1961 NBA Draft

The 1961 NBA Draft marked the arrival of the Chicago Packers, the league's first expansion franchise in a decade. Chicago was awarded the first overall selection and used it on Indiana center Walt Bellamy. The Packers also received five additional selections at the beginning of the second round.

Bellamy became the clear centerpiece of the class. He won NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1962, became a four-time NBA All-Star and was later inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The draft also produced NBA All-Stars Tom Meschery, Don Kojis and Bill Bridges, along with notable players Larry Siegfried, Johnny Egan, Cleo Hill, Al Butler, Howie Carl and Donnie Butcher.

A total of 107 players were selected over 15 rounds, with 32 members of the draft class eventually appearing in an NBA regular-season or playoff game.

107 selections: The 1961 NBA Draft consisted of 107 selections over 15 rounds. Unlike several surrounding drafts, there were no territorial selections in 1961. Thirty-two members of the class eventually appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game.

Chicago Packers: The Packers entered the NBA as an expansion franchise for the 1961-62 season. Chicago was awarded the first overall pick and the final selection in each subsequent round while the team remained active. The Packers also received five additional selections at the beginning of the second round.

Walt Bellamy: Chicago used the first selection in franchise history on Indiana center Walt Bellamy. Bellamy immediately became one of the NBA's dominant big men, averaging 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds per game as a rookie.

Rookie of the Year: Bellamy won the 1962 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected to the first of four consecutive NBA All-Star Games during his rookie season.

Hall of Fame: Walt Bellamy became the only player selected in the 1961 draft to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player. He was also named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Tom Meschery: Philadelphia selected Saint Mary's forward Tom Meschery seventh overall. Meschery became an NBA All-Star with the San Francisco Warriors in 1963 and spent 10 seasons in the league.

Don Kojis: Chicago used one of its expansion bonus selections on Marquette forward Don Kojis. He became a two-time NBA All-Star and played 12 NBA seasons.

Bill Bridges: Chicago selected Kansas forward Bill Bridges with the final pick of the third round. Bridges became a three-time NBA All-Star and one of the league's strongest rebounders, finishing his career with more than 11,000 rebounds.

Larry Siegfried: Cincinnati selected Ohio State guard Larry Siegfried third overall. Siegfried later became an important member of the Boston Celtics dynasty, winning five NBA championships.

Cleo Hill: St. Louis selected Winston-Salem State guard Cleo Hill eighth overall. Hill was one of the first players from a historically Black college or university selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Ray Scott: Detroit selected Ray Scott fourth overall from the Allentown Jets of the Eastern Professional Basketball League. Scott played 11 NBA seasons and later became the 1974 NBA Coach of the Year with the Pistons.

Ben Warley: Syracuse selected Ben Warley sixth overall from the Cleveland Pipers. Warley later played in both the NBA and ABA and became an ABA All-Star with the Los Angeles Stars.

Johnny Egan: Detroit selected Providence guard Johnny Egan 17th overall. Egan played 11 NBA seasons and later coached the Houston Rockets.

Howie Carl: Chicago selected 5-foot-9 DePaul guard Howie Carl in the fifth round. Carl played for the Packers during their inaugural season and was one of the shortest NBA players of his era.

Whitey Martin: New York selected St. Bonaventure guard Ronald "Whitey" Martin with the 15th overall selection. Martin played 66 games for the Knicks during the 1961-62 season.

Expansion bonus picks: Chicago's special expansion draft position created an unusual second round. The Packers made five consecutive selections at picks 10 through 14, selecting Jack Turner, Jerry Graves, York Larese, Don Kojis and Doug Moe. Chicago then also made its normal selection at the end of the round, taking Jeff Cohen at No. 23.

Doug Moe: Chicago selected North Carolina star Doug Moe with one of its second-round bonus picks. Moe never played in the NBA as a player, but later starred in the ABA and became a longtime NBA coach, winning NBA Coach of the Year honors with Denver in 1988.

Historical franchise names: The expansion team was known as the Chicago Packers in 1961-62. It became the Chicago Zephyrs the following season and moved to Baltimore in 1963. The franchise eventually became today's Washington Wizards.

Late-round passing: Teams gradually stopped making selections as the draft progressed. Boston was finished after the seventh round, Philadelphia after the 11th, and by the final two rounds only New York and Cincinnati remained before New York made the draft's final selection.

Final selection: The New York Knicks made the 107th and final selection, taking Saint Joseph's player Vince Kempton in the 15th round.