Losing in the NBA Finals is something that’s hard to swallow and the Los Angeles Lakers are no stranger when it comes to misfortunes in the championship round. Jerry West can vouch for every player on the losing side of the coin when it comes to feeling like dirt after you’ve lost. But there was a player that did win the Finals MVP after losing in the Finals, who was he?

A. Magic Johnson
B. Dr. J
C. Charles Barkley
D. Jerry West
E. Norm Nixon

The answer is D. Jerry West is the logo of the NBA but as a player, he only won one championship. However, in 1969 he won the Finals MVP after losing again to the Boston Celtics. Jerry West won a title in 1972 but Wilt Chamberlain was the Finals MVP that year.

The Lakers were at the mercy of the Boston Celtics during the 1960s as they lost 6-times to the league’s most storied franchise. In 1962 Elgin Baylor scored a Finals record with 61 points but they still lost the series in seven games.
The Lakers-Celtic Rivalry didn’t always play itself out on the floor, outside the key, or in a championship series, it would happen during the regular season also. During the 1984 finals, the Lakers’ Kurt Rambis was clotheslined by Boston’s Kevin McHale which turned out to be the turning point of the series as L.A. got rattled, lost their composure and lost the series.

- The Wanna-be Sports Guy

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Tags | Charles Barkley, Dr. J, Jerry West, lakers, Loosing MVP, magic johnson, MVP, NBA Finals, trivia