The Los Angeles Lakers perhaps are one of the most successful franchises in the NBA. With 17 NBA championships in their 75-year history, the Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most titles in the NBA.
Like any other successful team, the Lakers have seen their fair share of legends. Be it the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, or Shaquille O’Neal; the Lakers often have had star talents in their team throughout their illustrious history.
While the 1980s Lakers, with the trio of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy, might be the most successful team for the franchise, perhaps the most stacked team the Lakers had in their history was with Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor.
While the trio might not have won a championship together, they often were the finalists, and this was true for the 1970 NBA Finals as well. Facing off against the New York Knicks, the Lakers had a real chance to win their first NBA title in 16 years.
Although the Lakers did lose Game 1, they made a comeback in Game 2, tying the series 1-1. Game 3 was a close affair, but ultimately the Knicks edged out the Lakers. Game 4, however, was a different story. With their backs against the wall, the Lakers big three of Baylor, West, and Chamberlain stepped up.
Recently, an HD video of the game surfaced online. In this rare footage, one can see the incredible cohesion between the three as West dribbled the ball and was the primary ball handler dishing out assists. Chamberlain meanwhile cleared up the boards, and Baylor came up with incredible shots for the team.
With ‘the Logo’ scoring 37 points, Wilt scoring 18 points, and Baylor contributing with 30 points, it was the Lakers Big Three who did the heavy lifting in a 121-115 victory. After the Lakers tied the series 2-2, the Knicks fought back yet again and won Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead.
But as it happened in the series, the Lakers wouldn’t back down and tied the series yet again, this time with a blowout win. Ultimately, LA ran out of steam, and the Knicks were the NBA champions.
While Elgin Baylor could not lift the NBA title, as fate would have it, the Lakers did end up winning a title finally. With Wilt and West leading the charge, the Purple and Gold took the ultimate prize in 1972.
