JERRY WEST ON WHETHER THE SHOWTIME LAKERS' 5 TITLES WAS A GREATER FEAT THAN THE CELTICS' CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 60S: "I COULD NOT SAY"
The 1960s Boston Celtics were the most dominant NBA dynasty ever. They won 9 championships during that decade. But because that decade began with the league having just 8 teams and ending with a 14-team NBA, critics put a dent in this incredible run by saying they did not have the competition that current NBA champions face.
However, Lakers legend Jerry West refused to diminish the Celtics' legacy by putting his brainchild, Showtime Lakers, ahead of the 1960s Boston Dynasty team.
"I don't know that. I could not say," said West when asked in an interview with Roy Firestone if the Lakers' 5 titles during the 80s decade was a greater accomplishment than the Celtics' banners during the 60s. "It's hard to say because everything changes so much over the course of time. Those Boston Celtics teams were incredible teams and I was on the recipient of numerous of those beatings that were administered."
Celtics' titles came at the expense of West's Lakers
Led by the great Bill Russell, Boston won nine out of the ten championships during the decade, including seven straight from 1960-1966. During that span, the Celtics hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy six times at the expense of the Lakers.
The Logo played for the Lakers from 1960-1974. And yes, he was on those six Purple and Gold teams that lost in the NBA Finals to the Celtics, including 1969, when he became the only player to win the Finals MVP award while playing for the losing team.
That year, the Lakers were favored to win the championship because they had Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and West. Meanwhile, the Celtics were an aging dynasty and finished just fourth in the East. But somehow, they delivered one last hurrah of greatness and pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever.
It's hard to compare eras
According to West, a lot has changed since the NBA era he played for. At that time, basketball wasn't that big of a sport. But after Magic, Bird, and Jordan arrived, basketball has grown so much. The growth isn't just in games, talent, and competition but also in public acceptability.
"The sports has changed so much and grown so much," added West. "And I think it's particularly grown in the perception it has with the public. The public has now accepted this sport. When I played, sometimes we'd go out and we'd have 3 or 4 thousand people watch us play. That doesn't happen in the NBA anymore. I mean it is an exciting, viable sport that so so much more write about it. And I think that when you have history and nostalgia involved, people are going to say it has to be more difficult today than it was then."
Sometimes, it's easy for people to belittle accomplishments or players by comparing eras. However, for The Logo, the difference is just perception. And it's hard to argue with someone who was there firsthand when the 1960s Celtics dominated the league. It's even harder to argue when he is the architect of the team you are comparing them to.
2024-04-25T01:56:13Z dg43tfdfdgfd