During the 1971–72 season, the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

won their first

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA) title since moving to Los Angeles. The Lakers defeated the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

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 The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

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 The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

in 4 games in the Western Conference Semifinals. The team then defeated the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

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

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 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...

won Finals MVP.

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

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

. In 1971, after losing

Jerry West Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...

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

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lak ...

, and

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 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...

, 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

Record vs. opponents

Game logs

Regular season

, - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 1 , Fri, Oct 15, 1971 , @

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 132–103 ,

(26) ,

(15) ,

(9) ,

Cobo Arena Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Washi ...

10,613 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 2 , October 16, 1971 , @ New York
W 119–104
, McMillian (28) , Chamberlain (19) ,

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

(6) ,

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

19,296 , 2–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 3 , Tue, Oct 19, 1971 , @ Buffalo , 123–106 , Gail Goodrich (24) , Wilt Chamberlain (12) , Gail Goodrich (6) ,

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins men's basketball, Canisius Golden Griffins (Nationa ...

9,127 , 3–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 4 , October 20, 1971 , @

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

W 126–104
, McMillian (39) , Chamberlain (25) , McMillian (6) , Alexander Memorial Coliseum
5,543 , 4–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 5 , October 22, 1971 ,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

L 106–113
, Goodrich (26) , Chamberlain (18) , Hairston (6) , The Forum
15,086 , 4–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 6 , Sun, Oct 24, 1971 , @

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, 113–103 , Gail Goodrich (31) , Chamberlain, Hairston (13) , Gail Goodrich (6) , Hofheinz Pavilion
4,061 , 5–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 7 , Fri, Oct 29, 1971 ,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, 107–119 , Gail Goodrich (31) , Wilt Chamberlain (32) , Jim McMillian (7) , The Forum
12,442 , 6–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 8 , Sat, Oct 30, 1971 , @

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, 106–115 , Flynn Robinson (28) , Happy Hairston (13) , Gail Goodrich (7) , Seattle Center Coliseum
13,138 , 6–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 9 , Sun, Oct 31, 1971 , Golden State , 109–105 , Gail Goodrich (38) , Wilt Chamberlain (24) , Wilt Chamberlain (6) , The Forum
11,303 , 6–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 10 , November 5, 1971 ,

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

W 110–106
, Goodrich (31) , Chamberlain (25) , Chamberlain,

(6) , The Forum
11,168 , 7–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 11 , Sat, Nov 6, 1971 , @ Golden State , 105–89 , Jerry West (28) , Wilt Chamberlain (17) , Jerry West (8) , Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
10,625 , 8–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 12 , November 7, 1971 , New York
W 103–96
,

(29) , Chamberlain (22) ,

(8) , The Forum
15,397 , 9–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 13 , November 9, 1971 , @

W 122–109
, McMillian (28) , Chamberlain (20) ,

(13) ,

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago from 1929 to 1995. When it was built, it was the largest indoor arena in the world with a maximum seating capacity of 26,000. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and ...

9,082 , 10–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 14 , Wed, Nov 10, 1971 , @

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 143–103 , Gail Goodrich (34) , Wilt Chamberlain (14) , Jerry West (10) ,

Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...

9,503 , 11–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 15 , Fri, Nov 12, 1971 , Seattle , 107–115 , Jerry West (28) , Wilt Chamberlain (22) , Jerry West (8) , The Forum
16,550 , 12–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 16 , Sat, Nov 13, 1971 , @ Portland , 130–108 , LeRoy Ellis (27) , Wilt Chamberlain (13) , Jerry West (11) , Memorial Coliseum
9,990 , 13–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 17 , November 14, 1971 ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

W 128–115
, Goodrich (36) , Chamberlain (31) , Chamberlain (10) , The Forum
17,505 , 14–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 18 , Tue, Nov 16, 1971 ,

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, 90–108 , Jerry West (25) , Wilt Chamberlain (15) , Wilt Chamberlain (6) , The Forum
10,475 , 15–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 19 , Fri, Nov 19, 1971 , Houston , 99–106 , Gail Goodrich (32) , Wilt Chamberlain (23) , Chamberlain, Goodrich, West (6) , The Forum
11,484 , 16–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 20 , November 21, 1971 ,

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

W 112–105
, Goodrich (27) , Chamberlain (26) ,

(13) , The Forum
17,505 , 17–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 21 , Thu, Nov 25, 1971 , @ Seattle , 139–115 , Jerry West (26) , Wilt Chamberlain (15) , Jerry West (13) , Seattle Center Coliseum
13,170 , 18–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 22 , Fri, Nov 26, 1971 , Detroit , 113–132 , Wilt Chamberlain (31) , Wilt Chamberlain (31) , Jerry West (18) , The Forum
17,101 , 19–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 23 , Sun, Nov 28, 1971 , Seattle , 111–138 , Jerry West (25) , Wilt Chamberlain (26) , Jerry West (8) , The Forum
15,544 , 20–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 24 , December 1, 1971 , @

W 124–111
,

(45) , Chamberlain (20) , Chamberlain (6) , Boston Garden
8,584 , 21–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 25 , Fri, Dec 3, 1971 , @ Philadelphia , 131–116 , Jim McMillian (41) , Wilt Chamberlain (25) , Jerry West (9) , Spectrum
14,923 , 22–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 26 , Sun, Dec 5, 1971 , Portland , 107–123 , Hairston, West (20) , Wilt Chamberlain (27) , Jerry West (10) , The Forum
17,505 , 23–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 27 , Wed, Dec 8, 1971 , @ Houston , 125–120 , Gail Goodrich (42) , Happy Hairston (15) , Jerry West (6) , Hofheinz Pavilion
9,346 , 24–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 28 , Thu, Dec 9, 1971 , @ Golden State , 124–111 , Jerry West (38) , Wilt Chamberlain (15) , Jerry West (11) , Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
8,892 , 25–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 29 , Fri, Dec 10, 1971 , Phoenix , 117–126 (OT) , Gail Goodrich (32) , Wilt Chamberlain (28) , Jerry West (11) , The Forum
17,505 , 26–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 30 , December 12, 1971 ,

W 104–95
, Gail Goodrich (32) , Chamberlain (24) ,

(14) , The Forum
17,505 , 27–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 31 , Tue, Dec 14, 1971 , @ Portland , 129–114 , Chamberlain, Goodrich (24) , Wilt Chamberlain (18) , Jerry West (15) , Memorial Coliseum
9,048 , 28–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 32 , Fri, Dec 17, 1971 , Golden State , 99–129 , Gail Goodrich (25) , Wilt Chamberlain (18) , Jerry West (9) , The Forum
15,552 , 29–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 33 , Sat, Dec 18, 1971 , @ Phoenix , 132–106 , Gail Goodrich (28) , Wilt Chamberlain (16) , Jerry West (7) , Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
12,534 , 30–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 34 , Sun, Dec 19, 1971 , Philadelphia , 132–154 , Wilt Chamberlain (32) , Wilt Chamberlain (34) , Jerry West (10) , The Forum
17,505 , 31–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 35 , Tue, Dec 21, 1971 , @ Buffalo , 117–103 , Jerry West (33) , Wilt Chamberlain (22) , Jerry West (10) , Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
10,602 , 32–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 36 , December 22, 1971 , @

W 127–120
,

(37) , Hairston (17) ,

(9) , Baltimore Civic Center
8,468 , 33–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 37 , Sun, Dec 26, 1971 , Houston , 115–137 , Jerry West (34) , Happy Hairston (21) , Jerry West (17) , The Forum
17,505 , 34–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 38 , Tue, Dec 28, 1971 , Buffalo , 87–105 , Jerry West (24) , Happy Hairston (14) , Jerry West (8) , The Forum
17,505 , 35–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 39 , Thu, Dec 30, 1971 , @ Seattle , 122–106 , Jim McMillian (34) , Wilt Chamberlain (24) , Jerry West (11) , Seattle Center Coliseum
13,106 , 36–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 40 , January 2, 1972 ,

W 122–113
, Goodrich (40) , Hairston (19) ,

(12) , The Forum
17,505 , 37–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 41 , Wed, Jan 5, 1972 , @ Cleveland , 113–103 , Jim McMillian (29) , Happy Hairston (19) , Jerry West (14) , Cleveland Arena
11,178 , 38–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 42 , January 7, 1972 , @

W 134–90
, Jim McMillian (26) , Chamberlain, Hairston (14) ,

(13) , Alexander Memorial Coliseum
7,192 , 39–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 43 , January 9, 1972 , @

L 104–120
,

(20) , Hairston (18) ,

(6) , MECCA Arena
10,746 , 39–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 44 , Tue, Jan 11, 1972 , @ Detroit , 123–103 , Wilt Chamberlain (29) , Wilt Chamberlain (18) , Jerry West (9) , Cobo Arena
10,050 , 40–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 45 , Wed, Jan 12, 1972 , @ Cincinnati , 107–108 , Wilt Chamberlain (24) , Happy Hairston (23) , Jerry West (7) , Cincinnati Gardens
5,231 , 40–5 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 46 , Fri, Jan 14, 1972 , @ Philadelphia , 135–121 , Jerry West (30) , Wilt Chamberlain (20) , Jerry West (13) , Spectrum
12,919 , 41–5 , - align="center" , colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff", All-Star Break , - style="background:#cfc;" , - bgcolor="#bbffbb" , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 47 , January 21, 1972 , New York
L 101–104
, Chamberlain (28) , Chamberlain (19) ,

(8) , The Forum
17,505 , 41–6 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 48 , Sat, Jan 22, 1972 , @ Phoenix , 102–116 , Jerry West (26) , Wilt Chamberlain (20) , Jerry West (8) , Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
12,534 , 41–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 49 , Tue, Jan 25, 1972 , Phoenix , 119–129 , Gail Goodrich (33) , Wilt Chamberlain (18) , Jerry West (7) , The Forum
17,505 , 42–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 50 , Fri, Jan 28, 1972 , Houston , 105–118 , Gail Goodrich (28) , Chamberlain, Hairston (18) , Jerry West (9) , The Forum
16,183 , 43–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 51 , Sun, Jan 30, 1972 , Portland , 131–153 , Gail Goodrich (29) , Wilt Chamberlain (24) , Jerry West (14) , The Forum
17,007 , 44–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 52 , February 4, 1972 ,

W 118–105
,

(37) , Chamberlain (25) ,

(13) , The Forum
17,505 , 45–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 53 , Sat, Feb 5, 1972 , @ Golden State , 108–96 , Gail Goodrich (30) , Wilt Chamberlain (22) , Jerry West (14) , Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
13,502 , 46–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 54 , February 6, 1972 ,

W 151–127
, Trapp (27) , Hairston (13) ,

(10) , The Forum
17,103 , 47–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 55 , February 8, 1972 , @ New York
W 107–102
, Goodrich (36) , Chamberlain (20) ,

(7) ,

19,588 , 48–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 56 , February 9, 1972 , @

W 117–113
,

(31) , Hairston (11) , Goodrich,

(4) , Alexander Memorial Coliseum
7,192 , 49–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 57 , February 11, 1972 , @

L 108–121
,

(25) , McMillian (10) ,

(11) , Boston Garden
15,315 , 49–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 58 , February 13, 1972 , N

W 121–110
, McMillian (31) , Hairston (20) ,

(11) , Cole Field House
14,239 , 50–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 59 , Tue, Feb 15, 1972 , Cincinnati , 118–125 , Gail Goodrich (33) , Wilt Chamberlain (19) , Jerry West (13) , The Forum
15,161 , 51–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 60 , Wed, Feb 16, 1972 , @ Phoenix , 109–110 , McMillian, West (26) , Wilt Chamberlain (21) , Jerry West (8) , Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
12,534 , 51–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 61 , Fri, Feb 18, 1972 , Portland , 114–125 , Gail Goodrich (34) , Happy Hairston (19) , Jerry West (10) , The Forum
15,357 , 52–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 62 , Sat, Feb 19, 1972 , @ Portland , 115–94 , Happy Hairston (21) , Wilt Chamberlain (19) , Jerry West (12) , Memorial Coliseum
11,903 , 53–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 63 , February 20, 1972 ,

W 132–113
,

(39) , Chamberlain (30) ,

(9) , The Forum
17,505 , 54–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 64 , Tue, Feb 22, 1972 , Detroit , 135–134 (OT) , Jerry West (37) , Wilt Chamberlain (21) , Jerry West (12) , The Forum
14,245 , 54–10 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 65 , Wed, Feb 23, 1972 , N Houston , 110–115 , Jerry West (36) , Wilt Chamberlain (14) , Goodrich, West (6) , Heart O' Texas Fair Complex
7,621 , 54–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 66 , Fri, Feb 25, 1972 , Cincinnati , 88–109 , Gail Goodrich (25) , Wilt Chamberlain (14) , Jerry West (7) , The Forum
17,036 , 55–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 67 , February 27, 1972 ,

W 123–118 (OT)
,

(36) , Chamberlain (23) ,

(12) , The Forum
17,505 , 56–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 68 , February 29, 1972 , @ New York
W 114–111
,

(32) , Chamberlain (19) ,

(7) ,

19,588 , 57–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 69 , March 1, 1972 , N

W 109–108
,

(28) , Hairston (20) ,

(6) , Wisconsin Field House
9,227 , 58–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 70 , March 3, 1972 ,

W 114–104
, Goodrich (33) , Hairston (25) , Chamberlain,

(7) , The Forum
17,282 , 59–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 71 , March 5, 1972 ,

L 94–108
,

(25) , Hairston (27) ,

(6) , The Forum
17,505 , 59–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 72 , Tue, Mar 7, 1972 , Philadelphia , 97–114 , Gail Goodrich (25) , Wilt Chamberlain (18) , Jerry West (7) , The Forum
17,505 , 60–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 73 , Fri, Mar 10, 1972 , Cleveland , 98–132 , Gail Goodrich (30) , Wilt Chamberlain (18) , Jerry West (8) , The Forum
14,861 , 61–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 74 , Sun, Mar 12, 1972 , Buffalo , 102–141 , Hairston, McMillian (23) , Wilt Chamberlain (17) , Erickson, West (8) , The Forum
14,090 , 62–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 75 , Tue, Mar 14, 1972 , @ Detroit , 129–116 , Jim McMillian (30) , Wilt Chamberlain (14) , Jerry West (14) , Cobo Arena
5,982 , 63–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 76 , Wed, Mar 15, 1972 , @ Cincinnati , 121–116 , Jerry West (32) , Wilt Chamberlain (24) , Jerry West (16) , Cincinnati Gardens
5,516 , 64–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 77 , March 17, 1972 ,

W 123–107
, McMillian (27) , Chamberlain (24) ,

(10) , The Forum
17,505 , 65–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 78 , Sun, Mar 19, 1972 , Golden State , 99–162 , Gail Goodrich (30) , Happy Hairston (20) , Jerry West (13) , The Forum
17,505 , 66–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 79 , March 21, 1972 , @

W 109–104
, Goodrich (29) , Chamberlain (29) ,

(11) ,

17,729 , 67–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 80 , Wed, Mar 22, 1972 , @ Cleveland , 120–124 , Goodrich, West (31) , Wilt Chamberlain (19) , Jerry West (12) , Cleveland Arena
10,819 , 67–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 81 , Fri, Mar 24, 1972 , Phoenix , 110–112 , Gail Goodrich (36) , Wilt Chamberlain (19) , Jerry West (10) , The Forum
17,505 , 68–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 82 , Sun, Mar 26, 1972 , Seattle , 98–124 , Gail Goodrich (24) , Wilt Chamberlain (23) , Jerry West (11) , The Forum
17,505 , 69–13

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , March 28, 1972 ,

W 95–80
, Goodrich (32) , Chamberlain, Hairston (17) ,

(10) , The Forum
17,505 , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , March 30, 1972 ,

W 131–124
,

(37) , Chamberlain (21) ,

(11) , The Forum
17,505 , 2–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , April 2, 1972 , @

W 108–101
,

(31) , Chamberlain (14) ,

(9) ,

17,805 , 3–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , April 4, 1972 , @

W 108–97
, Goodrich (27) , Chamberlain (31) ,

(10) ,

18,847 , 4–0 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , April 9, 1972 ,

L 73–93
, Hairston (16) , Chamberlain (24) ,

(6) , The Forum
17,505 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , April 12, 1972 ,

W 135–134
, McMillian (42) , Chamberlain (17) ,

(13) , The Forum
17,505 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , April 14, 1972 , @

W 108–105
, Goodrich (30) , Chamberlain (14) ,

(8) , MECCA Arena
10,746 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 4 , April 16, 1972 , @

L 88–114
,

(24) , Chamberlain, Hairston (11) , Chamberlain,

(4) , MECCA Arena
10,746 , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , April 18, 1972 ,

W 115–90
, McMillian (25) , Chamberlain (26) ,

(10) , The Forum
17,505 , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , April 22, 1972 , @

W 104–100
,

(25) , Chamberlain (24) ,

(9) , MECCA Arena
10,746 , 4–2 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , April 26, 1972 , New York
L 92–114
, Goodrich (20) , Chamberlain (19) ,

(7) , The Forum
17,505 , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , April 30, 1972 , New York
W 106–92
, Goodrich (31) , Chamberlain (24) ,

(13) , The Forum
17,505 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , May 3, 1972 , @ New York
W 107–96
, Chamberlain (26) , Chamberlain, Hairston (20) ,

(8) ,

19,588 , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 4 , May 5, 1972 , @ New York
W 116–111 (OT)
,

(28) , Chamberlain (24) ,

(7) ,

19,588 , 3–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , May 7, 1972 , New York
W 114–100
, Goodrich (25) , Chamberlain (29) ,

(9) , The Forum
17,505 , 4–1 , -

Player statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

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 Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 – March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year pro playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball ...

because of his knee injury.

Jerry Lucas Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State University, and 1960 Olympic medal, gold medal Olympian and international player be ...

scored 26 points but was only one of several Knicks who was red hot.

Bill Bradley William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was a United States Senate, United States senator from New ...

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 David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional basketball player and coach, and professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago White Sox of MLB in 1962 and 1963 and in the NBA for the Detroit Pi ...

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,

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 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

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 The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of eleven medi ...

Award winners

Bill Sharman William Walton Sharman (May 25, 1926 – October 25, 2013) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s, partnering with Bob Cousy in what was then consider ...

NBA Coach of the Year The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who l ...

* Jerry West, All-NBA First Team *

, All-NBA Defensive First Team *

, All-NBA Defensive First Team * Wilt Chamberlain, NBA Leader, Shooting Percentage (.649)

References

External links

*
1971–72 Lakers on Basketball Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers Season

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Los Angeles Lakers seasons NBA championship seasons Western Conference (NBA) championship seasons Los Angle Los Angle