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<p>Power forward, or &quot;the post,&quot; requires a strong, tall player to stand with their backs to the basket. They're a critical position, so here is a list of the best 60s power forwards for you to peruse! Check out this list of the best 60s NBA power forwards to find some of the toughest players to ever play the game! Vote for your favorite top 60s power forwards, and vote down the ones you don't think make the grade. Back in the 60s, the NBA was a different place than it is today. Back then it was truly a &quot;man's game&quot; and the players on this list exemplify that perfectly.</p><p>When thinking about the greatest NBA power forwards from the 60s, people like Bob Boozer and Paul Silas are always in the conversation. Tough, gritty, 1960s power forwards were greatly influential in how the game is played today.</p>So take a look at these top 1960s NBA power forwards and see who might be your favorite. Don't forget to vote for who you think the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-power-forwards-in-nba-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best power forwards</a> of the 60s are!

Best NBA Power Forwards of the 1960s, Ranked by Votes

The Best Power Forwards of the '60s

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Bob Pettit

Robert Lee Pettit Jr. (born December 12, 1932) is an American retired professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award four times, a feat matched only by Kobe Bryant. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

Elvin Hayes

Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945) is an American retired professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma-mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and an inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Paul Silas

Paul Theron Silas (born July 12, 1943) is an American retired professional basketball player and former NBA head coach.

Nate Thurmond

Nathaniel Thurmond (July 25, 1941 – July 16, 2016) was an American basketball player who spent the majority of his 14-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Golden State Warriors. He played the center and power forward positions. Thurmond was a seven-time All-Star and the first player in NBA history to record an official quadruple-double. In 1965, he grabbed 42 rebounds in a game; only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell recorded more rebounds in an NBA game. Thurmond was named both a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.Known to fans as "Nate the Great", Thurmond has had his No. 42 jersey retired by both the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Paul Joseph Arizin (April 9, 1928 – December 12, 2006), nicknamed "Pitchin' Paul", was an American basketball player who spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Philadelphia Warriors from 1950 to 1962. He retired with the third highest career point total (16,266) in NBA history, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History upon its 50th anniversary in 1996. He was a high-scoring forward at Villanova University before being drafted by the Warriors of the fledgling NBA.

Dolph Schayes

Adolph Schayes (May 19, 1928 – December 10, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A top scorer and rebounder, he was a 12-time NBA All-Star and a 12-time All-NBA selection. Schayes won an NBA championship with the Syracuse Nationals in 1955. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Schayes played his entire career with the Nationals and their successor, the Philadelphia 76ers, from 1948 to 1964.  In his 16-year career, he led his team into the playoffs  15 times. After the Nationals moved to Philadelphia, Schayes became player-coach of the newly-minted 76ers. He retired after the 1963-64 season and stayed on as coach for two more seasons, earning NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1966. He briefly coached with the Buffalo Braves.

Bob Boozer

Robert Louis Boozer (April 26, 1937 – May 19, 2012) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Boozer won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won an NBA Championship as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. Boozer was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. 



Chet Walker

Chester Walker (born February 22, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player.
Born in Bethlehem, Mississippi, Walker played high school basketball for the Benton Harbor High School boys basketball team. He graduated from Bradley University in 1962 as the school's all-time leading scorer. The Bradley Braves won the NIT Championship in 1957 and 1960.  Walker's speed and agility on the court earned him the nickname "Chet the Jet." He probably is best remembered as a starting forward on the 1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers team, which some consider the best NBA team of all time.
Walker was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in the 1962 NBA draft, and was named to the NBA's first All-Rookie Team in 1963.  He followed the team to Philadelphia after his rookie season.  A seven-time participant in the NBA All-Star Game, Walker averaged over 19 points and eight rebounds a game for the 1966–67 76ers, who won 68 games and lost just 13—the best record in NBA history at the time. That Alex Hannum-coached team, which also featured center Wilt Chamberlain, guards Hal Greer and Wali Jones, and sixth man Billy Cunningham, ended the eight-year championship run of the Boston Celtics. Walker played his final six seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and never averaged less than 19.2 points and 5.0 rebounds a game. In his 13-year career, Walker scored a total of 18,831 points. The 6–6 forward was an outstanding free-throw shooter, especially in his later years with the Bulls. He led the NBA with an accuracy rate of 85.9 percent in 1970–71, and ranked among the top-10 free-throwers five other times.
After his playing days, Walker became a moderately successful TV movie producer.  He is the author of a memoir entitled Long Time Coming: A Black Athlete's Coming-Of-Age in America (1995).  Walker also appeared in The White Shadow in Season 3's "If Your Number's Up, Get it Down" as a former Chicago Bulls' teammate of Coach Ken Reeves (Ken Howard)
On February 24, 2012 (two days after Walker's 72nd birthday) it was announced that Chet Walker was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame by the veterans committee. He was formally inducted into the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 7, 2012.

Bill Bridges

William C. Bridges (April 4, 1939 – September 25, 2015) was an American basketball player.
A 6'6" power forward from Hobbs, New Mexico, Bridges played collegiately for the University of Kansas.  At Kansas, he averaged 13.2 points and 13.9 rebounds per game, was chosen All-Big Eight three seasons, and was an All-American in 1961.Bridges played for the Kansas City Steers of the American Basketball League prior to entering the NBA.  Bridges led the ABL in rebounding during both seasons he played for the Steers, and led the league in scoring during his second season.  He set the ABL single-game scoring record with 55 points on December 9, 1962.  The league folded at the end of 1962, and the Steers were declared ABL champions.
Bridges then entered the National Basketball Association and spent 13 seasons (1962–1975) as a member of the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors.  Bridges won an NBA Championship with the Warriors in 1975 and appeared in three All-Star Games during the course of his career.  Though somewhat undersized for his position, Bridges was a strong rebounder and averaged a double-double (11.9 points, 11.9 rebounds) over the course of his NBA career. He is also the only player besides Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Willis Reed to record more than 35 rebounds in a playoff game. Bridges' league leading 366 personal fouls during the 1967–68 season was, at the time, an NBA record.Bridges died in Los Angeles, California at the age of 76  following a battle with cancer.

Bailey Howell

Bailey E. Howell (born January 20, 1937) is an American former professional basketball player. After playing college basketball at Mississippi State, Howell played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howell was a 6-time NBA All-Star, 2-time NBA Champion and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Clyde Lovellette

Clyde Edward Lovellette ( loh-VEL-et; September 7, 1929 – March 9, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. He was the first basketball player in history to play on an NCAA championship team, Olympics gold medal basketball team, and NBA championship squad. As a high school junior (1946/47), Lovellette's previously undefeated high school team in Terre Haute, Indiana lost in the Indiana state championship finals to Shelbyville, Indiana led by Bill Garrett.

Dave DeBusschere

David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional National Basketball Association player and coach and Major League baseball player. In 1996, DeBusschere was named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. DeBusschere was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Wes Unseld

Westley Sissel Unseld (born March 14, 1946) is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Jerry Lucas

Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State, and 1960 gold medal Olympian and international player before later starring as a professional player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a collegian, Lucas led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the 1960 college national championship and three straight NCAA finals. He remains today the only three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and was also twice named NCAA Player of the Year. As a professional, Lucas was named All-NBA First Team three times, an NBA All-Star seven times, was 1964 NBA Rookie of the Year, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1965 NBA All-Star Game among other honors and awards. He was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Tom Heinsohn

Thomas William Heinsohn (born August 26, 1934) is an American retired professional basketball player.  He has been associated with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for six decades as a player, coach and broadcaster.  He played for the Celtics from 1956 to 1965, and also coached the team from 1969 to 1978. 
Tom Heinsohn has been granted Hall of Fame status for his contributions as a player. He has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame for his success as a head coach. He also helped form the NBA Players Association. Heinsohn is the only person to have the distinction of being involved in an official team capacity in each of the Celtics' 17 championships, as well as each of their 21 NBA Finals appearances. He is currently the color commentator on the Celtics' television broadcasts on NBC Sports Boston.

Clyde Lee

Clyde Wayne Lee (born March 14, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player. An All-American at  Vanderbilt University, Lee was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1965 NBA draft and was an NBA All-Star, playing ten seasons in the league.

John Graham "Red" Kerr (July 17, 1932 – February 26, 2009) was an American basketball player, coach, and color commentator. He played in the NBA from 1954 to 1966, mainly as a member of the Syracuse Nationals. He later held several coaching and administrative positions before embarking on a thirty-three year career as a television color commentator for the Chicago Bulls.

Walter Jones Bellamy (July 24, 1939 – November 2, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. A four-time NBA All-Star, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

gus johnson

Gus Johnson

Gus Johnson Jr. (December 13, 1938 – April 29, 1987) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 235-pound (107 kg) forward–center, he spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and his final season was split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA.
One of the first forwards to frequently play above the rim, Johnson combined an unusual blend of strength, jumping ability, and speed; he was one of the first dunk shot artists in the NBA. His nickname "Honeycomb" was given to him by his college coach. He had a gold star set into one of his front teeth and shattered three backboards during his career.As a member of the Baltimore Bullets, Johnson was voted to the All-Rookie Team for 1963–64, averaging over 17 points and twelve rebounds per game. He played in five NBA All-Star Games, was named to four All-NBA Second Teams, and was twice named to the All-NBA Defense First Team.  His number 25 jersey was retired by the Baltimore Bullets franchise. With the Pacers, he was a member of the 1973 ABA championship team.
Johnson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Billy Cunningham

William John Cunningham (born June 3, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid. He spent a total of 17 seasons with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers (nine as player, eight as coach), and two seasons as a player with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.

Rudy LaRusso

Rudolph A. LaRusso (November 11, 1937 – July 9, 2004) was an American professional basketball player who was a five-time All-Star in the National Basketball Association (NBA).  He was nicknamed "Roughhouse Rudy."

Satch Sanders

Thomas Ernest "Satch" Sanders (born November 8, 1938) is an American retired college and professional basketball player and coach. He was a 6'6", 210 lb power forward.  Sanders is tied for third for most NBA championships in a career, and is one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in NBA Finals series outcomes.  On April 4, 2011, it was announced that Sanders was elected to the 2011 class to enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor.

Wayne Embry

Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26, 1937) is a retired American basketball player & basketball executive. Embry's 11-year playing career as a center/forward spanned from 1958 to 1969 playing for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, all of the NBA. After his playing career, Embry transitioned to a career as a professional basketball executive, becoming the first African-American general manager & team president in NBA history.
Since 2004, Embry has served as a senior basketball advisor for the Toronto Raptors.

Happy Hairston

Harold "Happy" Hairston (May 31, 1942 – May 1, 2001) was an American professional basketball player. He was best remembered for playing with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), along with stints with the Cincinnati Royals and the Detroit Pistons. He was a member of the 1971–72 NBA championship Lakers, a team that won 33 games in a row, a record not duplicated in any other American professional sport. Hairston was a 6'7" (200 cm) 225 lb (102 kg) forward. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Hairston attended Atkins High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He played college basketball for coach Lou Rossini at New York University from 1962 to 1964 where he graduated. One of his teammates was Barry Kramer. The two smashed almost every record for the NYU Violets. Hairston averaged 21 pts per game led NYU on all time rebounding and totalled 1350 pts
in his college career for which he was inducted into NYU hall of fame in 1981. Drafted by Now defunct Cincinnati Royals, he played professionally for the Cincinnati Royals and Detroit Pistons before joining the Lakers in 1969.
In 1971-72, Hairston grabbed 1,045 rebounds; his teammate Wilt Chamberlain pulled down 1,572.  Hairston astoundingly led the Lakers in both rebounds and field goal percentage during the 1973–74 and 1974-75 seasons, and set an NBA record for most defensive rebounds in a quarter with 13 (vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, November 15, 1974).During his 11 seasons in the NBA, Hairston averaged 14.8 points and 10.3 rebounds.
After his retirement in 1975, Hairston established the Happy Hairston Youth Foundation in Century City. With financial help from celebrities such as Kelsey Grammer, the foundation found bright children from broken homes and paid for their college education. He also hosted a celebrity golf tournament and had a small role in the 1981 Happy Days episode "Tall Story," where he played the father of an epileptic high school basketball player.
Hairston died in Los Angeles in 2001 from respiratory complications brought on by prostate cancer. He was 58 and was survived by a daughter, Amber, and three sisters.

Johnny Green

John M. "Jumpin' Johnny" Green (born December 8, 1933) is an American retired professional basketball player.

Power forward, or &quot;the post,&quot; requires a strong, tall player to stand with their backs to the basket. They're a critical position, so here is a list ...