The 1960-61 New York Knicks season marked yet another challenging year for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Under the leadership of head coach Carl Braun, who also played for the team, the Knicks struggled to find cohesion and consistency. The team ended the regular season with a 21-58 record, placing them last in the Eastern Division and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
Throughout the season, the Knicks faced difficulties on both ends of the court, reflected in their inability to mount significant winning streaks. Key players for the Knicks included Richie Guerin, who was a standout performer, averaging 21.5 points per game and earning an All-Star selection. Alongside Guerin, Willie Naulls contributed significantly, averaging 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, providing a strong presence in the paint.
The roster faced numerous challenges, including injuries and a lack of depth, which hindered the team’s ability to compete at a higher level. The Knicks’ defense was porous, leading to frequent high-scoring games for opponents, which the team was often unable to match offensively. Despite the setbacks, the season served as a period of growth and assessment, as the team looked to rebuild and improve its fortunes in subsequent seasons.
The 1960-61 season was a pivotal moment for the Knicks as it highlighted the need for strategic changes in both the roster and coaching staff to enhance competitiveness in future seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 21-58
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
New York Knicks Roster and Stats for 1960-61 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Willie Naulls | 79 | 23.4 | 8.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Richie Guerin | 79 | 21.8 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dick Garmaker | 71 | 15.6 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Kenny Sears | 53 | 14.2 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Phil Jordon | 31 | 13.1 | 4.5 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Johnny Green | 78 | 10.2 | 7.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Charlie Tyra | 59 | 8.8 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Dave Budd | 61 | 6.5 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bob McNeill | 75 | 5.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Phil Rollins | 41 | 5.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Carl Braun | 15 | 5.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jim Palmer | 57 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jack George | 16 | 5.1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Darrall Imhoff | 62 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Whitey Bell | 5 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
New York Knicks 1960-61 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1960-61 season for the New York Knicks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 20, 1960 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 113-105 | |
| Oct 22, 1960 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 119-117 | |
| Oct 24, 1960 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 111-101 | |
| Oct 25, 1960 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 120-118 | |
| Oct 28, 1960 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 110-101 | |
| Oct 29, 1960 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 115-110 | |
| Nov 02, 1960 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 106-96 | |
| Nov 05, 1960 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 119-104 | |
| Nov 10, 1960 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 116-112 | |
| Nov 11, 1960 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 112-108 | |
| Nov 12, 1960 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 128-117 | |
| Nov 15, 1960 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 123-108 | |
| Nov 18, 1960 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 101-99 | |
| Nov 19, 1960 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 121-111 | |
| Nov 22, 1960 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 120-119 | |
| Nov 23, 1960 | @ Boston Celtics | L 122-105 | |
| Nov 25, 1960 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 111-110 | |
| Nov 26, 1960 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 127-119 | |
| Nov 27, 1960 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 122-118 | |
| Nov 29, 1960 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 118-107 | |
| Dec 01, 1960 | @ Boston Celtics | W 116-111 | |
| Dec 02, 1960 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 139-133 | |
| Dec 03, 1960 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 130-113 | |
| Dec 06, 1960 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 117-112 | |
| Dec 08, 1960 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 114-111 | |
| Dec 13, 1960 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 117-115 | |
| Dec 14, 1960 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 121-114 | |
| Dec 16, 1960 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 108-104 | |
| Dec 17, 1960 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 116-103 | |
| Dec 20, 1960 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 122-112 | |
| Dec 21, 1960 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 122-117 | |
| Dec 25, 1960 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 162-100 | |
| Dec 26, 1960 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 119-112 | |
| Dec 28, 1960 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 114-104 | |
| Dec 29, 1960 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 111-95 | |
| Dec 30, 1960 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 120-106 | |
| Jan 02, 1961 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 131-115 | |
| Jan 03, 1961 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 129-104 | |
| Jan 05, 1961 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 104-102 | |
| Jan 07, 1961 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 120-117 | |
| Jan 08, 1961 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 121-119 | |
| Jan 10, 1961 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 117-104 | |
| Jan 11, 1961 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 109-104 | |
| Jan 13, 1961 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 106-105 | |
| Jan 15, 1961 | @ Boston Celtics | L 142-124 | |
| Jan 19, 1961 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 129-122 | |
| Jan 20, 1961 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 132-128 | |
| Jan 21, 1961 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 145-122 | |
| Jan 24, 1961 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 125-112 | |
| Jan 25, 1961 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 116-109 | |
| Jan 27, 1961 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 130-119 | |
| Jan 28, 1961 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 114-108 | |
| Jan 31, 1961 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 122-106 | |
| Feb 01, 1961 | @ Boston Celtics | L 124-120 | |
| Feb 03, 1961 | @ Boston Celtics | L 123-109 | |
| Feb 04, 1961 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 128-111 | |
| Feb 05, 1961 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 136-128 | |
| Feb 07, 1961 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 131-120 | |
| Feb 09, 1961 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 119-115 | |
| Feb 10, 1961 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 133-131 | |
| Feb 11, 1961 | @ Boston Celtics | W 129-107 | |
| Feb 12, 1961 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 105-104 | |
| Feb 15, 1961 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 129-127 | |
| Feb 16, 1961 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 132-120 | |
| Feb 18, 1961 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 121-106 | |
| Feb 19, 1961 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 123-100 | |
| Feb 21, 1961 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 114-112 | |
| Feb 22, 1961 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 123-117 | |
| Feb 24, 1961 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 122-119 | |
| Feb 26, 1961 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 136-110 | |
| Feb 28, 1961 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 142-116 | |
| Mar 01, 1961 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 144-107 | |
| Mar 03, 1961 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 129-112 | |
| Mar 04, 1961 | @ Boston Celtics | L 113-110 | |
| Mar 05, 1961 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 124-118 | |
| Mar 07, 1961 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 114-113 | |
| Mar 08, 1961 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 117-94 | |
| Mar 09, 1961 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 135-126 | |
| Mar 12, 1961 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 120-106 |