Bill Russell winning 11 championships with his Boston Celtics might have indicated it was easier back in the day but ask Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, and they will say otherwise.
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Over the years people have heavily criticized LeBron James for losing six out of ten NBA Finals he has been in, more than praising him for winning four Championships against some of the best teams in the history of the game.
But that is us. People thrive on negativity much easier than anything else. We, as human beings, find it easier to critique someone than praise them when all our lives most of us are hungry for compliments and appreciation more than anything else.
If you look at how many times The Logo, Jerry West and his compadre Elgin Baylor missed out on their opportunity to win it all, falling just a step short, you’ll know how tough it is to compete for the biggest trophy in the biggest basketball stage of the world.
Elgin Baylor lost 7/7 NBA Finals in his career, Jerry West was able to win his first after Baylor retired
The no.1 draft pick of the 1958 class, Baylor retired from the NBA back in 1972 after playing 14 seasons in the league and establishing himself as one of the game’s greatest. He was a gifted shooter, a strong rebounder, and an accomplished passer, who was famous for his trademark hanging jump shot.
The 6’5 forward averaged well over 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists and made it to 11 All-Star and 11 All-NBA First teams. Granted he played most of his career against Bill Russell’s unbelievably dominant Celtics, but he was not the only superstar in his Lakers team.
The Purple and Gold also had Jerry West at the point guard position who is also one of the greatest players of the game and has been part of NBA’s 35th, 50th, and 75th-anniversary teams alongside Baylor.
But it was not until Elgin retired when the Lakers and West won their first NBA title having failed to do so 7 times after reaching the Finals. Credits to a Redditor for getting our attention to it.
