The year 1959 consisted of Sports Championship winners Boston Celtics (NBA), Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
HIGHLIGHTS
The
1959 NBA championship final series between the
Boston Celtics and
Minneapolis Lakers was a hard fought battle. The Celtics, led by Bill Russell and Bob Cousy, were the defending champions and had won the title the previous year. The Lakers, led by Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, were determined to dethrone the Celtics. The series went to a full seven games, with the Celtics emerging victorious in the end. The Celtics won the series 4-3, with Bill Russell winning the MVP award for his performance throughout the series. The Celtics would go on to win eight consecutive championships, cementing their legacy as one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.
The
1959 World Series featured the
Los Angeles Dodgers and the
Chicago White Sox. The series was a rematch of the
1959 All-Star Game, which was won by the Dodgers. The Dodgers took the series in six games, winning the decisive sixth game 2-0. The Dodgers were led by their ace pitcher Sandy Koufax, who pitched a complete game shutout in Game 5 and a 4-hit shutout in Game 6. The White Sox were led by pitcher Early Wynn, who pitched a complete game shutout in Game 3. The Dodgers' pitching staff was dominant throughout the series, holding the White Sox to just one run in four of the six games. The Dodgers' offense was led by outfielder Wally Moon, who hit .304 with two home runs and four RBIs in the series. The Dodgers won the World Series for the second time in three years, and the first time since moving to
Los Angeles.
The
1959 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the
Toronto Maple Leafs and the
Montreal Canadiens. It was the first all-Canadian final since the league's founding in
1917, and the first time the two teams had met in the final since the Maple Leafs' victory in
1951. The Maple Leafs won the best-of-seven series four games to one, for their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship. The Maple Leafs' star players, including Frank Mahovlich, Bob Pulford and Johnny Bower, led the team to victory. The Canadiens, led by Jean Beliveau and Bernie Geoffrion, put up a strong fight, but ultimately fell short. The Maple Leafs' victory marked the end of an era for the Canadiens, who had won five consecutive Stanley Cups from
1956 to
1960.