THESE DAYS, PLAYOFF EXPECTATIONS go hand-in-hand with Suns basketball. ... two months earlier, lost a coin flip to Milwaukee for the top pick in the 1969 NBA Draft.

When the 1969 NBA Finals reached its final stage after six intense battles, both rivals—the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics—faced a crucial "do or die" game.. Amid the pressure, Bill ...

Jerry West showcased his big game chops during the 1969 NBA Finals, becoming the first — and to date, only — player in league history to take home Finals MVP in a losing performance.

The trio of Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain was one that was nearly unstoppable once they all came together with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969. NEWSLETTERS Emailed Daily.

The Lakers' Jerry West finds himself closely pressed by Boston's Emmette Bryant in the 1969 NBA championship playoff in Los Angeles. Bob Pettit had the third-highest scoring total in a Game 7.

In the first year that the NBA Finals MVPaward was handed out, the trophy went to someone on the losing team. That player was Jerry West who averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists per ...