Record: 55-27, first place in Western Division
Looking for some help in their quest to end their NBA title drought, the Lakers acquired center Wilt Chamberlain before the season began. It appeared to pay off, as Chamberlain led the league in rebounding with 21.1 per game while Jerry West and Elgin Baylor each averaged more than 20 points.
Playoffs: The Lakers stormed through the Western Division playoffs, setting up an NBA Finals rematch with the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won the first two games and were in the driver's seat until Boston won Games 3 and 4, including a buzzer beater in Game 4 to defeat the Lakers by one point. The series went to seven games, but despite having home-court advantage in Game 7, the Lakers lost to the Celtics for the sixth time in eight years. West was named the most valuable player of the Finals, still the only time a member of the losing team has won the award.