It may be hard to believe, but after the Los Angeles Lakers arrived in Southern California in 1960, they had a lot of trouble winning the NBA championship.
Over the next 10 seasons, they reached the championship series seven times, only to lose each time. On four of those occasions, they fell in Game 7, making their defeat feel all the more heartbreaking.
But in 1968, the Lakers traded for Wilt Chamberlain, and he helped them finally get over the hump. In 1972, he teamed with Jerry West to lead them to their first world championship since coming to town, as they defeated the New York Knicks in five games during the NBA Finals.
A jersey worn by Chamberlain during that fifth game at The Forum is going to be auctioned later this summer, and it is reportedly expected to fetch a truckload of money (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via Associated Press:
“Collectibles broker Sotheby’s expects Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals jersey to sell for more than $4 million in an upcoming auction,” the Associated Press wrote.
“Sotheby’s calls the jersey Chamberlain wore in the championship-clinching Game 5 victory over the New York Knicks the most valuable piece of his memorabilia ever to appear on the market. The current record sale for a Chamberlain sports memorabilia item is $1.79 million in June 2023. It was for a jersey worn his rookie season with the Philadelphia Warriors.”
Chamberlain, who died in 1999, scored 24 points and 29 rebounds in that Game 5, which helped earn him series MVP honors.
The 1971-72 season was effectively a catharsis for all the pent-up agony the Lakers and their fans had experienced over the past decade. Chamberlain and crew won a then-record 69 regular-season games, which included a 33-game winning streak, still a league record.
That season served as the foundation for all the dynastic success the franchise has achieved ever since.