Top Ten Lakers You Can’t Believe Were Lakers
By Fern Rea
6. Don Nelson 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons
One of the most famous shots in NBA history was a shot from Boston Celtics’ Don Nelson in game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics were clinging on to a 103-102 lead with a little more than a minute left in the 4th quarter when the ball winds up in the hands of Don Nelson. Nelson takes a desperation shot by the free throw line to beat the shot clock that hits the back of the rim, then hangs in the air for what seems like an eternity, then drops in to give the Celtics a 105-102 lead. The Celtics were able to hold on and win the game in the final minute, completing the upset series victory against the favored Lakers that fielded a team of Laker greats, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain.
The Finals victory by the Celtics was one of the most crushing in Lakers history, having lost to the Celtics in the Finals the year before and for the 7th straight time that they had met up in the Finals. While the main headlines were given to Bill Russell being it was his last season with the Celtics, it was Don Nelson’s clutch shot that is the most replayed image of this 1969 championship.
That Boston Celtic that hit the dagger and crushed the hearts of the Lakers in those 1969 NBA Finals actually wore a Lakers uniform just 4 seasons prior. Nelson spent two uneventful seasons with the Lakers from 1963 to 1965. After not being re-signed by the Lakers, Nelson signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics in 1965 where he would go on to play the remaining 11 seasons of his NBA career.