Walt Bellamy

Walt Bellamy's rookie season in 1961-62 is one of the greatest debut campaigns in NBA history: 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds per game, earning him the Rookie of the Year award. Those numbers would be franchise-defining for most players, but Bellamy had the misfortune of debuting in the same season that Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points and Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double, overshadowing his extraordinary debut.

Bellamy was a 6'11" center with a soft touch around the basket and a left-handed hook shot that was among the most reliable scoring weapons of the 1960s. He scored 20,941 career points and grabbed 14,241 rebounds, ranking among the all-time leaders in both categories. His 88 games played in the 1968-69 season — a result of being traded mid-season — remains an NBA record that can never be broken.

Bellamy's career is often underrated because he played on mediocre teams and in the shadow of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. But his per-game production was elite, and his rookie campaign alone would earn him a place in basketball history. Four All-Star selections and consistent production over 14 seasons make him one of the most accomplished centers of the 1960s.