What is Lakers legend Jerry West's Finals record?

Jerry West stands out as one of the most prominent figures in NBA history. His unmistakable silhouette, which now represents the NBA's logo, underscores his undeniable and lasting impact on the sport.

While Jerry West's individual accomplishments were remarkable, it was his impact on the Los Angeles Lakers' success that truly defined his legacy. He led the team to the NBA Finals an astounding nine times during his career, an achievement that few players have matched.

However, he also holds the record for the most NBA Finals series losses in the league's history, having emerged victorious in only one out of nine attempts. Most of these losses were inflicted by the Lakers' archrival franchise Boston Celtics.

In 1962, his rookie season, Jerry West led the Los Angeles Lakers to the Finals, where they fell short to the Boston Celtics in a hard-fought seven-game series. In the 1963 NBA Finals, West's Lakers once again faced the Celtics and came up short in six games.

In 1965, the Lakers faced the Celtics again in the Finals but couldn't secure the championship, losing in five games. The 1966 NBA Finals saw the Lakers facing the Celtics once more, resulting in another seven-game series loss.

In 1967, the Lakers made it to the Finals for the fifth consecutive year but suffered yet another loss to the Celtics, this time in five games. They again reached the 1968 NBA Finals but fell to the Celtics in six games.

In 1969, despite delivering an exceptional individual performance that led to him being named the NBA Finals MVP, the Lakers suffered a defeat to the Celtics in a grueling seven-game series. To this day, West stands as the sole player in NBA history to have secured the Finals MVP title while playing for the team that did not win the championship.

The 1970 NBA Finals ended with West and the Lakers falling short once again, this time to the New York Knicks in seven games.

Finally, in 1972, Jerry West secured his first and only NBA championship as the Lakers defeated the New York Knicks in five games.

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Jerry West does not have the most lost games in the NBA Finals

Despite having a 1-9 record, West does not have the record for the most lost games in NBA Finals history.

The record is actually held by another Lakers legend — LeBron James — who has suffered 33 losses in NBA Finals games. West lost 29 games. James boasts an impressive 10 NBA Finals appearances in his career, managing to win the championship four times.

Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell boasts the most NBA Finals appearances by any player — 12. Russell secured 11 NBA championships, a record that still stands as the highest in the league's history.