[43] L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. West's son, Jonnie, also played college basketball for West Virginia. Oscar Palmer Robertson (pron. . He said at the ceremony that athletes should not pass up a chance to represent their homeland. He has profusely praised Oscar Robertson and others in his era. Having come this far, West would not be denied an NBA title. [8] Having played forward early in his career, West was also a capable rebounder, and gifted with long arms, quick hands, and strong defensive instincts, West was also once described as one of the best ballhawks, man-to-man defenders and shot blockers among NBA guards:[23] when the All-Defensive Teams were introduced in 1969, West made every one of them until his career ended in 1974. Charleston, WV (25301) Today. In 1965-66, West had another stellar year, averaging 31.3 ppg and finishing behind only Chamberlain in the scoring race. [12] In Game 4, the guard scored 37 points and 18 assists, and the Lakers won. You still have to shoot, rebound, pass and play defense," said Robertson, who was honored with West at The Q on Thursday in the 50th anniversary year of their Olympic basketball triumph for the USA in 1960 in Rome. 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. [8], West attended East Bank High School in East Bank, West Virginia from 1952 to 1956. His own athleticism far exceeded that of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and the other guards/forwards on the 1960 team. Isiah Thomas potentially snubs Michael Jordan as he labeles The Flash as the best Chicago athlete. The USA had a team to envy. SG. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. However, West had also injured his right hand and received several manual injections,[43] and Reed famously hobbled up court before Game 7: the Knicks center scored the first four points, and inspired his team to one of the most famous playoff upsets of all time. [23] On the floor, West scored 17.6points, grabbed 7.7rebounds and gave 4.2assists per game. He stayed on as a scout for three years and became general manager in 1982, helping to build the Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. 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. West remained as uptight in the front office as he had been on the court. Its only fitting he returned the favor. He was the third player in league history to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). In Game 6, Havlicek shredded the Lakers with 40 points, and after yet another Finals loss to Boston, West commented that the Lakers lost two games they should have won: "We gave them the first game, and we gave them the fifth. There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper', who changed the game with his strength, athleticism and skill. Clutch" didn't taunt, at least by the strict interpretation of the term. After his playing career ended, West took over as head coach of the Lakers for three years. Enjoying a prolific 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks, Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists. He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. [8] Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn once said: "He took a loss harder than any player I've ever known. The Minneapolis Lakers chose West with the second overall pick . This site contains affiliate links to products. The Lakers had risen from third place in the division to first since Wests arrival, posting a 54-26 record and in the playoffs, West upped his scoring average to 31.5 ppg. "Oscar was one of basketball's great leaders, and his life is one of basketball's great. The Big O appeared on the Knuckleheads podcast to discuss his favorite players in league history. Robertsons response might seem arrogant. In-Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 115112. 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. At age 32, West averaged 26.9points, 4.6rebounds and 9.5assists,[15] and helped the Lakers win 46 games and make the 1971 NBA Playoffs. Oscar Robertson vs Dominique Wilkins [64] West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. 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. [8] The Lakers were captained by Hall-of-Fame forward Elgin Baylor, who was complemented by centers Jim Krebs and Ray Felix; forwards Rudy LaRusso and Tom Hawkins; and guards Rod Hundley (from West Virginia, like West), Frank Selvy, and Bobby Leonard. [74] As a coach, West led the Lakers into three consecutive playoff campaigns, and then went on to win seven NBA championships as a general manager, building the 1980s Lakers dynasty under coach Pat Riley and players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy and the 2000s under coach Phil Jackson and players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. 26 Feb 2023 06:03:55 The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. [28] West spectacularly took over Baylor's leading role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked Lakers to the win. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. [15] The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. It wasn't a 3-pointer, but Jerry West's 60-foot prayer was answered in Game 2 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Finally, in his last playoff appearance in 1973-1974, Robertson would make it back to the NBA Finals, but fell once again to his old nemesis the Celtics in seven games. Revitalized, he played two more seasons. 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. 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. He was the son of a coal mine electrician who could afford no luxuries and who was usually too drained from work to play with his children. [21] This team perennially had strong forwards and guards, but was constantly weak at center, giving them a disadvantage against the Boston Celtics with their Hall-of-Fame center, Bill Russell. He broke his nose at least nine times. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. [16] He was also named to be a member of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold medal. [9], West was an outgoing and aggressive child in his youth. Their checks kinda depend upon that. In Game 1, which Boston easily won, defensive Celtics guard K. C. Jones kept West to the only 26 points, and in Game 2, West scored 45 points, but Boston still won 129123. "[48], Having vanquished this long-time bane, West entered his 13th NBA year. [8] West eventually became the team's starting small forward, and he quickly established himself as one of the finest West Virginia high school players of his generation. It seems to bother the Big O more than West, this dulling of fans' memories of their glory days. However, due to the dynastic dominance of the Boston Celtics, who won 10 NBA titles between 1959 and 1969, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966, both players would fall short of a ring time after time again until finally reaching the NBA pinnacle in the early 1970s. David Astramskas 32,332 November 24, 2015 No Comments oscar robertson. But he would drive, almost always to his right, and give the ball an extra-hard bounce on his last dribble, so he could catch it on the rise as he leaped into his shot. [58] In the 197677 season, West became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. His ferocity rarely, if ever, rubbed players, coaches or fans the wrong way. To hear Jerry West and to see Jerry West talk about Oscar Robertson Ill never forget it. Theyre gonna be selling TODAYs game. In just his second NBA season in 1961-1962, Robertson put up 41 triple-doubles and became the first player to average a triple-double over a full season with 30.8 points (on 47.8% shooting), 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists; for over 50 years, the Big O remained the only NBA player to achieve the feat until Russell Westbrook did so in 2016-2017 (and has now done so for three straight seasons thru the 2018-2019 season). [35] The 52 wins were accumulated despite West playing only 51 regular season games due to injury[22] and scoring 26.3 points, the lowest average since his rookie year: after being a First-Teamer for six times en bloc, he only made the All-NBA Second Team. [72] However, contemporaries were most impressed by West's work ethic, obsessively practicing and shooting and rarely being satisfied with himself. The Knicks' Walt Frazier is stopped by Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain (13) as Jerry West (44) drives around them for a score in first quarter of an NBA finals game on April 26, 1972. West won Schaus's trust and, alternating with Hundley, Selvy, and Leonard, played 35 minutes per game and established himself as the Lakers' second scoring option. "When I was able to play for the Olympic team, it was great for me. Following another five-game loss to Boston in 1963-1964, Cincinnati would never again make it past the first round with Robertson. Prior to the 1971-72 season, the 33-year-old West was considering retirement. Now, why is it that way? As a rookie, West would make the first of 14 straight All-Star teams by averaging 17.6 points (41.9% shooting), 7.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Isiah Thomas potentially snubs Michael Jordan as he labeles The Flash as the best Chicago athlete. Additionally, in the 1974 Western Conference Semifinals, the Bucks would get revenge and defeat the Lakers 4-1, though West only played one game in the series. Copyright FIBA All rights reserved. . The USA had been the only country to win the gold medal since basketball was introduced at the Summer Games in Berlin, in 1936. But West, who had scored 38 points in a Game 4 win, had sprained his ankle and did not play at full strength the rest of the series. [15] On January 17, 1962, West scored a career-high 63 points in a 129121 win over the New York Knicks. [53][54], The 197374 NBA season was to be West's last as a player. During his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball. He would sit by himself and stare into space. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. However, in 1951 his older brother, David, was killed in action in the Korean War, and the trauma turned West into a shy and introverted boy. Also, Oscar declined more rapidly than West so the seasons where Robertson was better early in their careers are partially balanced by the seasons where West was better later in their careers. [8] The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman as head coach. In Game 2, Baltimore was unable to stop the Lakers guard, who scored 52 points, nearly half of L.A.'s total, in the 118115 win. Simple mathematics tells us that there are 144 cards contained within the twenty-four packs of six, resulting in the probability of two examples of each member of the set's full roster. [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]. In a generation defined mostly by big men, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson managed to stand out from the crop. 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. Theres a reason the leagues logo is the Los Angeles Lakers legends silhouette. Rendimiento en Playoffs "John Wooden once told me Larry Bird was better than me," said Robertson. Clutch," passing up the shot himself because he is, after all, 71 years old. On the most recent episode of his podcast, Simmons named (in order) his top 15 in the "Pantheon." Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon . In three campaigns with West at the helm, the Lakers went 145-101 and returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason during Wests retirement. Clippers coach, Doc Rivers, floated the idea of West joining the organization during the 2016 season. [17], During his junior year (195859), West scored 26.6 points per game and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game. [52] However, the Knicks took Games 2 and 3, and West strained both of his hamstrings: in Game 4, the shorthanded Lakers were no match for New York, and in Game 5, the valiant, but injured West and Hairston had miserable games, and despite Chamberlain scoring 23points and grabbing 21rebounds, the Lakers lost 10293 and the series. Naturally, West must have felt a . /VCG. [23] Baylor once commented: "Rumors are safe with you, Tweety Bird. Wests statistical record only begins to tell his story. I could've played another very good year. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. [15] The Lakers won 46 games, and in the 1970 NBA Playoffs, they narrowly beat the Phoenix Suns in seven games and swept the Hawks in four, setting up the first NBA Finals between the Lakers and the rugged New York Knicks, led by Hall-of-Famers, such as Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Walt Frazier. All rights reserved (About Us). It only makes sense that he also seeks validation. On May 19, 2011, West joined the Golden State Warriors as an executive board member, reporting directly to new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). [26] The Celtics tied the series in Game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to Boston for Game 7. For most of the game, the Lakers trailed, but West and Frank Selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. The Knicks Walt Frazier recalled thinking as West let the miracle shot fly, The mans crazy. He was also at the forefront of rebuilding the Lakers into championship shape by adding Shaquille ONeal as a free agent and trading for Kobe Bryant, who entered the NBA out of high school in 1996. West said, turning to a chuckling Robertson. Asked who he likes to win it all this year, West remained loyal to the Lakers dynasty he built as a general manager. West became the first draft pick ever of the relocated franchise. 1 select and West the . Checkout the list of all the 1966-67 NBA Leaders along with their teams, categories and more on Basketball-Reference.com [81] They have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie. He scored 19 points in the second half, leading WVU to an upset victory. But his all-around excellence was unprecedented for a guard. His brilliance on and off the floor propelled West to call his former rival the best player of their era. Like many NBA stars, West came from humble beginnings. "[36], On July 9, 1968, the Lakers made a trade that brought reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers to Los Angeles at the beginning of the 196869 NBA season. Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. Oscar Robertson was the only college player to finish the March Madness career with four triple-doubles. Also Read When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? Those two players formed the nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. The Minneapolis Lakers chose West with the second overall pick behind Robertson in the 1960 NBA Draft. Im not willing to sacrifice my standards, West told the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he retired. [40], In the 196970 NBA season under new coach Joe Mullaney, the Lakers' season began with a shock when Wilt Chamberlain seriously injured his knee and missed practically the whole regular season. Only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs, and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tallied more career points in the postseason. Oscar Robertson vs Lenny Wilkens. Head to Head: Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West. (Going into the 1963-64 season, Baylor was 28, West 25, Robertson 24, Lucas 23.) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unclesmokeking?_t=8XgGb5ev7yo&_r=1--All clips are property of the NBA. He had finally won a championship, in one of the greatest seasons ever for an NBA team. Jerry West Chris Webber Oscar Robertson Mark Jackson. [16] West's best performance was a game against Virginia, in which he grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 40 points. 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. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. "Fans believe what people tell them.". He would sit by himself and stare into space. CLEVELAND - "Mr. Following another Finals loss in 1970, this time to the New York Knicks, the Lakers finally broke through in 1972 and beat the Knicks in five games for the only NBA title of Wests career; ironically, it was one of the worst individual postseasons of his career, as he averaged only 22.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and a league-best 8.9 assists per game. Similarly, West was a postseason participant in 13 of his 14 NBA seasons (he injured his knee in 1971 and missed the playoffs that year), which included a remarkable nine NBA Finals appearances. Jerry West was a 12-time All-NBA performer who knew how to elevate his game when the lights shined the brightest. 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson Rookie Card. In the Olympic basketball tournament, the USA definitely conquered Rome. But I could never have played for the Lakers again, and I wasn't going to play for anybody else. Indeed, Jerry West looked at Oscar Robertson and saw what he thought was the best player in the game. With Wests hot hand leading the way, East Bank won the 1956 state title. West averaged 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still an NBA record. [37] The Lakers trailed the entire game and were behind 91-76 after 3 quarters, but powered by a limping West, the Lakers closed the gap to 103102 with two minutes to go and had the ball. [47], Before the 197172 NBA season, West was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement. 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