The 1968-69 Los Angeles Lakers season marked a pivotal year for the franchise, highlighted by the arrival of Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain’s acquisition aimed to bolster a roster already featuring stars like Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Under head coach Bill van Breda Kolff, the Lakers finished the regular season with a 55-27 record, securing the top spot in the Western Division.
Throughout the regular season, Chamberlain’s presence was a game-changer. He averaged 20.5 points and 21.1 rebounds per game, complementing West’s 25.9 points and Baylor’s 24.8 points per game. This formidable trio powered the Lakers’ offense, making them a dominant force in the league.
In the playoffs, the Lakers faced the San Francisco Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks, defeating both to advance to the NBA Finals. The Finals pitted them against the Boston Celtics, a familiar rival. Despite home-court advantage, the series proved challenging. The Lakers and Celtics battled fiercely, with the series extending to a decisive Game 7.
In Game 7, played at the Forum, the Lakers fell short, losing 108-106 to the Celtics. This defeat marked the Lakers’ sixth consecutive loss to Boston in the Finals. Despite the disappointment, the season was notable for the integration of Chamberlain, setting the stage for future success. The 1968-69 season remains a critical chapter in Lakers history, illustrating both potential and the challenges of uniting superstar talents.
- Regular Season Record: 55-27
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 4-2, Division Finals: 4-1, NBA Finals: 3-4
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1968-69 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Jerry West | 61 | 25.9 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18 | 30.9 | 3.9 | 7.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Elgin Baylor | 76 | 24.8 | 10.1 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18 | 15.4 | 9.4 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 81 | 20.5 | 21.1 | 4.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18 | 13.9 | 24.7 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mel Counts | 77 | 12.4 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18 | 11.2 | 7.9 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Johnny Egan | 82 | 8.5 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18 | 13.9 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Keith Erickson | 77 | 8.4 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18 | 7.1 | 4.8 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bill Hewitt | 75 | 7.2 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 15 | 9.3 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Hawkins | 74 | 7.1 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Freddie Crawford | 81 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Cliff Anderson | 35 | 3.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jay Carty | 28 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. San Francisco Warriors
In the 1969 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the San Francisco Warriors in the Western Division Finals, which served as the second round. The Lakers, led by superstar Jerry West, showcased their strength by defeating the Warriors in six games to advance to the NBA Finals. West's exceptional performance and the team's depth were crucial as the Lakers sought to capitalize on their momentum from the series.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 1969 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 99-94 | |
| Mar 28, 1969 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 107-101 | |
| Mar 31, 1969 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 115-98 | |
| Apr 02, 1969 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 103-88 | |
| Apr 04, 1969 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 103-98 | |
| Apr 05, 1969 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 118-78 |
1969 Conference Championship vs. Atlanta Hawks
In the 1969 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers reached the conference finals, showcasing their formidable roster led by Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. They faced off against the Atlanta Hawks and emerged victorious, securing their place in the NBA Finals. Despite their eventual heartbreaking loss to the Boston Celtics in a thrilling seven-game series, this playoff run solidified the Lakers' status as a powerhouse team of the era.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1969 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 95-93 | |
| Apr 13, 1969 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 104-102 | |
| Apr 15, 1969 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 99-86 | |
| Apr 17, 1969 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 100-85 | |
| Apr 20, 1969 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 104-96 |
1969 NBA Finals vs. Boston Celtics
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 1969 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 120-118 | |
| Apr 25, 1969 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 118-112 | |
| Apr 27, 1969 | @ Boston Celtics | L 111-105 | |
| Apr 29, 1969 | @ Boston Celtics | L 89-88 | |
| May 01, 1969 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 117-104 | |
| May 03, 1969 | @ Boston Celtics | L 99-90 | |
| May 05, 1969 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 108-106 |
Los Angeles Lakers 1968-69 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1968-69 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1968 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 114-96 | |
| Oct 19, 1968 | @ New York Knicks | W 118-96 | |
| Oct 22, 1968 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 107-103 | |
| Oct 23, 1968 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 117-110 | |
| Oct 25, 1968 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 117-111 | |
| Oct 27, 1968 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 152-116 | |
| Oct 29, 1968 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 125-124 | |
| Nov 01, 1968 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 114-101 | |
| Nov 03, 1968 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 127-109 | |
| Nov 05, 1968 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 112-109 | |
| Nov 06, 1968 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 128-115 | |
| Nov 08, 1968 | vs. New York Knicks | W 102-100 | |
| Nov 10, 1968 | vs. New York Knicks | W 130-109 | |
| Nov 15, 1968 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 127-119 | |
| Nov 16, 1968 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 119-112 | |
| Nov 17, 1968 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 105-94 | |
| Nov 19, 1968 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 116-106 | |
| Nov 22, 1968 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 100-98 | |
| Nov 24, 1968 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 103-100 | |
| Nov 26, 1968 | @ New York Knicks | L 104-100 | |
| Nov 28, 1968 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 122-107 | |
| Nov 29, 1968 | @ Boston Celtics | W 93-92 | |
| Dec 01, 1968 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 119-112 | |
| Dec 03, 1968 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 122-108 | |
| Dec 05, 1968 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 108-90 | |
| Dec 06, 1968 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 99-94 | |
| Dec 07, 1968 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 90-81 | |
| Dec 08, 1968 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 132-118 | |
| Dec 13, 1968 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 105-103 | |
| Dec 14, 1968 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 136-120 | |
| Dec 15, 1968 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 115-114 | |
| Dec 17, 1968 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 112-108 | |
| Dec 20, 1968 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 133-101 | |
| Dec 22, 1968 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 102-99 | |
| Dec 25, 1968 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 119-99 | |
| Dec 26, 1968 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 95-94 | |
| Dec 28, 1968 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 93-86 | |
| Dec 29, 1968 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 111-108 | |
| Dec 30, 1968 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 131-126 | |
| Dec 31, 1968 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 127-107 | |
| Jan 03, 1969 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 130-101 | |
| Jan 04, 1969 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 121-111 | |
| Jan 07, 1969 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 100-93 | |
| Jan 10, 1969 | @ Boston Celtics | L 88-82 | |
| Jan 11, 1969 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 104-100 | |
| Jan 17, 1969 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 128-107 | |
| Jan 19, 1969 | vs. Cincinnati Royals | W 132-117 | |
| Jan 21, 1969 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 122-105 | |
| Jan 22, 1969 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 116-115 | |
| Jan 24, 1969 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 110-106 | |
| Jan 26, 1969 | @ Cincinnati Royals | W 126-113 | |
| Jan 28, 1969 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 125-118 | |
| Jan 29, 1969 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 122-120 | |
| Jan 31, 1969 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 105-104 | |
| Feb 01, 1969 | @ San Francisco Warriors | W 106-101 | |
| Feb 02, 1969 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | L 122-117 | |
| Feb 03, 1969 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 114-107 | |
| Feb 07, 1969 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 109-106 | |
| Feb 08, 1969 | @ Phoenix Suns | W 122-104 | |
| Feb 09, 1969 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 134-116 | |
| Feb 12, 1969 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 109-92 | |
| Feb 14, 1969 | vs. San Diego Rockets | W 115-109 | |
| Feb 16, 1969 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 106-97 | |
| Feb 18, 1969 | @ New York Knicks | W 113-109 | |
| Feb 19, 1969 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 110-88 | |
| Feb 21, 1969 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 124-102 | |
| Feb 23, 1969 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 125-121 | |
| Feb 25, 1969 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 114-111 | |
| Feb 28, 1969 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 121-117 | |
| Mar 01, 1969 | @ San Diego Rockets | W 119-113 | |
| Mar 02, 1969 | vs. San Francisco Warriors | W 107-92 | |
| Mar 04, 1969 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 116-108 | |
| Mar 07, 1969 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 105-99 | |
| Mar 09, 1969 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | W 120-109 | |
| Mar 11, 1969 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 137-101 | |
| Mar 12, 1969 | @ San Francisco Warriors | L 97-85 | |
| Mar 14, 1969 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 111-103 | |
| Mar 16, 1969 | @ Boston Celtics | W 108-73 | |
| Mar 18, 1969 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 93-92 | |
| Mar 19, 1969 | @ Cincinnati Royals | L 136-128 | |
| Mar 21, 1969 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 116-103 | |
| Mar 23, 1969 | vs. New York Knicks | W 128-111 |