In the 1960’s, there were three great teams in the NBA: the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers, and whoever Wilt Chamberlain was playing for at the time.
The Celtics were built around Bill Russell, while the Lakers were crafted around Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.
The Lakers never won a championship during Russell’s time in Boston, and this haunted West for life. Even after establishing himself as Boston’s Red Auerbach’s equal as a GM, he could not step foot in Boston Garden. In the new Prime documentary about him, Jerry West: The Logo, West reveals that he was going to go to a game at Boston with his son, but he was physically incapable of doing it.
In the 60s, as you’ll see here, West and Baylor were a great combo, but they could not typically overcome Chamberlain’s sheer size and athleticism.
Well, no one could. Russell could manage him, but he could not control him. He took a little away here, a bit there, and his teammates were typically superior, but overcome Chamberlain?
It was not possible.
In 1968, Chamberlain requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, and ended up with Baylor, West, and the Lakers.
The Celtics were aging, and people generally thought they were ready to fall. But Russell wasn’t ready to let go, and he won his 11th and final championship.
West and the Lakers would finally win one in 1972, but Baylor would retire early in the season. Almost as soon as he did, L.A. went on an epic 33-game win streak and were basically unbeatable.
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