Two historic moments for the Los Angeles Lakers share the same calendar date. On Dec. 12, 1971, the Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks at The Forum, notching their 21st straight victory and eclipsing the previous NBA record of 20 consecutive wins held jointly by the Washington Capitols and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The lineup that night featured Hall of Famers Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich and Elgin Baylor, with support from Pat Riley, Flynn Robinson and Jim McMillian. The triumph launched a streak that ultimately reached 33 games before Milwaukee—powered by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—ended it. Los Angeles went on to capture the 1971-72 NBA championship, the lone title of West’s playing career.
Exactly 13 years later, on Dec. 12, 1984, Abdul-Jabbar provided another landmark. The veteran center scored 15 points in 21 minutes, becoming the first player in league history to surpass 32,000 career points. He finished his 20-year career with 38,387 points, a total surpassed only by LeBron James.
Golden State’s 28-game run (2014-16) remains the closest any team has come to the Lakers’ 33-game benchmark.
Source: Lakers Nation
