For some of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylors triple-doubles, youd think they had the worst game in the world: When Wilt Chamberlain explained how NBA basketball got diluted in quality over his lifetime, When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? He was taken as the Number 1 overall (territorial) pick by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA Draft where he played for 10 seasons (1960-1970) before being traded to . In addition, Robertson broke Bob Cousys single-season assist record in one of six seasons leading the NBA in assists. I worked construction in the summer," said Robertson, noting that all players had off-season jobs then. [84] His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. Before that, the Oscar Robertson Rule was established in 1976, and the ABA-NBA merger allowed the NBA to expand for the 1976-77 season. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. His first season in Milwaukee was his best, as he averaged 19.4 points (49.6% shooting), 5.7 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game for Second Team All-NBA honors. Unexpectedly, most of the coaches changed direction as suddenly as a team that just had the ball stolen at midcourt. I could've played another very good year. 1971 Topps NBA Assist Leaders #143 PSA 6 Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N. Playing the guard position, he was voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams, was elected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times, and was chosen as the All-Star MVP in 1972, the same year that he won the only title of his career. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. He spent five years at that post, helping build Memphis into a playoff team in 2004, 05 and 06 before stepping down in 2007. I felt I was deceived. West averaged 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists and was again NBA All-Star and All-NBA First-Team;[15] however, he played in only 55 regular-season games, missing the last seven weeks due to a hamstring injury. Jerry West is a legendary NBA star, and his silhouette is the logo. West said, turning to a chuckling Robertson. He moved up and he was like, I know Im The Logo and everything else, but in my era, there was no better basketball player than Oscar Robertson.'. Following another five-game loss to Boston in 1963-1964, Cincinnati would never again make it past the first round with Robertson. West was the second pick of the 1960 NBA Draft. As a 6-foot senior, West became the first prep player in state history to score 900 points in a season, averaging 32.2 points. [33], The 196667 NBA season saw West playing only 66 regular-season games due to injury;[22] his averages fell slightly to 28.0points, 5.9rebounds and 6.8assists per game. "How much weightlifting did you do?" Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. For both Robertson and West, their stellar rookie campaigns were just a sign of things to come over the next decade and a half, both players would continue to dominate the NBA as individual players, though it would take a bit longer for each one to overcome the Boston Celtics dynasty and win an NBA title. Choosing to stay local, he played college basketball at West Virginia University, where he was a 2x First Team All-American, 2x Southern Conference Player of the Year, and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1959 as the Mountaineers narrowly lost to Cal in the finals by a 71-70 score. Oscar Robertson vs Hassan Whiteside. [5] West was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996, and to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.[6][7]. [15] Among retired players, only Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average. Born: May 28, 1938 (84 years old) Nationality: United States. They were also both on the gold medal winning team at the 1959 Pan American Games. Perhaps I expect too much.. During his first year, he was benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. Jerry West leads Los Angeles with 20 points while Oscar Robertson scores 17 along with 9 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks en. [8] West demonstrated his tenacity for the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats. Oscar Robertson vs Jerry West. ". The triple-double is just a stat. [15] "He stole more than anybody, although they didn't keep records on it then", said Sharman. During that time, West was the better scorer (27.0 to 25.7), but Robertson grabbed more rebounds (7.5 to 5.8) and averaged more assists (9.5 to 6.7) and also had slightly better shooting percentages. [71], West was an all-around combo guard who could take the playmaking roles of a point guard and score like a shooting guard, while being equally strong on offense and defense. Six of the losses came at the hands of the powerhouse Celtics. For the rest of his illustrious career, West would average at least 20 points per game each year, including 25+ points per game for the next decade with four seasons above 30 points per game. Boston won in overtime, 110-107. [9], West was an outgoing and aggressive child in his youth. "Potentially, I would have to go with Lucas and Robertson, because they are a little younger," said Gallatin. [26] In overtime, Jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110107 win for the Celtics. In the 1960 Olympics, Jerry West teamed with Oscar Robertson to form what may be the greatest guard tandem to ever play on a basketball team - amateur or pro. In his final NBA season in 1973-1974, West was still a highly productive player (20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game), but injuries limited him to only 31 games played and at the conclusion of the season, he would retire from the NBA at age 35. West's NBA career was highly successful. [22] Again, the Lakers reached the finals, and again, they battled the Celtics. West averaged 27 points for his career to Robertson's 25.7. First up is Oscar Robertson's 1961 Fleer rookie card which is one of the keys to the iconic set and one of the most valuable basketball cards in general.. Im not willing to sacrifice my standards, West told the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he retired. [15] The NBA commented that the Lakers now had a potent one-two-punchwith "Mr. It might have been even better had John Havlicek and Lenny Wilkins not been passed over in the selection process. It seems that tons of viewers from certain generations uniformly avoid the contemporary NBA in a conscious fashion. Height: 6-2 (188cm) Weight: 185 (84kg) [12] Further awards were All-American, Southern Conference Tournament MVP and Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. Naturally, West enrolled at WVU, where he was a two-time All-American and averaged 24.8 ppg. Robertson's last All-NBA first team was in 1969 and West made first team from 1970-1973. [42] As after Baylor's injury years before, West stepped into the void, leading the NBA in scoring average with 31.2 points per game, and averaging 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, earning him his first of four All-Defensive First Team votes and another All-NBA First Team berth after two Second Team years. [15], West helped the Lakers improve from their previous 25-win season to 36 wins as they reached the 1961 NBA Playoffs. [41] In Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. Oscar Robertson was the only college player to finish the March Madness career with four triple-doubles. Clutch" a handle which stuck with West for his entire career. West logged similar averages as a rookie after the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him second overall behind Oscar Robertson, but his scoring nearly doubled in his second season. After helping the Golden State Warriors win the championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers, on June 14, 2017, West announced that he would go to the Los Angeles Clippers as an executive board member and consultant. West said to Robertson. David Astramskas 32,332 November 24, 2015 No Comments oscar robertson. Although both ranked among the top four leading scorers in history when they retired, neither man ever won an MVP. He averaged 24.8points per game and 13.3rebounds. [73] In 1979, West was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Lakers retired his No. Too few fans today saw Oscar play with Jerry Lucas in Cincinnati or saw him when he was the sidekick of Lew Alcindor (before he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) on a championship team in Milwaukee. After the Lakers heartbreaking loss to the Boston Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals, John Havlicek walked up to West and said, Jerry, I love you. Such comments were not uncommon. [34] Veteran coach Fred Schaus retired, and Butch Van Breda Kolff took over; under his reign, the Lakers won 52 games in the 196768 NBA season in their first season in The Forum. The same road is shared on the south end of Morgantown with Don Knotts Boulevard, in honor of another WVU alumnus. He looks determined. Indeed, Jerry West looked at Oscar Robertson and saw what he thought was the best player in the game. As the NBA celebrates it's 75th Anniversary Season, get to know dozens of star players who helped make the NBA what it is today. West was motivated by a relentless drive to succeed. [63], Jerry married his current wife, Kristine "Karen" Bua, in 1978. West never thought he had been handed a burden, however. 44 jersey in 1983. /VCG. There were fewer jobs, and the ones that were open were filled by players who had spent multiple years in college. The next season, though he averaged 27.1 points per game, he only played in 55 games; injuries and missed games were a prevalent theme throughout Wests career, as he would play in fewer than 70 regular season games in half of his 14 NBA seasons. Having come this far, West would not be denied an NBA title. It averaged a whopping 101.9 points a contest. [43] In Game 3, DeBusschere hit a mid-range jump shot with three seconds left to put the Knicks ahead 102100, and the Lakers had no time-outs left. The following year he and Oscar Robertson led an extremely talented U.S. squad to a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. With West not yet in shape, Baylor and the Lakers fell back 32; then they succumbed in Game 6 in front of their home crowd with a 112109 loss. After losing Elgin Baylor to an Achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, West himself injured his knee and was out for the season; the short-handed Lakers lost the Western Conference Finals in five games to the championship-bound Milwaukee Bucks, who were led by freshly-crowned Most Valuable Player Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and veteran Hall-of-Fame guard Oscar Robertson. His 31.2 ppg in 1969-70 (at age 31) is the highest average ever for a player over 30. "We got one dollar a day per diem," West recalled, when he spoke at the team's induction ceremony at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. Despite the Lakers failure to win more titles, most of Wests legendary exploits came during the postseason. For most of the game, the Lakers trailed, but West and Frank Selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. Of the 87 regular season matchups, West holds a 50-37 lead, though Robertson outscored his counterpart by 28.5 to 27.7 points per game. During has remaining 13 seasons, the Lakers missed the Finals only four times. The 1960 US Olympic team was one of the great ones, as good as any prior to the Dream Team in 1992. [44] As the three-point line had not been introduced yet, the shot just tied the game. Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. "Why does everybody say the game has changed? He was an All-Star every year of his career and led Los Angeles to the NBA Finals nine times. He was the third player in league history to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). [16] The Mountaineers went 262 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College in postseason tournament play. [43] L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. As a member of the Bucks in 1970-1971, Robertson finally broke through as Milwaukee swept the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals for his only NBA title; Robertson led the playoffs in assists that season (8.9 assists per game) to go along with 18.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. [65][66] This role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team. In a generation defined mostly by big men, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson managed to stand out from the crop. Inside) scoring nearly 35 ppg and West (Mr. But the experience itself was the most gratifying of all," he recalled. Born: November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee us College: Cincinnati High School: Crispus Attucks in Indianapolis, Indiana Draft: Cincinnati Royals, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1960 NBA Draft (territorial selection) They needed all five games to put away the Detroit Pistons but then lost to the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, losing the final game 105103. Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas recalls the conversation quite well. [8] The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman as head coach. Overall, his time with the Royals was dominant over a decade with the team, he averaged at least 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists per game on 47.0% shooting, and was an All-Star plus a First Team or Second Team All-NBA selection each year. Across their respective decades of dominance, Robertson holds the edge in essentially every category, from health (games played) to counting statistics to shooting ratios to advanced metrics; this is of course no knock on West (whose best-decade numbers are still scintillating), but speaks to how truly dominant the Big O was at his peak. Unrealistic or not, West the perfectionist propelled the Lakers to The Finals repeatedly in the 1960s and early 1970s. His high-pitched voice earned him the nickname "Tweety Bird", and he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as "Zeke from Cabin Creek" (his nickname acknowledged his country roots, and his accent was so thick that he squeaked his nickname sheepishly "Zeek from Cab'n Creek"). Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated. He was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP. Oscar was sitting right there. [8], In the summer of 2000, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, and West Virginia Governor Cecil Underwood, dedicated the road outside of the West Virginia University Coliseum, "Jerry West Boulevard". The following year he and Oscar Robertson led an extremely talented U.S. squad to a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. Jerry West (L) and Oscar Robertson. Wests long wait had ended. West helped to build the great 1980s Lakers dynasty, also known as Showtime, which brought five championship rings (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988) to Los Angeles. He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference Finals berth once. In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. [58] In the 197677 season, West became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. O as in the Only player to average a triple-double for a whole season. He explained (h/t YouTube) that Wests appraisals of Robertson solidified the Big Os greatness that much more. [15] Winning 45 games, the Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks in a close seven-game series, and yet again met the Boston Celtics in the 1966 NBA Finals. Co-captains West and Robertson, and also Jerry Lucas, had legendary professional careers. They gotta keep people watching, so theyre gonna say wonderful things about these teams, and wonderful things about players., Wilton Norman Chamberlain speaks on how the @NBA and other media outlets market its players and what kind of tactics they use. Despite Wests playoff heroics, which included leading the postseason in scoring average 4x (highlighted by a career-best 40.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in the 1965 playoffs), the 1960s saw six Finals losses to the rival Celtics (1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, and 1969). They were 39-3 at midseason and finished at 69-13, the best single-season record in NBA history until the 1995-96 Bulls (72-10) bested it.. Instead, there's only admiration between the two all-time greats. the Lakers held a "Jerry West Night", and eleven-time NBA champion and perennial rival Bill Russell appeared and said: "Jerry, you are, in every sense of the word, truly a . [40] L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. New York, however, won the game and the title. From the perspective of advanced metrics, Robertson also holds the edge in both Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Wins-Shares. [14] In his first varsity year under head coach Fred Schaus, West scored 17.8points per game and averaged 11.1rebounds; he also started in all 28 games while shooting 49.6% from the field and 73.2% from the free throw line. [15] The Lakers had a disappointing season, winning only 36 games and getting swept by the San Francisco Warriors in the first round of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. His ferocity rarely, if ever, rubbed players, coaches or fans the wrong way. Although West enjoyed great individual success during his prime, the teams record is a study in frustration unbelievable frustration is how West described it to the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Before the 1970-1971, Robertson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk, where he teamed up with center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to form a potent duo. Rain. [8] These performances soon earned West his first of fourteen NBA All-Star Game call-ups. Your email address will not be published. I played on an all-black high school team and we didn't want people saying that we were clowns. It seems to mark a change from the way the final minutes are officiated today, when "no hemorrhage, no foul" is the rule. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The 1960 USA Olympic team has been described as the best amateur side ever assembled. With Wests hot hand leading the way, East Bank won the 1956 state title. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Overall, both Robertson and West played 14 NBA seasons from 1960-1974, with Robertson having a 100+ games played advantage due to better health. Its only fitting he returned the favor. His mother lashed him when he showed up hours late for dinner and he became so thin that he had to receive vitamin injections.But the practice paid off. Clippers coach, Doc Rivers, floated the idea of West joining the organization during the 2016 season. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. It only makes sense that he also seeks validation. Much like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s, the careers of Oscar Robertson and Jerry West were closely intertwined and highlighted by many of the same contrasts between the two players, e.g. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. [64] West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. West ganhou notoriedade por ter servido de inspirao para o desenho do logotipo da NBA, o qual baseado na imagem de uma jogada de Jerry West. Known as "The Logo", Jerry West's legendary career ended with him unquestionably among the sport's all-time greats. [50][51] West conceded that he had played a terrible series, and credited the team for the success. I must have that tension. West was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. Your inbox approves The power couples & . After a big loss, the Wests would drive home and she would try to console him, but West would say "get out" at the home porch and drive awayan experience that "killed" her as a wife. Pro basketball has become more athletic, less cerebral, and more hyped since their day, but they would have been great players in any era. The Big O appeared on the Knuckleheads podcast to discuss his favorite players in league history. Their checks kinda depend upon that. Your suplied Email address (xxxxx@fiba.basketball) does not seem to be correct, "THAT WAS THE MOST SPECIAL MOMENT IN MY LIFE, TO PLAY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, IT WAS THE MOST THRILLING, CHILLING THING THAT I'VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH. [8], West attended East Bank High School in East Bank, West Virginia from 1952 to 1956. He broke his nose at least nine times. Prior to the 1971-72 season, the 33-year-old West was considering retirement. ", Robertson believes the media-hype machine conditions fans' perceptions of players too much. Additionally, Robertson also remains #1 all-time in career triple-doubles with 181; the only other players in NBA history with more than 100 career triple-doubles are Russell Westbrook (138, as of the end of the 2018-2019 season), Magic Johnson (138), and Jason Kidd (107). Also Read When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? During an interview on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, West revealed that as a child he was the victim of physical abuse from his father and has suffered from depression ever since. [68] [69][70], On December 17, 2020, it was reported that West and the LA Clippers were under investigation by the NBA following a lawsuit filed by John Wilkes against the LA Clippers over the recruitment of Kawhi Leonard to the team. A loss just ripped his guts out., Its no wonder. Before he was "The Logo" -- the model for the silhouette on every NBA player's jersey -- he was "Mr. The USA had a team to envy. Then as now, it is rings that really validate the best. Robertson had a storied high school career (fun fact: his team lost in the 1954 basketball state semifinals in Indiana to eventual champions Milan, who were the basis for the classic 1986 movie Hoosiers), which culminated in him being named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1956. In some ways, the decision of who was better comes down to personal preferences on playing style do you prefer Robertson with his penchant for racking up triple-doubles or West with his silky smooth moves and shooting? It seems to bother the Big O more than West, this dulling of fans' memories of their glory days. [15] On January 17, 1962, West scored a career-high 63 points in a 129121 win over the New York Knicks. Over time, Robertson became more of a complementary player to Abdul-Jabbar, though was still effective in his own right, and made his last All-Star Game in 1971-1972 before retiring after the 1973-1974 season at age 35. [50] After winning Game 4 due to a superb outing from Wilt Chamberlain, West scored 23 points and dished out 9 assists in Game 5, helping the Lakers to win the game and the NBA championship. All videos are . Van Lier: Condition:--not specified. The NBA described West as "obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win a level of intensity so high it could melt lead". During that time, West was the better scorer (27.0 to 25.7), but Robertson grabbed more rebounds (7.5 to 5.8) and averaged more assists (9.5 to 6.7) and also had slightly better shooting percentages. Equally legendary was Wests tolerance for pain. Luckily, both legends got their just due. The East Bank High School legend and Oscar Robertson also led the United States basketball team to the gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. 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