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Los Angeles Lakers: Biggest enemies of the 1970s

By Jamaal Artis

Mar 2, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; American broadcaster Bill Walton before the game between the Stanford Cardinals and the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; American broadcaster Bill Walton before the game between the Stanford Cardinals and the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers – Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers – Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Father Time

When the 1970’s started the Los Angeles Lakers were a team with a core “Big Three” of Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jerry West.  Though all three were future Hall of Famers, it was obvious that time and injuries were starting to catch up to the triumvirate.

Chamberlain missed almost all of the 1970 season due to a knee injury, Baylor had shredded his knees and the explosiveness and high flying part of his game was robbed from him, and West was hampered by a multitude of injuries including a severely pulled hamstring that may have led to the team’s loss in the 1969 NBA Finals.

Time was certainly on the mind of Lakers fans as they must have wondered if Baylor and West would ever win an NBA title.  Unfortunately for Elgin Baylor, he could not overcome age as he retired in 1972 after only 9 games having gone 0-8 in the NBA Finals.

That same season West and Chamberlain would finally bring and NBA title to Los Angeles as the Lakers capped off a record-setting season by beating the New York Knicks in five games to claim the title.  By the end of the 1974 season, both West and Chamberlain were gone and the Lakers would embark on a rebuilding period.

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