JERRY WEST

“The only blemish on West’s playing years concerned the Lakers’ nemesis, the Boston Celtics. Six times West helped pull his team into the finals against Boston, and six times the Lakers came up short.” So noted Mark Rowland in his Lakers article (“Inside the Lakers’ Brain Trust,” May 8)--and it brought back memories of agony during that period.

I lived near Boston 1952 to 1962, became a rock-hard Celtics fan, and moved here in 1962. Throughout the Celtics reign, I basked in their skill and luck as they won even when they seemed to have lost for sure.

However, from time to time I was pulled to root a tad for the Lakers. With Jerry West and Elgin Baylor drawing on raw talent to display exquisite basketball, it just didn’t seem fair that they should lose the championship so often.

LARRY KELBLEY

Rancho Palos Verdes