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What are the greatest NBA teams to fall just short?

By Rahul Raja

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a shot on Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on November 2, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a shot on Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on November 2, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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NBA Power Rankings Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Power Rankings Wilt Chamberlain /

Have a player win MVP: 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (69-13)

The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers were not only the best team in the league, they were one of the best teams of all time. They had the best record ever up until that point and their astonishing 69-13 performance would only be surpassed by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls and 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, making them the third-best regular-season team ever.

If ever there was a season where Jerry West could have won an MVP, this was it. He was averaging 25 points and 9 assists on a historically great team. His problem was that the Los Angeles Lakers were too balanced. His backcourt partner Gail Goodrich put up similar numbers in terms of scoring and Wilt Chamberlain averaged 15 points and 19 rebounds.

Chamberlain and West wound up splitting the vote-getting second and third place and a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award. He was no slouch either, he averaged a league-leading 34.8 points per game and led his Milwaukee Bucks to a 63-19 record which was the second-best. Also, he famously broke the Lakers’ 33-game winning streak with a 39-point, 20-rebound spectacle.

The Los Angeles Lakers stars didn’t really mind losing the MVP race because they finally got over the hump, winning their first championship in LA against the New York Knicks. Their core had fallen short to the Boston Celtics numerous times but finally sealed the deal.

Next. Why Giannis should be the 2021-22 MVP front-runner. dark

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