Hoops Habit
Fansided

25 Greatest Performances In NBA Finals History

By Bill Speros

PHILADELPHIA, PA - May 16: Earvin Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with team owner Jerry Buss after they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA finals 4 games to 2 on May 16, 1980 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Johnson played for the Lakers from 1979 - 91, 96. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - May 16: Earvin Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with team owner Jerry Buss after they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980 NBA finals 4 games to 2 on May 16, 1980 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Johnson played for the Lakers from 1979 - 91, 96. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 26
Next
UNITED STATES - APRIL 29: Basketball: finals, Los Angeles Lakers Jerry West in action, taking shot vs Boston Celtics, Boston, MA 4/29/1969 (Photo by Eric Schweikardt/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X14033 TK2 R3 F17)
UNITED STATES – APRIL 29: Basketball: finals, Los Angeles Lakers Jerry West in action, taking shot vs Boston Celtics, Boston, MA 4/29/1969 (Photo by Eric Schweikardt/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X14033 TK2 R3 F17) /

23. Jerry West, Los Angeles vs. Boston, Game 7 (1969)

Just because the Lakers took eight tries to beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals, finally beating Boston in 1985, that didn’t mean that the purple and gold did not produce spectacular individual game efforts.

Jerry “The Logo” West made his sixth trip to the NBA Finals in 1969. Boston had won the previous five. Trip The Lakers took a 3-2 series but lost Game 6 in the Boston Garden.

Before Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke was ready to celebrate and loaded the roof of the Forum with thousands of balloons set to drop once West and his teammates won their inevitable title. It would not happen.

West had a triple-double with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in Game 7. Yet it was still not enough for these Lakers, especially in Bill Russell’s final game as a player. Boston won the game 108-106 and another title.

For his efforts, West became the first and only player from a losing team to be named Finals MVP award.

Cold comfort to a player who found himself on the wrong side of history during his greatest days as a player.

Next: Overtime Thrills