“Los Angeles has not won the championship, but…” - When Bill Russell paid the ultimate respect to Jerry West after winning his last NBA title

The Boston Celtics had long been the arch-nemesis of the LA Lakers , beating them on all six occasions they met in the NBA Finals in the 1960s before meeting them once again in 1969.

This time, it seemed like the Purple and Gold could change the script and finally gain the upper hand over the Celtics. However, as Boston leveled the series twice and forced a Game 7, Jerry West gave his all, dropping 42 points on 48.3% shooting from the field, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Yet the Lakers fell prey to Boston 108-106 and failed to cinch the title again.

While it could've been easy for Bill Russell to revel in the glory of winning his 11th championship and end his career at the pinnacle, he chose to shower praise on Mr. Clutch.

Bill Russell on Jerry West

Even though the Lakers dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Celtics 74-54, West found himself carrying much of the offensive burden single-handedly. Wilt Chamberlain's struggles from the free-throw line, where he converted only 30.8% of his shots, compounded with Elgin Baylor's low shooting percentage of 36.4% from the field, only added the burden of carrying the offensive load of 'The Logo.'

Conversely, what was even more frustrating for the Lakers? Despite five of their seven players being in foul trouble, four Celtics managed to score at least 15 points.

More importantly, despite entering the fourth quarter with a 15-point deficit, West managed to record the highest triple-double for an individual in the NBA Finals. Acknowledging his unwavering efforts, 'Bill The Hill' recognized West's true championship pedigree.

"Los Angeles has not won the championship," Russell said . "But Jerry West is a champion."

West had the utmost respect for Bill Russell

Even though the five-time MVP was the main factor contributing to West winning only one championship in his 14-year NBA career, it didn't deter the 14-time All-Star from showing the utmost respect to the 6'10" center.

"The greatest winner we've ever seen in our league, and he was just a guy that flew under the radar," West said about Bill. " But he had a regal-like effect on the game."

Although they never shared the court as teammates and were only the faces of the two most daunting and fierce rivals in NBA lore, they respected each other more than most modern-day NBA teammates showcased to one another.

Related: Jerry West on choosing Bill Russell over Wilt Chamberlain: “It was probably the dumbest thing I ever said in my life”