West Wins Finals MVP Despite the Lakers Losing
Last year, Giannis Antetokounmpo had one of the best NBA Finals games in history when he posted 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks, as well as shooting 17/19 from the free-throw line. Giannis was the biggest reason that the Bucks were able to close out the Phoenix Suns and win Milwaukee’s first NBA championship since 1971 and he was rightfully named Finals MVP. The year prior, it was LeBron James who was named finals MVP for the winning Los Angeles Lakers. The year before that it was Kawhi Leonard, for the winning Toronto Raptors. Every season for the last 52 years, the NBA Finals MVP has been awarded to a player from the winning team. Only once has a player from the losing team won the award… and that player is Jerry West.
Jerry “The Logo” West and the stacked Los Angeles Lakers team faced off with a legendary Boston Celtics team in the 1969 NBA Finals. The series showcased iconic NBA legends such as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Elgin Baylor, and Sam Jones, but it was West who shined brightest in the finals. Jerry West averaged an astonishing 37.9 points and 7.4 assists in the finals and also had arguably the best NBA Finals game ever in the Lakers 120-118 Game 1 win.
53 Points and 10 Assists (73 Points Accounted For) on 21/41 Shooting
NBA fans around the world often bring up memorable finals’ performances like Elgin Baylor’s 61 points and 22 rebounds, or Michael Jordan’s 55/8/4 line on 56.8% shooting. Either of these could be considered the best NBA finals performance in history, however one game that does not get enough credit is Jerry West’s 1969 Game 1 outburst. This is where West still stands as one of just seven players who have scored 50+ points in a finals game.
Jerry West dropped 53 points on 51.2% shooting and added 10 assists, which accounted for 73 total points, the most in NBA Finals history. While Baylor, Jordan, and even Rick Barry all scored more points, no one was able to replicate both the scoring and passing that Jerry brought on April 23rd, 1969. West had as many points as Bill Russell (16) and John Havlicek (37) combined and as many assists as John Havlicek (4) and Sam Jones (6) combined. For the Lakers, Elgin Baylor added 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists while Wilt Chamberlain recorded a 15-point, 23-rebound double-double and hit the clutch basket with 23 seconds left in the game.
Jerry West remains the leader for most total points scored in NBA Finals games (1,679) and at 30.5 PPG in NBA Finals games, Jerry West trails only the 33.6 PPG of Michael Jordan. Additionally, West may forever hold his place as the one and only NBA player to win the Finals MVP Award, despite his team not winning the title. The 1969 Finals could be one of the biggest reasons that West’s silhouette became the famous NBA logo when it was designed later that year.