Basketball Statistics Blog

Friday Press Clippings:
The NBA in the 1970's: Mr. Clutch Finally Gets A Championship Ring

From 20 Second Timeout
By David Friedman
Download source here: ' The NBA in the 1970's: Mr. Clutch Finally Gets A Championship Ring ' by David Friedman

"... The 1971-1972 NBA season saw numerous changes. The San Diego Rockets moved to Houston and the San Francisco Warriors became known as the Golden State Warriors. Lew Alcindor publicly adopted his Muslim name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In March, Charlie Scott clinched the ABA scoring title, claimed a breach of contract by the Virginia Squires and jumped to the NBA. The Celtics owned his NBA draft rights, but allowed the Phoenix Suns to sign him in exchange for future considerations. ..."

"... The Lakers finished the season with a best ever 69-13 record (since broken by the 1995-1996 Bulls and tied by the 1996-1997 Bulls), winning the Pacific Division by 18 games.

Gail Goodrich led the team in scoring (25.9 points per game), with Jerry West just behind him (25.8 points per game). McMillian chipped in with 18.8 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Wilt Chamberlain averaged 14.8 points per game while leading the league in field goal percentage (64.9 percent) and rebounding (19.2 rebounds per game). Abdul-Jabbar repeated as scoring champion (34.8 points per game) and MVP, again leading Milwaukee (63-19) to the Midwest Division title. ..."

"... The Knicks trounced the Lakers 114-92 in Los Angeles in game one of the Finals, but the Lakers won the next four games to claim the title. West, known as "Mr. Clutch" for his many game winning shots over the years, finally had his first championship ring.

Ironically, he was hampered by injuries throughout the 1972 playoffs and he shot only 37.6 percent from the field, by far his worst postseason performance ever. ... "

"... Chamberlain was without question the hero of the Lakers' playoff run. He played the fifth game of the Finals with a hairline fracture in his right hand and a sprained left hand. He came up with a huge performance in that game with 24 points and 29 rebounds, winning the Finals MVP.

Interestingly, he did not receive the lasting acclaim for playing hurt that Reed did after his performance two years earlier, even though Chamberlain posted much better numbers than Reed did. ..."

"... Looking back on the 1972 season, one writer commented, "Wilt was the biggest thing in basketball last season, and not just because of his physical size. Though he gives away a few inches to Jabbar, he remains the most awesome specimen in the sport." ..."

Read more articles in 20 Second Timeout.

To read today's 'Press Clippings' in Spanish, click this week above on the 'Español' tab or afterwards click here: ' La táctica del conejo ' by El Pirata .

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