This Day In Lakers History: Wilt Chamberlain Scores 60 Points Against Cincinnati Royals

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Wilt Chamberlain will forever be remembered for his NBA record 100 points in a single game, but there many other nights in which the big man was essentially unstoppable. One of which came Jan. 26, 1969, when Chamberlain led the Lakers to a 126-113 win over the Cincinnati Royals.

Chamberlain had a game-high 60 points, to go along with 21 rebounds. Somewhat remarkably, he was not the leading rebounder, as Jerry Lucas hit the glass to the tune of 24 boards.

Chamberlain made 22 of his 36 field goal attempts and went 16-for-24 from the free throw line. Prior to that point, his season high was 35 points. He scored 66 points nearly two weeks later.

The Lakers held a 31-28 lead over the Royals at the end of the first quarter and never trailed in the game over the next 36 minutes.

Los Angeles improved to 34-17, while the Royals dropped to 26-23.

Chamberlain went on to average 20.5 points and an NBA-best 21.1 rebounds per game. His 58.3 field goal percentage and 857 free throw attempts on the year were also tops in the league.

Wilt Chamberlain & Lakers lose in NBA Finals

The Lakers finished with a 55-27 record that season, good for first in the Western division, but came up short to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in seven games.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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