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1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers season
Pro basketball team season (won NBA championship)
Pro basketball team season (won NBA championship)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| team | Los Angeles Lakers |
| end_year | 1972 |
| DivisionWin | yes |
| ConferenceWin | yes |
| ChampionshipWin | yes |
| wins | 69 |
| losses | 13 |
| division | Pacific |
| division_place | 1 |
| conf_place | 1 |
| coach | Bill Sharman |
| arena | The Forum |
| owners | Jack Kent Cooke |
| television | KTLA |
| radio | KABC |
| playoffs | **[NBA champions](1972-nba-finals)** |
| (Defeated [Knicks](1971-72-new-york-knicks-season) 4–1) | |
| bbr_team | LAL |
(Defeated Knicks 4–1)
During the 1971–72 season, the Los Angeles Lakers won their first National Basketball Association (NBA) title since moving to Los Angeles. The Lakers defeated the New York Knicks in five games to win the title, after going 69–13 during the regular-season, a record that stood for 24 seasons until the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls went 72–10. During the regular season, they would also go on an NBA record 33-game winning streak. The team went on to win 81 regular season and playoff games overall, a record that would stand alone for 14 years until the Boston Celtics matched it in 1986. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball teams of all time, the 1971–72 Lakers were named as one of the Top 10 Teams in NBA History in 1996.
The Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls in 4 games in the Western Conference Semifinals. The team then defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in a 6-game Western Conference Finals. The Lakers then got to the NBA Finals once again for the 14th time in league history. They faced the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 1970 NBA Finals. The Knicks were defeated in 5 games, the Lakers claimed their sixth title in team history and the first since 1954. Wilt Chamberlain won Finals MVP. Their record of outscoring opponents by 12.3 points per game in the regular season would eventually be broken by the 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder, at 12.9 points per game.
Offseason
- Traded a 1971 2nd round draft pick to the Cincinnati Royals for guard Flynn Robinson.
- Hired Bill Sharman as the new head coach to replace Joe Mullaney.
- Traded a 1972 2nd round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for center Leroy Ellis.
- Claimed forward John Q. Trapp off waivers from the Houston Rockets.
NBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | Jim Cleamons | Guard | Ohio State | |
| 4 | 64 | Roger Brown | Center | Kansas | |
| 5 | 81 | Lee Dedmon | Forward | UNC |
Roster
Regular season
Since moving to Los Angeles, the Lakers were repeatedly foiled by the Boston Celtics in their attempts to capture an NBA title. The Lakers lost the championship to them six times in eight years. In 1970, with the aging Celtics out of title contention, the Lakers lost in the NBA finals to the New York Knicks. In 1971, after losing Jerry West to a season-ending injury in February, they lost in the Western Conference finals to the powerful Milwaukee Bucks.
Going into the 1971–72 season, many experts thought the chance at a championship had passed for this aging team. Star players Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West were all in their 30s, and had all missed significant time due to injuries in the prior two seasons. The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, led by superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, appeared to be starting a new NBA dynasty. But new coach Bill Sharman still believed the Lakers had the talent to contend. He introduced strict conditioning drills and implemented a running fast break-based offense. He re-tooled Wilt Chamberlain's game to focus on defense, rebounding, and jump-starting the fast break with quick outlet passes to guards Jerry West and Gail Goodrich. The only casualty of this system was the aging Baylor, who could not physically handle the up-tempo practices and offense and retired 9 games into the season. He was replaced at small forward by Jim McMillian who played at a near all-star level.
Shortly thereafter, the Lakers strung together a record 33-game win streak. The streak ended on January 9, 1972, against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers and Bucks then staged a season-long race for the league's best record, with the Lakers setting a then NBA record with 69 wins (the Bucks had the second-best record at 63–19).
Season standings
:z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot
Game logs
Regular season
|- | 1 | October 15 | @ Detroit | 132–103 | Wilt Chamberlain (26) | Wilt Chamberlain (15) | Jerry West (9) | Cobo Arena 10,613
| 1–0 |
|---|
| 2 |
| October 16 |
| @ New York |
| W 119–104 |
| McMillian (28) |
| Chamberlain (19) |
| West (6) |
| Madison Square Garden |
| 19,296 |
| 2–0 |
| - |
| 3 |
| October 19 |
| @ Buffalo |
| 123–106 |
| Gail Goodrich (24) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (12) |
| Gail Goodrich (6) |
| Buffalo Memorial Auditorium |
| 9,127 |
| 3–0 |
| - |
| 4 |
| October 20 |
| @ Atlanta |
| W 126–104 |
| McMillian (39) |
| Chamberlain (25) |
| McMillian (6) |
| Alexander Memorial Coliseum |
| 5,543 |
| 4–0 |
| - |
| 5 |
| October 22 |
| Chicago |
| L 106–113 |
| Goodrich (26) |
| Chamberlain (18) |
| Hairston (6) |
| The Forum |
| 15,086 |
| 4–1 |
| - |
| 6 |
| October 24 |
| @ Houston |
| 113–103 |
| Gail Goodrich (31) |
| Chamberlain, Hairston (13) |
| Gail Goodrich (6) |
| Hofheinz Pavilion |
| 4,061 |
| 5–1 |
| - |
| 7 |
| October 29 |
| Cincinnati |
| 107–119 |
| Gail Goodrich (31) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (32) |
| Jim McMillian (7) |
| The Forum |
| 12,442 |
| 6–1 |
| - |
| 8 |
| October 30 |
| @ Seattle |
| 106–115 |
| Flynn Robinson (28) |
| Happy Hairston (13) |
| Gail Goodrich (7) |
| Seattle Center Coliseum |
| 13,138 |
| 6–2 |
| - |
| 9 |
| October 31 |
| Golden State |
| 109–105 |
| Gail Goodrich (38) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (24) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (6) |
| The Forum |
| 11,303 |
| 6–3 |
| - |
| 10 |
| November 5 |
| Baltimore |
| W 110–106 |
| Goodrich (31) |
| Chamberlain (25) |
| Chamberlain, West (6) |
| The Forum |
| 11,168 |
| 7–3 |
| - |
| 11 |
| November 6 |
| @ Golden State |
| 105–89 |
| Jerry West (28) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (17) |
| Jerry West (8) |
| Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena |
| 10,625 |
| 8–3 |
| - |
| 12 |
| November 7 |
| New York |
| W 103–96 |
| West (29) |
| Chamberlain (22) |
| West (8) |
| The Forum |
| 15,397 |
| 9–3 |
| - |
| 13 |
| November 9 |
| @ Chicago |
| W 122–109 |
| McMillian (28) |
| Chamberlain (20) |
| West (13) |
| Chicago Stadium |
| 9,082 |
| 10–3 |
| - |
| 14 |
| November 10 |
| @ Philadelphia |
| 143–103 |
| Gail Goodrich (34) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (14) |
| Jerry West (10) |
| Spectrum |
| 9,503 |
| 11–3 |
| - |
| 15 |
| November 12 |
| Seattle |
| 107–115 |
| Jerry West (28) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (22) |
| Jerry West (8) |
| The Forum |
| 16,550 |
| 12–3 |
| - |
| 16 |
| November 13 |
| @ Portland |
| 130–108 |
| LeRoy Ellis (27) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (13) |
| Jerry West (11) |
| Memorial Coliseum |
| 9,990 |
| 13–3 |
| - |
| 17 |
| November 14 |
| Boston |
| W 128–115 |
| Goodrich (36) |
| Chamberlain (31) |
| Chamberlain (10) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 14–3 |
| - |
| 18 |
| November 16 |
| Cleveland |
| 90–108 |
| Jerry West (25) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (15) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (6) |
| The Forum |
| 10,475 |
| 15–3 |
| - |
| 19 |
| November 19 |
| Houston |
| 99–106 |
| Gail Goodrich (32) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (23) |
| Chamberlain, Goodrich, West (6) |
| The Forum |
| 11,484 |
| 16–3 |
| - |
| 20 |
| November 21 |
| Milwaukee |
| W 112–105 |
| Goodrich (27) |
| Chamberlain (26) |
| West (13) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 17–3 |
| - |
| 21 |
| November 25 |
| @ Seattle |
| 139–115 |
| Jerry West (26) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (15) |
| Jerry West (13) |
| Seattle Center Coliseum |
| 13,170 |
| 18–3 |
| - |
| 22 |
| November 26 |
| Detroit |
| 113–132 |
| Wilt Chamberlain (31) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (31) |
| Jerry West (18) |
| The Forum |
| 17,101 |
| 19–3 |
| - |
| 23 |
| November 28 |
| Seattle |
| 111–138 |
| Jerry West (25) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (26) |
| Jerry West (8) |
| The Forum |
| 15,544 |
| 20–3 |
| - |
| 24 |
| December 1 |
| @ Boston |
| W 124–111 |
| West (45) |
| Chamberlain (20) |
| Chamberlain (6) |
| Boston Garden |
| 8,584 |
| 21–3 |
| - |
| 25 |
| December 3 |
| @ Philadelphia |
| 131–116 |
| Jim McMillian (41) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (25) |
| Jerry West (9) |
| Spectrum |
| 14,923 |
| 22–3 |
| - |
| 26 |
| December 5 |
| Portland |
| 107–123 |
| Hairston, West (20) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (27) |
| Jerry West (10) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 23–3 |
| - |
| 27 |
| December 8 |
| @ Houston |
| 125–120 |
| Gail Goodrich (42) |
| Happy Hairston (15) |
| Jerry West (6) |
| Hofheinz Pavilion |
| 9,346 |
| 24–3 |
| - |
| 28 |
| December 9 |
| @ Golden State |
| 124–111 |
| Jerry West (38) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (15) |
| Jerry West (11) |
| Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena |
| 8,892 |
| 25–3 |
| - |
| 29 |
| December 10 |
| Phoenix |
| 117–126 (OT) |
| Gail Goodrich (32) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (28) |
| Jerry West (11) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 26–3 |
| - |
| 30 |
| December 12 |
| Atlanta |
| W 104–95 |
| Gail Goodrich (32) |
| Chamberlain (24) |
| West (14) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 27–3 |
| - |
| 31 |
| December 14 |
| @ Portland |
| 129–114 |
| Chamberlain, Goodrich (24) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (18) |
| Jerry West (15) |
| Memorial Coliseum |
| 9,048 |
| 28–3 |
| - |
| 32 |
| December 17 |
| Golden State |
| 99–129 |
| Gail Goodrich (25) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (18) |
| Jerry West (9) |
| The Forum |
| 15,552 |
| 29–3 |
| - |
| 33 |
| December 18 |
| @ Phoenix |
| 132–106 |
| Gail Goodrich (28) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (16) |
| Jerry West (7) |
| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| 12,534 |
| 30–3 |
| - |
| 34 |
| December 19 |
| Philadelphia |
| 132–154 |
| Wilt Chamberlain (32) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (34) |
| Jerry West (10) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 31–3 |
| - |
| 35 |
| December 21 |
| @ Buffalo |
| 117–103 |
| Jerry West (33) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (22) |
| Jerry West (10) |
| Buffalo Memorial Auditorium |
| 10,602 |
| 32–3 |
| - |
| 36 |
| December 22 |
| @ Baltimore |
| W 127–120 |
| West (37) |
| Hairston (17) |
| West (9) |
| Baltimore Civic Center |
| 8,468 |
| 33–3 |
| - |
| 37 |
| December 26 |
| Houston |
| 115–137 |
| Jerry West (34) |
| Happy Hairston (21) |
| Jerry West (17) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 34–3 |
| - |
| 38 |
| December 28 |
| Buffalo |
| 87–105 |
| Jerry West (24) |
| Happy Hairston (14) |
| Jerry West (8) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 35–3 |
| - |
| 39 |
| December 30 |
| @ Seattle |
| 122–106 |
| Jim McMillian (34) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (24) |
| Jerry West (11) |
| Seattle Center Coliseum |
| 13,106 |
| 36–3 |
| - |
| 40 |
| January 2 |
| Boston |
| W 122–113 |
| Goodrich (40) |
| Hairston (19) |
| West (12) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 37–3 |
| - |
| 41 |
| January 5 |
| @ Cleveland |
| 113–103 |
| Jim McMillian (29) |
| Happy Hairston (19) |
| Jerry West (14) |
| Cleveland Arena |
| 11,178 |
| 38–3 |
| - |
| 42 |
| January 7 |
| @ Atlanta |
| W 134–90 |
| Jim McMillian (26) |
| Chamberlain, Hairston (14) |
| West (13) |
| Alexander Memorial Coliseum |
| 7,192 |
| 39–3 |
| - |
| 43 |
| January 9 |
| @ Milwaukee |
| L 104–120 |
| West (20) |
| Hairston (18) |
| West (6) |
| MECCA Arena |
| 10,746 |
| 39–4 |
| - |
| 44 |
| January 11 |
| @ Detroit |
| 123–103 |
| Wilt Chamberlain (29) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (18) |
| Jerry West (9) |
| Cobo Arena |
| 10,050 |
| 40–4 |
| - |
| 45 |
| January 12 |
| @ Cincinnati |
| 107–108 |
| Wilt Chamberlain (24) |
| Happy Hairston (23) |
| Jerry West (7) |
| Cincinnati Gardens |
| 5,231 |
| 40–5 |
| - |
| 46 |
| January 14 |
| @ Philadelphia |
| 135–121 |
| Jerry West (30) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (20) |
| Jerry West (13) |
| Spectrum |
| 12,919 |
| 41–5 |
| - align="center" |
| - style="background:#cfc;" |
| - bgcolor="#bbffbb" |
| - |
| 47 |
| January 21 |
| New York |
| L 101–104 |
| Chamberlain (28) |
| Chamberlain (19) |
| West (8) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 41–6 |
| - |
| 48 |
| January 22 |
| @ Phoenix |
| 102–116 |
| Jerry West (26) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (20) |
| Jerry West (8) |
| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| 12,534 |
| 41–7 |
| - |
| 49 |
| January 25 |
| Phoenix |
| 119–129 |
| Gail Goodrich (33) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (18) |
| Jerry West (7) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 42–7 |
| - |
| 50 |
| January 28 |
| Houston |
| 105–118 |
| Gail Goodrich (28) |
| Chamberlain, Hairston (18) |
| Jerry West (9) |
| The Forum |
| 16,183 |
| 43–7 |
| - |
| 51 |
| January 30 |
| Portland |
| 131–153 |
| Gail Goodrich (29) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (24) |
| Jerry West (14) |
| The Forum |
| 17,007 |
| 44–7 |
| - |
| 52 |
| February 4 |
| Milwaukee |
| W 118–105 |
| West (37) |
| Chamberlain (25) |
| West (13) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 45–7 |
| - |
| 53 |
| February 5 |
| @ Golden State |
| 108–96 |
| Gail Goodrich (30) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (22) |
| Jerry West (14) |
| Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena |
| 13,502 |
| 46–7 |
| - |
| 54 |
| February 6 |
| Baltimore |
| W 151–127 |
| Trapp (27) |
| Hairston (13) |
| West (10) |
| The Forum |
| 17,103 |
| 47–7 |
| - |
| 55 |
| February 8 |
| @ New York |
| W 107–102 |
| Goodrich (36) |
| Chamberlain (20) |
| West (7) |
| Madison Square Garden |
| 19,588 |
| 48–7 |
| - |
| 56 |
| February 9 |
| @ Atlanta |
| W 117–113 |
| West (31) |
| Hairston (11) |
| Goodrich, West (4) |
| Alexander Memorial Coliseum |
| 7,192 |
| 49–7 |
| - |
| 57 |
| February 11 |
| @ Boston |
| L 108–121 |
| West (25) |
| McMillian (10) |
| West (11) |
| Boston Garden |
| 15,315 |
| 49–8 |
| - |
| 58 |
| February 13 |
| N Baltimore |
| (at College Park, MD) |
| W 121–110 |
| McMillian (31) |
| Hairston (20) |
| West (11) |
| Cole Field House |
| 14,239 |
| 50–8 |
| - |
| 59 |
| February 15 |
| Cincinnati |
| 118–125 |
| Gail Goodrich (33) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (19) |
| Jerry West (13) |
| The Forum |
| 15,161 |
| 51–8 |
| - |
| 60 |
| February 16 |
| @ Phoenix |
| 109–110 |
| McMillian, West (26) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (21) |
| Jerry West (8) |
| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
| 12,534 |
| 51–9 |
| - |
| 61 |
| February 18 |
| Portland |
| 114–125 |
| Gail Goodrich (34) |
| Happy Hairston (19) |
| Jerry West (10) |
| The Forum |
| 15,357 |
| 52–9 |
| - |
| 62 |
| February 19 |
| @ Portland |
| 115–94 |
| Happy Hairston (21) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (19) |
| Jerry West (12) |
| Memorial Coliseum |
| 11,903 |
| 53–9 |
| - |
| 63 |
| February 20 |
| Boston |
| W 132–113 |
| West (39) |
| Chamberlain (30) |
| West (9) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 54–9 |
| - |
| 64 |
| February 22 |
| Detroit |
| 135–134 (OT) |
| Jerry West (37) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (21) |
| Jerry West (12) |
| The Forum |
| 14,245 |
| 54–10 |
| - |
| 65 |
| February 23 |
| N Houston |
| 110–115 |
| Jerry West (36) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (14) |
| Goodrich, West (6) |
| Heart O' Texas Fair Complex |
| 7,621 |
| 54–11 |
| - |
| 66 |
| February 25 |
| Cincinnati |
| 88–109 |
| Gail Goodrich (25) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (14) |
| Jerry West (7) |
| The Forum |
| 17,036 |
| 55–11 |
| - |
| 67 |
| February 27 |
| Chicago |
| W 123–118 (OT) |
| West (36) |
| Chamberlain (23) |
| West (12) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 56–11 |
| - |
| 68 |
| February 29 |
| @ New York |
| W 114–111 |
| West (32) |
| Chamberlain (19) |
| West (7) |
| Madison Square Garden |
| 19,588 |
| 57–11 |
| - |
| 69 |
| March 1 |
| N Milwaukee |
| (at Madison, WI) |
| W 109–108 |
| West (28) |
| Hairston (20) |
| West (6) |
| Wisconsin Field House |
| 9,227 |
| 58–11 |
| - |
| 70 |
| March 3 |
| Atlanta |
| W 114–104 |
| Goodrich (33) |
| Hairston (25) |
| Chamberlain, West (7) |
| The Forum |
| 17,282 |
| 59–11 |
| - |
| 71 |
| March 5 |
| Baltimore |
| L 94–108 |
| West (25) |
| Hairston (27) |
| West (6) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 59–12 |
| - |
| 72 |
| March 7 |
| Philadelphia |
| 97–114 |
| Gail Goodrich (25) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (18) |
| Jerry West (7) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 60–12 |
| - |
| 73 |
| March 10 |
| Cleveland |
| 98–132 |
| Gail Goodrich (30) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (18) |
| Jerry West (8) |
| The Forum |
| 14,861 |
| 61–12 |
| - |
| 74 |
| March 12 |
| Buffalo |
| 102–141 |
| Hairston, McMillian (23) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (17) |
| Erickson, West (8) |
| The Forum |
| 14,090 |
| 62–12 |
| - |
| 75 |
| March 14 |
| @ Detroit |
| 129–116 |
| Jim McMillian (30) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (14) |
| Jerry West (14) |
| Cobo Arena |
| 5,982 |
| 63–12 |
| - |
| 76 |
| March 15 |
| @ Cincinnati |
| 121–116 |
| Jerry West (32) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (24) |
| Jerry West (16) |
| Cincinnati Gardens |
| 5,516 |
| 64–12 |
| - |
| 77 |
| March 17 |
| Milwaukee |
| W 123–107 |
| McMillian (27) |
| Chamberlain (24) |
| West (10) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 65–12 |
| - |
| 78 |
| March 19 |
| Golden State |
| 99–162 |
| Gail Goodrich (30) |
| Happy Hairston (20) |
| Jerry West (13) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 66–12 |
| - |
| 79 |
| March 21 |
| @ Chicago |
| W 109–104 |
| Goodrich (29) |
| Chamberlain (29) |
| West (11) |
| Chicago Stadium |
| 17,729 |
| 67–12 |
| - |
| 80 |
| March 22 |
| @ Cleveland |
| 120–124 |
| Goodrich, West (31) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (19) |
| Jerry West (12) |
| Cleveland Arena |
| 10,819 |
| 67–13 |
| - |
| 81 |
| March 24 |
| Phoenix |
| 110–112 |
| Gail Goodrich (36) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (19) |
| Jerry West (10) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 68–13 |
| - |
| 82 |
| March 26 |
| Seattle |
| 98–124 |
| Gail Goodrich (24) |
| Wilt Chamberlain (23) |
| Jerry West (11) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 69–13 |
Playoffs
|- | 1 | March 28 | Chicago | W 95–80 | Goodrich (32) | Chamberlain, Hairston (17) | West (10) | The Forum 17,505
| 1–0 |
|---|
| 2 |
| March 30 |
| Chicago |
| W 131–124 |
| West (37) |
| Chamberlain (21) |
| West (11) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 2–0 |
| - |
| 3 |
| April 2 |
| @ Chicago |
| W 108–101 |
| West (31) |
| Chamberlain (14) |
| West (9) |
| Chicago Stadium |
| 17,805 |
| 3–0 |
| - |
| 4 |
| April 4 |
| @ Chicago |
| W 108–97 |
| Goodrich (27) |
| Chamberlain (31) |
| West (10) |
| Chicago Stadium |
| 18,847 |
| 4–0 |
| - |
| - |
| 1 |
| April 9 |
| Milwaukee |
| L 73–93 |
| Hairston (16) |
| Chamberlain (24) |
| West (6) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 0–1 |
| - |
| 2 |
| April 12 |
| Milwaukee |
| W 135–134 |
| McMillian (42) |
| Chamberlain (17) |
| West (13) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 1–1 |
| - |
| 3 |
| April 14 |
| @ Milwaukee |
| W 108–105 |
| Goodrich (30) |
| Chamberlain (14) |
| West (8) |
| MECCA Arena |
| 10,746 |
| 2–1 |
| - |
| 4 |
| April 16 |
| @ Milwaukee |
| L 88–114 |
| West (24) |
| Chamberlain, Hairston (11) |
| Chamberlain, West (4) |
| MECCA Arena |
| 10,746 |
| 2–2 |
| - |
| 5 |
| April 18 |
| Milwaukee |
| W 115–90 |
| McMillian (25) |
| Chamberlain (26) |
| West (10) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 3–2 |
| - |
| 6 |
| April 22 |
| @ Milwaukee |
| W 104–100 |
| West (25) |
| Chamberlain (24) |
| West (9) |
| MECCA Arena |
| 10,746 |
| 4–2 |
| - |
| - |
| 1 |
| April 26 |
| New York |
| L 92–114 |
| Goodrich (20) |
| Chamberlain (19) |
| West (7) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 0–1 |
| - |
| 2 |
| April 30 |
| New York |
| W 106–92 |
| Goodrich (31) |
| Chamberlain (24) |
| West (13) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 1–1 |
| - |
| 3 |
| May 3 |
| @ New York |
| W 107–96 |
| Chamberlain (26) |
| Chamberlain, Hairston (20) |
| West (8) |
| Madison Square Garden |
| 19,588 |
| 2–1 |
| - |
| 4 |
| May 5 |
| @ New York |
| W 116–111 (OT) |
| West (28) |
| Chamberlain (24) |
| West (7) |
| Madison Square Garden |
| 19,588 |
| 3–1 |
| - |
| 5 |
| May 7 |
| New York |
| W 114–100 |
| Goodrich (25) |
| Chamberlain (29) |
| West (9) |
| The Forum |
| 17,505 |
| 4–1 |
| - |
Player statistics
Regular season
| Player | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin Baylor | 9 | 26.6 | .433 | .815 | 6.3 | 2.0 | 11.8 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 82 | 42.3 | .649 | .422 | 19.2 | 4.0 | 14.8 |
| Jim Cleamons | 38 | 5.3 | .350 | .778 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 2.6 |
| LeRoy Ellis | 74 | 14.6 | .460 | .695 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 4.6 |
| Keith Erickson | 15 | 17.5 | .482 | .857 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 5.7 |
| Gail Goodrich | 82 | 37.1 | .487 | .850 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 25.9 |
| Happy Hairston | 80 | 34.4 | .461 | .779 | 13.1 | 2.4 | 13.1 |
| Jim McMillian | 80 | 38.1 | .482 | .791 | 6.5 | 2.6 | 18.8 |
| Pat Riley | 67 | 13.8 | .447 | .743 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 6.7 |
| Flynn Robinson | 64 | 15.7 | .490 | .860 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 9.9 |
| John Q. Trapp | 58 | 13.1 | .443 | .699 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 5.7 |
| Jerry West | 77 | 38.6 | .477 | .814 | 4.2 | 9.7 | 25.8 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilt Chamberlain | 15 | 46.9 | .563 | .492 | 21.0 | 3.3 | 14.7 |
| Jim Cleamons | 6 | 2.8 | .571 | N/A | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| LeRoy Ellis | 13 | 10.3 | .463 | .250 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 3.0 |
| Gail Goodrich | 15 | 38.3 | .445 | .898 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 23.8 |
| Happy Hairston | 15 | 38.5 | .440 | .794 | 13.1 | 2.1 | 13.5 |
| Jim McMillian | 15 | 41.6 | .447 | .857 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 19.1 |
| Pat Riley | 15 | 16.3 | .333 | .750 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 5.2 |
| Flynn Robinson | 7 | 10.3 | .463 | .700 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 6.4 |
| John Q. Trapp | 10 | 7.1 | .242 | .571 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Jerry West | 15 | 40.5 | .376 | .830 | 4.9 | 8.9 | 22.9 |
NBA Finals
Main article: 1972 NBA Finals
The Los Angeles Lakers played against the New York Knicks in the NBA finals during the postseason.
Game 1
Although without Willis Reed because of his knee injury. Jerry Lucas scored 26 points but was only one of several Knicks who was red hot. Bill Bradley hit 11 of 12 shots from the field as New York shot 53 percent for the game. The team took advantage of a nearly perfect first half to jump to a good lead and won easily, 114–92. Early in the second half, the Forum crowd began filing out dejectedly. It looked like another Los Angeles fold in the Finals.
Game 2
Knicks forward Dave DeBusschere hurt his side and didn't play after the first half. Hairston scored 12 points in the second half, and Los Angeles evened the series with a 106–92 win.
Game 3
DeBusschere attempted to play in the first half and missed all six of his field-goal attempts. He was hurting and elected not to play in the second half. DeBusschere explained, "I didn't feel I was helping the team." The Lakers danced out to a 22-point lead and regained the home-court advantage with a 107–96 win.
Game 4
The game went into overtime, but at the end of regulation, Wilt Chamberlain picked up his fifth foul. In 13 NBA seasons, he had never fouled out of a game, a history he was immensely proud of but also one that usually led to him playing less aggressively when he was on the verge of getting a 6th foul. As the press waited for Wilt to take the floor and hurt the Lakers by reverting to a passive style, he instead came out in a shotblocking fury that propelled the Lakers to a 116–111 win. At three games to one, their lead now seemed insurmountable.
Game 5
The Lakers won their sixth NBA championship by the score of 114–100. This was their first championship since moving to Los Angeles in 1960. Jerry West also won his first NBA championship after 12 years of waiting. Wilt Chamberlain scored 24 points and 29 rebounds and earned the NBA Finals MVP Award.
Award winners
- Bill Sharman, NBA Coach of the Year
- Jerry West, All-NBA First Team
- Jerry West, All-NBA Defensive First Team
- Wilt Chamberlain, All-NBA Defensive First Team
- Wilt Chamberlain, NBA Leader, Shooting Percentage (.649)
References
References
- (5 June 2025). "The Mind-Blowing Second Coming of the Oklahoma City Thunder".
- (2007). "Numbelievable!". Triumph Books.
- "NBA & ABA Coach of the Year Award Winners".
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