1969 NBA Finals - Aftermath

Aftermath

After Game 7 ended, the Celtic players happily sprinted off the floor to a locker-room celebration, but Bill Russell sought out the disconsolate Jerry West, embracing him and offering his admiration. West averaged 38 points during the series and had a triple double in Game 7 (42 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists). West was named Finals MVP, making him the only Finals MVP from the losing team. This was the first year of the award.

The Celtics' 1969 victory proved to be the end of a significant chapter in NBA history; Boston's long run of excellence was over. Russell's retirement as a player and a coach had been anticipated, and Sam Jones's farewell had been announced some time earlier. General manager "Red" Auerbach's leadership over the team's fortunes continued, and the former great forward Tom Heinsohn was selected as the new coach. The Celtics slowly adjusted to new times, and, with another group of star players (the stalwart John Havlicek remained), won the NBA title five years later.

The Lakers' Game 7 loss led to the departure of Butch Van Breda Kolff. Much public opinion sided against the coach, who was quickly branded as the man who banished his star center to the bench in the crucial final minutes of a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Elgin Baylor, the team captain, diplomatically stated that the coach had made his decision in the team's best interests, and, whatever the results, all had to live by it. West by all accounts was furious over Chamberlain's benching, claiming that all coaches are obligated to place their five best players on the floor in such a crucial situation. Chamberlain had no forgiveness in store for Van Breda Kolff, for whom he had harsh words in his 1974 autobiography. Above all, owner Cooke, whose goal was a Laker championship, was determined to find the coach who could bring it to pass. Providence College's Joe Mullaney was hired for the 1969-70 season.

But Mullaney wasn't able to bring the Lakers to a championship, losing to the New York Knicks the following year behind Willis Reed's inspiring Game 7 performance. After another playoff loss to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, Cooke hired former Celtic Bill Sharman as head coach before the 1971–72 season; eventually the Lakers won 69 games and a professional sports record 33 straight games, en route to defeating the Knicks in the 1972 NBA Finals, despite Baylor's retirement early in the season.