| 19th South American Basketball Championship | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | Brazil |
| Dates | April 20-30 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Brazil (5th title) |
The South American Basketball Championship 1961 was the 18th edition[ clarification needed ] of this regional tournament. It was held from April 20 to April 30 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Eight teams competed.
The final standings were determined by a round robin, where the 8 teams played against each other once.
| - align=center bgcolor=#efefef | Rank | Team | Pts | W | L | PF | PA | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brazil | 14 | 7 | 0 | 576 | 356 | +220 | |
| 2 |  Uruguay | 12 | 5 | 2 | 434 | 420 | +37 | |
| 3 |  Argentina | 12 | 5 | 2 | 473 | 436 | +14 | |
| 4 |  Paraguay | 11 | 4 | 3 | 462 | 448 | +14 | |
| 5 |  Peru | 10 | 3 | 4 | 363 | 434 | -71 | |
| 6 |  Chile | 9 | 2 | 5 | 408 | 446 | -38 | |
| 7 |  Ecuador | 8 | 1 | 6 | 419 | 521 | -74 | |
| 8 |  Venezuela | 8 | 1 | 6 | 372 | 446 | -102 |