1959
Boston Celtics
Series Flow
0
Wins
0
Losses
Regular Season
52–20
Win–Loss
Playoff Record
8–3
Win–Loss
Finals
0–0
vs Minneapolis Lakers
Finals MVP
Russell
Bill
Boston Celtics
52–20Minneapolis Lakers
33–39The Minneapolis dynasty was over. George Mikan had retired. The Lakers were swept in the Finals by the emerging Celtics dynasty.
Finals MVP
Bill Russell
#6 · Center
14.3
PPG
29.5
RPG
The only Finals sweep in NBA history against the Minneapolis Lakers — the dynasty that Russell's Celtics made obsolete.
First Finals sweep in NBA history
2nd championship in 3 seasons
How the Series Unfolded
The Champions
Bob Cousy
#14 · Guard
15.0
PPG
8.5
APG
The greatest point guard of the pre-Magic era.
They Pushed Us to the Limit
The Minneapolis dynasty was over. George Mikan had retired. The Lakers were swept in the Finals by the emerging Celtics dynasty.
Elgin Baylor
#22 · Forward
24.0
PPG
A brilliant rookie on a team being swept — Baylor would keep the franchise alive when it moved to LA.
History Written in 1959
Boston Celtics
First Finals sweep in NBA history
Boston Celtics
2nd championship — first back-to-back in the dynasty's run
Beyond the Box Score
The 1959 sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers — with rookie Elgin Baylor on their roster — marked the passing of the torch from one dynasty to another.
The Full Story
The 1959 Finals was the last for the Minneapolis Lakers franchise. They were swept 4-0 by a Celtics team that was becoming the new standard. A rookie named Elgin Baylor watched from the losing side — he would later take the franchise to Los Angeles and build the Lakers' next dynasty.