On May 7th in sports history, one significant event took place in 1972 when the Los Angeles Lakers won their first NBA championship since moving to Los Angeles from Minneapolis. The Lakers, led by future Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich, defeated the New York Knicks 4-1 in the NBA Finals.
The deciding Game 5 was played at the Forum in Inglewood, California, in front of a packed house of 17,505 fans. The Lakers had a commanding lead throughout the game, with Chamberlain dominating the paint and West showcasing his scoring prowess. Chamberlain, who had famously scored 100 points in a single game a decade earlier, recorded 24 points and 29 rebounds in the championship-clinching win.
The victory was particularly sweet for Jerry West, who had endured years of heartbreak in the NBA Finals. West, known as "Mr. Clutch," had lost in the Finals six times before, including three game seven losses. His performance in the 1972 Finals, averaging 19.8 points per game, helped cement his legacy as one of the greatest players in NBA history.
The championship was the first for the Lakers since moving to Los Angeles in 1960. The franchise had won five titles during their time in Minneapolis but had struggled to reach the same heights in Los Angeles. The 1972 championship marked the beginning of a new era of success for the Lakers, who would go on to become one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, winning a total of 12 championships in Los Angeles.
