In 1969, Jerry West turned the primary and solely participant to lose the Finals and be named Finals MVP as his Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Boston Celtics in seven video games.
On Sunday, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder gained their first NBA title since they had been often known as the Seattle Supersonics, and to no shock, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named Finals MVP.
For essentially the most half, followers know who wins the Finals MVP earlier than it’s introduced. Andre Iguodala in 2015 and Tony Parker in 2007 are latest exceptions, however the winner is usually predictable, with SGA being the betting favourite to win the award earlier than the playoffs even began.
On Might 5, 1969, 56 years in the past, Jerry West shocked the world, being the primary and solely participant to win Finals MVP regardless of enjoying for the shedding crew.
Within the 1969 Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, the Lakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead and led by 3-2, however had been unable to complete the job.
West completed with 37.9 factors and seven.4 assists, each essentially the most within the sequence, though the Celtics, led by John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and Invoice Russell, proved an excessive amount of for the Lakers’ supporting solid of Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
The 1969 Finals had been the primary time a Finals MVP was given out, and, shockingly, it went to the shedding participant. Because the Celtics celebrated their second title in a row and eleventh total, West was given the Finals MVP Award, which might later be named in honor of Russell, who has extra rings (11) than anybody in league historical past.
West would finish his profession going 1-8 within the Finals, though his 30.5 factors per sport is the third-most in Finals historical past, behind solely Rick Barry and Michael Jordan.
His 37.9 factors per sport within the 1969 showdown is the fifth-most of all time, though he wasn’t blissful to win Finals MVP.
Jerry West had been in an identical state of affairs earlier than. In 1959, the West Virginia Mountaineers misplaced to the College of California within the NCAA championship. West scored 28 factors in that sport and was named the Event’s Most Excellent Participant.
By the point he gained Finals MVP in 1969, he had two such awards however no title to indicate for it.
West would lastly topple the Celtics, successful the 1972 NBA Finals, though Chamberlain could be named MVP. Almost 50 years after the actual fact, West continues to be bitter about his awards.
“I’ve two doubtful honors that I’d not advocate to anybody,” West stated in a 2015 interview.
“I used to be the Most Beneficial Participant within the [NCAA] Finals the place we acquired beat by one level by California, and I used to be the Most Beneficial Participant in a seven-game loss to the Celtics. I have no idea of some other participant who has that ‘honor,’ and these weren’t ‘honors.’”
Earlier than Jordan and Kobe Bryant, West was often known as one of many league’s best opponents, though his single ring, regardless of coming so shut on a number of events, nonetheless stings.
