The 1960s was a tough time to be an NBA player because the Boston Celtics were the most dominant team in the league. They won nine championships during the decade, apart from one year when Wilt Chamberlain led the Philadelphia 76ers to the only non-Boston championship in 1967.
Wilt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers a year later, forming a fantastic squad alongside Jerry West , Gail Goodrich and Elgin Baylor. The team struggled for a few seasons but finally won their well-deserved title in the 1970/71 season after a 69-13 regular season record.
“ We did everything the coach wanted and everything worked out for us. It got to be almost funny because no one could beat us. We were invincible,” West said in an interview about the 1971/72 season.
The Lakers felt unstoppable during that season
The 71/72 Lakers still hold the record for most consecutive victories out of any team in the NBA’s history. Their winning streak lasted over two months, ending at 33 wins, remaining the longest for any team in top-level North American sports.
Everything clicked for the team as Wilt handled rebounding and anchoring the defense, playing as a role player. At 35, he embraced being less of a scorer as he was older, while West and Goodrich continued their elite scoring at 25+ points per game each.
It was a perfect combination as everyone played well, including 23-year-old Jim McMillan, scoring 18.8 points per game. Despite getting that superb 69-13 record, people still doubted the Lakers heading into the Playoffs since they did not have a winning history compared to the Celtics.
“When you get to 17, 18 straight wins, now people, are saying ‘Can they ever lose?’ For that Laker team to do what they did, I still think they did more in the game of basketball than any other team for the talent that they had.”
Thankfully, the Lakers continued their stellar form in the postseason, sweeping the Chicago Bulls, beating the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, and defeating the New York Knicks in five games in the Finals. It was the first and only championship for West and Goodrich, a cathartic achievement after losing to Boston multiple times in their career.
West credits Chamberlain for helping the Lakers win the title
Wilt brought stability to the Lakers as a veteran who had experience winning the championship in 1967. He led the 76ers to get the only title in the Celtics era, which proves he deserves recognition as an all-time great.
Since West could not lead the Lakers to a title all those years, the team wanted more players to help him and Goodrich. Wilt was ready to lead the team and play a lesser role to maximize everyone’s talents, which ticked all the boxes the Lakers needed to take that next step toward winning an NBA championship.
“I always felt Wilt in some respects has gotten a bum wrap for not winning more championships. Wilt Chamberlain like Jerry West was probably the best runner-up on most occasions,” West continued.
Thankfully, they won the title together and cemented the Lakers in the record books with arguably the most successful season of the 20th century. Of course, the Bulls would overtake them with a 72-10 record in the 1996/97 season but the 33-game winning streak remains supreme.
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