1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers season
During the 1971–72 season the Los Angeles Lakers won their first National Basketball Association (NBA) title since moving to Los Angeles. The Lakers defeated the New York Knicks in five games to win the title, after going 69–13 during the regular-season, a record that stood for 24 seasons until the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls went 72–10. During the regular season, they would also go on an NBA record 33-game winning streak. The team went on to win 81 regular season and playoff games overall, a record that would stand alone for 14 years until the Boston Celtics matched it in 1986. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball teams of all time, the 1971–72 Lakers were named as one of the Top 10 Teams in NBA History in 1996.
| 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
|---|---|
NBA champions | |
Conference champions | |
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Bill Sharman |
| Owners | Jack Kent Cooke |
| Arena | The Forum |
| Results | |
| Record | 69–13 (.841) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Knicks 4–1) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KTLA |
| Radio | KABC |
The Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls in 4 games in the Western Conference Semifinals. The team then defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in a 6-game Western Conference Finals. The Lakers then got to the NBA Finals once again for the 14th time in league history. They faced the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 1970 NBA Finals. The Knicks were defeated in 5 games, the Lakers claimed their sixth title in team history and the first since 1954. Wilt Chamberlain won Finals MVP.