You Won't Believe What REALLY Happened in the 1972 WCF Bucks vs Lakers Game 6

   • 1972 WCF Bucks DOMINATE Lakers in Game 4   The 1972 Western Conference Finals saw one of the greatest performances of the legendary career of Wilt Chamberlain, and it was also his most dominant display against the young buck Kareem. Chamberlain and Bill Russell were the dominant big men in the NBA during the 60s. But in 1969, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entered the picture. He led the Bucks to the 1971 NBA championship while winning both NBA MVP and Finals MVP awards. On the way to the title, the Bucks defeated Wilt and the Lakers in the Conference finals. Going back to 1972, the Lakers and Bucks were the No.1 team in their respective divisions, so it wasn't a surprise when they ended up playing each other in the West Finals. But while Kareem won in 1971, the Lakers got their revenge in 1972, thanks mainly to Chamberlain. The NBA did not record blocks until the 1973-74 season, but in that six-game series against Milwaukee, Chamberlain unofficially blocked Abdul-Jabbar 17 times, including 5 times during a 12-minute span in Game 3, where he held Kareem scoreless. There is even video footage on the internet showing The Big Dipper blocking Jabbar’s skyhook twice on the same possession. The Bucks, of course, went on to win the 1971 title, a triumph now celebrating its 50th anniversary. But while 1970-71 was Milwaukee's season to shine, it didn't always have bragging rights over the Lakers and Chamberlain. The following year, the Lakers defeated the Bucks in the Western Conference finals, 4-2, en route to the 1972 title. The Lakers won three of those games by a combined eight points, but it wasn't necessarily a fluke. The Lakers also won four of five meetings in the regular season. That one Bucks win was a big one, though. On Jan. 9, 1972, the Bucks beat the Lakers, 120-104, snapping Los Angeles' historic 33-game winning streak that blew Milwaukee's record of 20 games (set in 1971) out of the water. Chamberlain had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Abdul-Jabbar (who had changed his name months before) had 39 and 20 with five assists. "I'm glad Atlanta didn't beat them Friday night so we could have the chance," Costello said. "We're the world champions; they aren't." Chamberlain never fouled out in his NBA career, but he incurred his fourth foul early in the second half. With Chamberlain's aggressiveness mitigated (and some writers noting that his overriding desire to keep his spotless foul-out record maybe played a role), Abdul-Jabbar scored 23 points in the final 22 minutes. This video talks about Wilt Chamberlain's mindset and his rivalry with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Even though Chamberlain believed he was the GOAT, he acknowledged the importance of teammates, especially during the Lakers Showtime era. Check out the NBA highlights to relive the intensity of this era.