1962 NBA Finals

1962 NBA Finals. The 1962 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1961–62 NBA season, with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics facing off against the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics were led by Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and John Havlicek, while the Lakers were led by Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. The series was a rematch of the 1961 NBA Finals, which the Celtics had won 4-1, with the Celtics also having won the 1959 NBA Finals and the 1960 NBA Finals.

● Introduction

The 1962 NBA Finals was a best-of-seven series, with the Celtics having home-court advantage due to their better regular-season record, having finished with a 60-20 record, while the Lakers finished with a 54-26 record. The series was played from April 7 to April 18, 1962, with the Celtics playing their home games at the Boston Garden and the Lakers playing their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The Celtics were coached by Red Auerbach, while the Lakers were coached by Fred Schaus, who had previously coached the Minneapolis Lakers to an NBA championship in 1950. The series also featured other notable players, including K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, and Tom Heinsohn for the Celtics, and Rudy LaRusso and Frank Selvy for the Lakers.

● Background

The Celtics had dominated the NBA in the late 1950s and early 1960s, winning four NBA championships in five years, including the 1957 NBA Finals, the 1959 NBA Finals, the 1960 NBA Finals, and the 1961 NBA Finals. The Lakers, on the other hand, had not won an NBA championship since 1954, when they were still based in Minneapolis and were known as the Minneapolis Lakers. The Lakers had moved to Los Angeles in 1960 and were still trying to establish themselves as a dominant team in the NBA. The Celtics and Lakers had a long and storied rivalry, with the two teams having met in the NBA Finals several times, including the 1949 NBA Finals, the 1953 NBA Finals, and the 1959 NBA Finals. Other notable teams and players of the era included the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia Warriors, and players like Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.

● Series summary

The Celtics won the series 4-3, with the decisive Game 7 being played at the Boston Garden on April 18, 1962. The Celtics won the game 110-107, with Bill Russell scoring 30 points and grabbing 40 rebounds, while Elgin Baylor scored 41 points for the Lakers. The series was marked by several close games, with three of the seven games being decided by five points or less. The Celtics' victory was their fifth NBA championship in six years, and it cemented their status as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. The Lakers, on the other hand, were left to ponder what might have been, having come so close to winning their first NBA championship since 1954. Other notable NBA teams and players of the era included the St. Louis Hawks, the Cincinnati Royals, and players like Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan.

● Game summaries

Game 1 was played on April 7, 1962, at the Boston Garden, with the Celtics winning 122-108. Bill Russell scored 21 points and grabbed 23 rebounds, while Elgin Baylor scored 35 points for the Lakers. Game 2 was played on April 8, 1962, at the Boston Garden, with the Celtics winning 122-113. Bob Cousy scored 19 points and had 10 assists, while Jerry West scored 22 points for the Lakers. Game 3 was played on April 10, 1962, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, with the Lakers winning 117-115. Elgin Baylor scored 39 points, while Bill Russell scored 26 points and grabbed 27 rebounds for the Celtics. The series also featured games played at other notable NBA arenas, including the Madison Square Garden and the Kiel Auditorium.

● Legacy

The 1962 NBA Finals was a significant series in the history of the NBA, as it marked the beginning of a new era of competition between the Celtics and Lakers. The two teams would go on to meet in the NBA Finals several more times, including the 1963 NBA Finals, the 1965 NBA Finals, and the 1966 NBA Finals. The series also cemented the status of Bill Russell as one of the greatest players in NBA history, as he won his fifth NBA championship in six years. The Lakers, on the other hand, were left to rebuild and regroup, but they would eventually become a dominant team in the NBA in the 1970s and 1980s, with players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Other notable NBA players and teams of the era included the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, and players like Dave Bing and John Havlicek.

● Statistics

The 1962 NBA Finals was a high-scoring series, with the Celtics averaging 118.1 points per game and the Lakers averaging 115.4 points per game. Bill Russell was the dominant player of the series, averaging 22.9 points and 27.7 rebounds per game. Elgin Baylor was the leading scorer for the Lakers, averaging 38.6 points per game. The series also featured several other notable players, including Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Tom Heinsohn for the Celtics, and Jerry West, Rudy LaRusso, and Frank Selvy for the Lakers. The Celtics and Lakers would go on to play each other in the NBA Finals several more times, including the 1963 NBA Finals, the 1965 NBA Finals, and the 1966 NBA Finals, with the Celtics also facing off against other notable teams like the San Francisco Warriors and the Baltimore Bullets. Category:1962 in basketball