | |||||
72 | February 26 | @ San Francisco | 112–128 | Bill Russell (20) | 51–21 | |||||
73 | March 2 | New York | 117–122 | John Havlicek (32) | 52–21 | |||||
74 | March 3 | @ New York | 102–95 | Sam Jones (17) | 53–21 | |||||
75 | March 7 | @ Detroit | 115–104 | Sam Jones (31) | 54–21 | |||||
76 | March 8 | @ Chicago | 109–110 | Bill Russell (24) | 54–22 | |||||
77 | March 10 | Cincinnati | 117–149 | Tom Heinsohn (29) | 55–22 | |||||
78 | March 13 | Chicago | 108–121 | Tom Heinsohn (37) | 56–22 | |||||
79 | March 16 | @ Syracuse | 125–121 | Tom Heinsohn (21) | 57–22 | |||||
80 | March 17 | Syracuse | 116–125 | Tom Heinsohn (28) | 58–22 |
Player stats
editNote: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sam Jones | 76 | 396 | 241 | 0 | 0 | 1499 | 19.7 |
Tom Heinsohn | 76 | 596 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 1440 | 18.9 |
Bill Russell | 78 | 1843 | 348 | 0 | 0 | 1309 | 16.8 |
John Havlicek | 80 | 534 | 179 | 0 | 0 | 1140 | 14.3 |
Bob Cousy | 76 | 193 | 515 | 0 | 0 | 1003 | 13.2 |
Frank Ramsey | 77 | 288 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 839 | 10.9 |
Thomas "Satch" Sanders | 80 | 576 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 864 | 10.8 |
K.C. Jones | 79 | 263 | 317 | 0 | 0 | 572 | 7.2 |
Clyde Lovellette | 61 | 177 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 395 | 6.5 |
Dan Swartz | 39 | 88 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 175 | 4.5 |
Jim Loscutoff | 63 | 157 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 210 | 3.3 |
Gene Guarilia | 11 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2.4 |
Playoffs
editAwards and honors
edit- Bill Russell, NBA Most Valuable Player Award
- Bill Russell, All-NBA First Team
- Bob Cousy, All-NBA Second Team
- Tom Heinsohn, All-NBA Second Team
- John Havlicek, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team
- Nine players are enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
References
edit- ^ "Ranking the easiest paths to an NBA title ever". June 18, 2024.
- ^ "1962 Boston Celtics". databasebasketball.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2009.