Jerry West had an impressive year during the 1972 NBA season, where he averaged 25.8 points, 9.7 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 77 games played. He was a key player for the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the team to a 69–13 regular-season record, the best in NBA history at that time, and a berth in the NBA Finals.

 In the playoffs, West continued his strong play, averaging 24.5 points, 7.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game. However, the Lakers lost to the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals.

 Despite the Finals loss, West was named to the First Team All-Defense, and First Team All-NBA and was also named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in recognition of his contributions to the Lakers’ playoff run and his impressive season earned him a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greats in NBA history.

 Notably, the 1972 Lakers team is often remembered as one of the greatest in NBA history, thanks to their dominant regular-season performance. West was joined on the team by other basketball legends, such as Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, and Elgin Baylor, though Baylor had retired earlier in the season. The team’s record of 69 wins stood as the best in NBA history until the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls surpassed it.