The Los Angeles Lakers had the Boston Celtics where they wanted them in the 1969 NBA Finals. They were home to a Game 7 win-win. The Celtics had won nine of the last 10 championships, and the Lakers, led by Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor, the Lakers were hungry to dethrone their rivals.
West had the match of his life. He had 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. He became the series’ MVP. West also admitted the match was the “low point of my career”.
Jerry West and the LA Lakers had their chance against the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics dynasty was coming to an end, but it wasn’t quite dead yet. Over the past 12 years, the Celtics have made the NBA Finals 11 times. They have won 10 championships.
The rivals met in the 1969 NBA Finals and the Lakers had the chance to seal the deal at home in Game 7. In the previous six games of the series, the home team won. LA had a golden opportunity.
Jerry West had it all for the Lakers, but the Celtics, led by John Havlicek and Sam Jones, held a late seven-point lead, and Chamberlain, LA’s dominant center, left with a knee injury. With Chamberlain on the bench, the Lakers made a run, cutting the deficit to 103-102.
At the time of his injury, Chamberlain had 18 points and 27 rebounds. His counterpart, Bill Russell, had six points and 21 rebounds. According to Robert Cherry’s book, Wilting: larger than life, Chamberlain iced the knee and told coach Butch van Breda Kolff he was ready to return to the field. Chamberlain never returned. The Celtics won 108-106.
Despite the loss, West was the star. He had 14 of 29 shots from the floor and had 14 of 18 shots from the free throw line for his 42 points. He was named the series MVP despite the crushing loss.
West said losing that game was the lowest point of his career
The MVP trophy meant very little to West. He didn’t want a consolation prize. It didn’t matter that his 42 points set a record in the final. He would gladly trade the car he won for the MVP title for the thrill of winning a championship.
The loss hit West hard. It was the sixth time in his career that West had fallen to the Celtics in the championship round. Usually, the Finals MVP also hoists the championship trophy. That wasn’t the case for West, who hit rock bottom in his basketball career when he was the best player on the court.
“It was the low point of my career,” West said, according to Cherry. “I didn’t want to play anymore. I felt that I had given everything I could. It looked like it was in the cards for us to win. I was as low as possible as a player.