The 1965-66 Los Angeles Lakers season was marked by notable performances and significant strides in the NBA. Coached by Fred Schaus, the Lakers finished the regular season with a 45-35 record, securing second place in the Western Division. This was a substantial improvement from the previous season, showcasing the team’s development and resilience.
Jerry West was the standout player, leading the team with an average of 31.3 points per game. His performance was pivotal in driving the Lakers’ offense. The team also benefited from the contributions of Elgin Baylor, who played a crucial role despite facing injuries during the season, and Gail Goodrich, who provided additional scoring support.
The Lakers’ efforts culminated in a successful playoff run. They advanced past the St. Louis Hawks in the Western Division Semifinals, winning the series 3-2. However, their journey ended in the Western Division Finals, where they faced the San Francisco Warriors. The Lakers defeated the Warriors in a close-fought series, 4-3, earning a spot in the NBA Finals.
In the NBA Finals, the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics, a familiar and formidable rival. Despite a valiant effort, the Lakers were defeated 4-3 in the series. The season, nevertheless, was a testament to the Lakers’ competitive spirit and laid the groundwork for future successes in the league.
- Regular Season Record: 45-35
- Playoff Result: Division Finals: 4-3, NBA Finals: 3-4
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1965-66 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Jerry West | 79 | 31.3 | 7.0 | 6.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 34.2 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Elgin Baylor | 65 | 16.6 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 26.8 | 14.1 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Rudy LaRusso | 76 | 15.4 | 8.3 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 11.9 | 7.1 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Walt Hazzard | 80 | 13.7 | 2.6 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 11.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Boozer | 77 | 12.4 | 6.9 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10 | 6.7 | 5.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Leroy Ellis | 80 | 12.1 | 8.8 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gail Goodrich | 65 | 7.8 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11 | 10.5 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim King | 76 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 13 | 6.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Darrall Imhoff | 77 | 4.9 | 6.3 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 2.9 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Gene Wiley | 67 | 4.3 | 7.2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| John Fairchild | 30 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Tom Hoover | 2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Los Angeles Lakers in the 1966 NBA Playoffs
1966 Conference Championship vs. St. Louis Hawks
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 01, 1966 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 129-106 | |
| Apr 03, 1966 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 125-116 | |
| Apr 06, 1966 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 120-113 | |
| Apr 09, 1966 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 107-95 | |
| Apr 10, 1966 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 112-100 | |
| Apr 13, 1966 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 131-127 | |
| Apr 15, 1966 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 130-121 |
1966 NBA Finals vs. Boston Celtics
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 1966 | @ Boston Celtics | W 133-129 | |
| Apr 19, 1966 | @ Boston Celtics | L 129-109 | |
| Apr 20, 1966 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 120-106 | |
| Apr 22, 1966 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 122-117 | |
| Apr 24, 1966 | @ Boston Celtics | W 121-117 | |
| Apr 26, 1966 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 123-115 | |
| Apr 28, 1966 | @ Boston Celtics | L 95-93 |
Los Angeles Lakers 1965-66 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1965-66 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 1965 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 122-115 | |
| Oct 16, 1965 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 106-94 | |
| Oct 20, 1965 | @ Boston Celtics | L 100-96 | |
| Oct 23, 1965 | @ New York Knicks | L 106-101 | |
| Oct 26, 1965 | vs. New York Knicks | W 104-102 | |
| Oct 28, 1965 | vs. New York Knicks | W 140-116 | |
| Oct 30, 1965 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 124-122 | |
| Nov 03, 1965 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 120-116 | |
| Nov 05, 1965 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 118-116 | |
| Nov 06, 1965 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 131-101 | |
| Nov 07, 1965 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 137-116 | |
| Nov 09, 1965 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 118-110 | |
| Nov 10, 1965 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 133-125 | |
| Nov 12, 1965 | vs. New York Knicks | W 107-106 | |
| Nov 14, 1965 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 129-114 | |
| Nov 17, 1965 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 125-115 | |
| Nov 19, 1965 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 135-124 | |
| Nov 20, 1965 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 133-117 | |
| Nov 21, 1965 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 110-104 | |
| Nov 24, 1965 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 127-124 | |
| Nov 26, 1965 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 110-107 | |
| Nov 27, 1965 | @ Boston Celtics | L 101-95 | |
| Nov 28, 1965 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 128-110 | |
| Nov 30, 1965 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 126-120 | |
| Dec 01, 1965 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 121-105 | |
| Dec 03, 1965 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | L 122-118 | |
| Dec 06, 1965 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 116-107 | |
| Dec 07, 1965 | @ New York Knicks | L 131-127 | |
| Dec 08, 1965 | @ Boston Celtics | L 108-106 | |
| Dec 10, 1965 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 129-110 | |
| Dec 11, 1965 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 126-108 | |
| Dec 12, 1965 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 123-101 | |
| Dec 15, 1965 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 122-108 | |
| Dec 17, 1965 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 127-117 | |
| Dec 19, 1965 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 132-120 | |
| Dec 23, 1965 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 122-112 | |
| Dec 25, 1965 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 115-106 | |
| Dec 27, 1965 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 108-100 | |
| Dec 28, 1965 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 107-100 | |
| Dec 29, 1965 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 111-109 | |
| Dec 30, 1965 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 117-114 | |
| Jan 02, 1966 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 124-113 | |
| Jan 05, 1966 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 120-113 | |
| Jan 07, 1966 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 126-120 | |
| Jan 08, 1966 | @ New York Knicks | L 133-127 | |
| Jan 09, 1966 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 111-98 | |
| Jan 12, 1966 | @ Boston Celtics | L 114-102 | |
| Jan 14, 1966 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 118-110 | |
| Jan 15, 1966 | vs. New York Knicks | W 152-123 | |
| Jan 18, 1966 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 119-108 | |
| Jan 20, 1966 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 123-121 | |
| Jan 21, 1966 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 120-109 | |
| Jan 25, 1966 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 110-106 | |
| Jan 26, 1966 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 126-110 | |
| Jan 28, 1966 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 138-123 | |
| Jan 30, 1966 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 136-122 | |
| Feb 02, 1966 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 119-118 | |
| Feb 04, 1966 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 132-125 | |
| Feb 06, 1966 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 109-105 | |
| Feb 07, 1966 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 132-125 | |
| Feb 09, 1966 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 123-116 | |
| Feb 12, 1966 | @ New York Knicks | L 140-127 | |
| Feb 13, 1966 | @ Boston Celtics | W 120-110 | |
| Feb 15, 1966 | vs. New York Knicks | W 132-124 | |
| Feb 17, 1966 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 136-121 | |
| Feb 19, 1966 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 115-111 | |
| Feb 21, 1966 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 115-108 | |
| Feb 23, 1966 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 140-133 | |
| Feb 26, 1966 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 131-118 | |
| Mar 02, 1966 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 119-113 | |
| Mar 04, 1966 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 123-106 | |
| Mar 05, 1966 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 125-123 | |
| Mar 06, 1966 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 126-105 | |
| Mar 08, 1966 | @ New York Knicks | L 133-132 | |
| Mar 09, 1966 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 119-116 | |
| Mar 11, 1966 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 116-114 | |
| Mar 15, 1966 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 135-108 | |
| Mar 18, 1966 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 132-120 | |
| Mar 19, 1966 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 125-119 | |
| Mar 20, 1966 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 124-112 |
