Over the next summer he grew six more inches. Oscar Robertson: Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970) Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974) Jerry West: Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974) Inside) scoring nearly 35 ppg and West (Mr. In fact, scoreboard keepers didnt introduce the concept of assists till after Bob Cousy revolutionized the PG position. Combine a deadly jump shot, tenacious defense, obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win, and youve got Jerry West, one of the greatest guards in NBA history. The team was powered by Sharman's emphasis on tough defense and fast break offense, and L.A. embarked on an unprecedented 33 game win streak, en route to a then-record 69 wins in the regular season. "I did that once or twice. Jerry West could easily feel a sense of bitterness toward Russell, even though The Logo eventually did win a ring in 1972. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. During halftime of Sunday's All-Star Game, 45 members of the 75th Anniversary Team including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stood side by side on a circular stage in the middle of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. West's NBA career was highly successful. After being employed by the Lakers for over 40 years, West retired but soon became the president of basketball operations of the Memphis Grizzlies on April 30, 2002. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. The Lakers drafted him after the Cincinnati Royals drafted Oscar Robertson. In the playoffs he kept up his torrid scoring pace, averaging 34.2 ppg over 14 contests. West said, turning to a chuckling Robertson. West played the small forward position early in his career, and he was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game. During his first year, he was benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. Rain. Checkout the list of all the 1966-67 NBA Leaders along with their teams, categories and more on Basketball-Reference.com [22], In the 196566 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game. sk* pam* rbtsn; Charlotte, 24 novembre 1938) un ex cestista statunitense di ruolo guardia.. Soprannominato The Big O, disput 14 campionati NBA con le maglie dei Cincinnati Royals e dei Milwaukee Bucks, vincendo con questi ultimi il titolo nel 1971.Nel 1962 fu il primo giocatore nella storia dell'NBA a concludere una stagione con una tripla . Also Read - "A cast of characters, different personalities and Charles Barkley": Larry Bird's hilarious trash talk shone through even in his Dream Team Hall of Fame induction speech. During their overlapping careers, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head on 94 occasions. 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. [31] However, in the 1965 NBA Finals, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers, 41. Overall, Robertson visited the postseason 10 times in his career (six times in his decade with Cincinnati, and all four years in Milwaukee), where he lead the NBA in playoff assists 7x, including four straight years from 1962 to 1965; other individual postseason accomplishments included averaging a triple-double for the 1962 playoffs and leading the playoffs in minutes played for three straight years (including an astounding 48.8 minutes per game in 1964-1965). "I would never bet against the Lakers," he said. "That was a unique period of time in this world," he said. [76] On February 17, 2011, a statue of West was unveiled outside Staples Center at the Star Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Naturally, West must have felt a . Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated. His ferocity rarely, if ever, rubbed players, coaches or fans the wrong way. Co-captains West and Robertson, and also Jerry Lucas, had legendary professional careers. I want to help make a difference. [20] In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. 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. Still, West was named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times in his career, and he was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in four of his final five seasons. 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. Personally, I value all-around players who can do everything on the court shoot, rebound, pass and as such, though West was probably a better scorer and defender, I prefer Robertson with his historically dynamic all-around game and ability to dominate in all aspects. 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. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. While it has been nearly 50 years since either Oscar Robertson or Jerry West last set foot on an NBA basketball court and not too many of us actually got to see them play live, the duo remain two of the most iconic players in NBA history. He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. Oscar Robertson vs Dominique Wilkins Dr. J went decidedly old-school with his selections, naming Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to the first team. He played West as a guard, in contrast to West's college days as a forward. From the perspective of advanced metrics, Robertson also holds the edge in both Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Wins-Shares. [15] He was honored again with several awards: a call-up to the All-American selection, and being voted Southern Conference MVP. The triple-double is just a stat. The two go back quite a ways. "In my era, they were afraid to foul you then, because the officials were right on top of every play.". Van Breda Kolff pejoratively called Chamberlain "The Load", and later complained that Chamberlain was egotistical, never respected him, too often slacked off in practice and focused too much on his statistics. [15] Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. 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. [79], West married his college sweetheart Martha Jane Kane in April 1960 in Morgantown;[80] they divorced in 1976. And in the 1970 NBA Finals against New York, West launched the famous bomb that, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers. Unfortunately for West, individual success could not prevent. [38] In return, the center blasted Van Breda Kolff as "the dumbest and worst coach ever". Jerry West was a 12-time All-NBA performer who knew how to elevate his game when the lights shined the brightest. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played. This obsessive quest for perfection was a constant during Wests playing years, and it continued in his later roles as coach and general manager of the Lakers and in similar front-office roles he held with the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers. Van Lier See original listing. At such a time, Oscar Robertson set the game afire with his spate of triple-doubles for the Cincinnati Royals. [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. Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. Answer (1 of 13): Big O * 65, 225 lbs, 69 wingspan, * was ball dominant and precise with his playmaking in his era like CP3 or Stockton, * shielded the ball from smaller guards with his backside like Magic, * had a high post game like Dirk with underrated pump fakes and footwork, * was . He is a. man for the ages." Jerry West. In the 1965 playoffs, West averaged 40.6 ppg over 11 contests; his 46.3 ppg average against Baltimore in the division finals was a record for a six-game series. [65][66] This role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team. Sure did," said Jerry West. Key 1961-62 Fleer Basketball Cards: Wilt Chamberlain RC #8; Jerry West RC #43; Oscar Robertson RC #36; Bill Russell #38; Wilt Chamberlain #47 IA Jerome Alan West (born May 28, 1938)[3][4] is an American basketball executive and former player. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played. However, the Lakers and West came out on the losing end in eight of those nine Finals. 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. [12] Further awards were All-American, Southern Conference Tournament MVP and Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. Jerry West talks about how losing to the Celtics multiple times in The Finals affected his mindset and demeanor during his career. Although both ranked among the top four leading scorers in history when they retired, neither man ever won an MVP. 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 Jo Jo White. [12], In his final collegiate season (195960) West enjoyed several career highs, such as scoring 29.3points per game, a 134 season-assists, 16.5rebounds per game, and a shooting average of 50.4% from the field, 76.6% from the free throw line. [22], Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke was known for a keen eye identifying leadership and teaching qualities (he also gave Hall of Famers Sparky Anderson and Joe Gibbs their first managerial/head coaching positions),[57] and asked West to coach and participate in player personnel decisions. Once you get out of it, you figure, 'Boy, what a great bunch of guys'.". Wilt Chamberlain talks about how his contemporaries Jerry West and co wouldn't pursue stats He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference Finals berth once. The 1972-73 Lakers lost to the Knicks in The Finals while in 1973-74, a pulled groin limited West to 31 regular-season contests and only one playoff game. Robertsons last 30+ points per game season came in 1966-1967, though interestingly, he would win his lone scoring title the next season at 29.2 points per game (50.0% shooting), while also leading the league in assists at 9.7 per game. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Wednesday night's slate. As an encore to his historic season, Robertson remained a nightly triple-double threat, shooting a career-best 51.8% in 1962-1963 and putting up 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game to narrowly miss out on another triple-double season. Robertson's last All-NBA first team was in 1969 and West made first team from 1970-1973. Copyright FIBA All rights reserved. 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. West said to Robertson. [8] Growing up, West spent his days hunting and fishing, but his main activity was shooting at a basketball hoop that a neighbor had nailed to his storage shed. [40] A limping West scored 26 points in Game 6, but the Celtics won 9990 with a strong Bill Russell, who held Chamberlain to only eight points in the entire game. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. [41] In Game 3, Russell opted to double-team West, and the guard's exhaustion began to show: West twice asked to be subbed for longer periods, and both times the Lakers fell back by double digits and finally lost by sixpoints. [89], This article is about the basketball player. [84] His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. [46] With his injured hands, West still hit nine of his 19 shots, but was outplayed by Walt Frazier, who scored 36points and 19assists and was credited with several crucial steals on Lakers guard Dick Garrett. Beginning his career as a sportswriter, Benner then served with the Pacers for 28 years, retiring last season. I will say that Oscar fits the 'all around' definition better - he was *almost* as good at scoring as Jerry although not quite matching up to West's peak scoring abilities, he was a better rebounder and also a better passer (both by . Following another five-game loss to Boston in 1963-1964, Cincinnati would never again make it past the first round with Robertson. On April 19, 2022, West demanded a retraction from the network within two weeks for the "cruel" and "deliberately false" depiction, as played by actor Jason Clarke. [16] The Mountaineers went 262 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College in postseason tournament play. But West committed costly turnovers and L.A. lost the game 108106 despite a triple-double of 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists from West, who became the only recipient of the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award from the losing team. MIES (Switzerland) - It happened more than half a century ago, yet for two of the biggest legends in the sport, USA's Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, memories of the gold-medal winning run at theOlympic Games in Rome are crystal clear. [23] Baylor once commented: "Rumors are safe with you, Tweety Bird. His average of 27.0 ppg game stands as the fourth highest among retired players, behind Michael Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor. Just look at the roster: Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger . During the 1969-1970 season, he would win his only scoring title by averaging 31.2 points on 49.7% shooting to go with 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game; moreover, after two seasons as a Second Team All-NBA selection, West returned to First Team status and also garnered the first of four consecutive All-Defensive First Team nods. Wests statistical record only begins to tell his story. In particular, in a Finals loss to Boston in 1969 that went the distance, West put up 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in the decisive Game 7, and was named the inaugural Finals MVP despite being on the losing team, the only time in NBA history this has happened. West was named Most Outstanding Player of that year's Final Four. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas and Dave Cowens honored at halftime of NBA All-Star Game. "I had no tools to get better other than my own hard work," West said. "I think any time an athlete gets an opportunity to play for your country, he should accept it," he said. Boston won another NBA Finals matchup, prevailing in Game 7 at Boston Garden, 95-93. West held himself to seemingly impossible standards. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. I think I should make every shot.. But the experience itself was the most gratifying of all," he recalled. Oscar Robertson vs Jerry West. He made the varsity squad at East Bank High School, although he mostly sat on the bench during his junior year. RT @LakersLead: Blake Griffin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West are the only other rookies to have a 30/15/10 game . An abundance of admiration, actually. "There are a lot of bad teams," he said. [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. Oscar might dispute the analogy, though. Maybe that's what a team is all about. It wasn't a 3-pointer, but Jerry West's 60-foot prayer was answered in Game 2 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Jerry West. But it is less a function of disrespect than of youth. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Enjoying a prolific 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks, Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists. For the children's author, see, In the summer of 1996, West traded for shooting guard. 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. Some of these triple-doubles that Jerry West or Oscar Robertson or Elgin Baylor had, they would think they had the worst day in the world!. In addition, Robertson broke Bob Cousys single-season assist record in one of six seasons leading the NBA in assists. They were also both on the gold medal winning team at the 1959 Pan American Games. He would sit by himself and stare into space. [15] "He stole more than anybody, although they didn't keep records on it then", said Sharman. Jerry West. In the 1969 Finals against Boston, West became the only member of a losing team to be named Finals MVP. With an all-around game that rivaled Oscar Robertson's, West added six assists and six rebounds per game and excellent defense in the backcourt that produced a number of steals each game. [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. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. Also Read Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! Required fields are marked *. MIES (Switzerland) - It happened more than half a century ago, yet for two of the biggest legends in the sport, USA's Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, memories of the gold-medal winning run at the Olympic Games in Rome are crystal clear. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, which set an all-time NBA record. "That was the most special moment in my life," he said. Basketball, Team, School. West returned, however, and helped make history. West was also superior as a clutch performer and in playoff competition. Despite being listed at 6feet 3inches (1.91m), Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 15:05, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, finals series versus Boston in eight years, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game, List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds, List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, "NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team | Basketball-Reference.com", "Jerry West talks about abusive father and lifelong struggle with depression", "1960-61 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Statistics", "New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, January 17, 1962", "Celtics, Lakers work OT to start Rivalry", "Baltimore Bullets at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 5, 1965", "Red Lights Cigar to close coaching career", "West's heroics can't deprive Russell of 11th title", "Laker's Legendary Season Leads To Elusive Title", "Los Angeles Lakers 1971-72 Game Log and Scores", "New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, May 7, 1972", "Owning Up to the Truth: Cooke Was the Best", "Los Angeles Lakers Owners, GM, Coaches", "Jerry West: Biography, Accomplishments & Awards", "Memphis Grizzlies Announce the Hiring of Jerry West as Franchise's New President of Basketball Operations", "Jerry West set to join Warriors front office, according to multiple NBA sources", "Hall of Famer Jerry West joins L.A. Clippers as consultant", "Looking for a new challenge, iconic executive Jerry West will join Clippers", "Jerry West explains his move to the Clippers", "NBA investigating Clippers' recruitment of Kawhi", Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Points Per Game, "Special Dime: Greatest Shooting Guards Ever", "WVU legend has a Morgantown street named in his honor", "That iconic NBA silhouette can be traced back to him", The Great Jerry West will be receiving our Nation's highest civilian honor, The Presidential Medal of Freedom, for his outstanding career, both on and off the court. Six of the losses came at the hands of the powerhouse Celtics. Jerry West Chris Webber Oscar Robertson Mark Jackson. Gail Goodrich's all-around play from the backcourt made him a perennial All-Star and, eventually, an NBA champion. He dominated early with the Cincinnati Royals, averaging a triple-double for the first several seasons of his career and finishing with averages of 29.3 points, 10.3 assists, and 8.5 rebounds over the course of 10 seasons However, Robertson and the Royals came up short in the playoffs early in his career and struggled to even make the postseason toward the end of his Cincinnati tenure. [39] West was disturbed by locker room tension; used to playing on teams with good chemistry, his quality of play became erratic, and his scoring average of 25.9 points was his lowest since his rookie season. Basketball had not yet sacrificed fundamentals for potential. Clutch" didn't taunt, at least by the strict interpretation of the term. In 1969, as in 1962, the Lakers led Boston after five games only to drop the last two contests. This meant that points and rebounds would be the only stats any player couldve chased. Entering the same 1960 NBA Draft as Robertson, West was selected right after Robertson with the second overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers, who soon relocated to California and became the Los Angeles Lakers. Jerry West leads Los Angeles with 20 points while Oscar Robertson scores 17 along with 9 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks en. In five postseason games that year, West scored a total of 160 points, presaging his NBA playoff heroics. 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.. Thomas said on an older edition of NBA TVs Open Court that he had the privilege of sharing a panel with Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. [47], Before the 197172 NBA season, West was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement. > Archive 75: Jerry West| 75 Stories: Jerry West. 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. "They have everything it takes to win a championship. "Race; cold war; threat of nuclear war. He died aged 67. Winning bid: US $23.50 [ 10 bids] Shipping: $3.99 Standard . Oscar Robertson vs Hassan Whiteside. [78] On June 1, 2019, President Donald Trump announced West would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Jerome Alan West (Cheylan, 28 de maio de 1938) um ex-jogador de basquetebol norte-americano que atualmente exerce a funo de Conselheiro nos Clippers. [15] The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. [36] In Game 1, West only hit seven of 24 shots, and the Lakers lost 107101, but L.A. evened out the series at two games each. Clutch". Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "the Logo", in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; "Mr. Outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the Los Angeles Lakers; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek", for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. However, West averaged 22.8points, but also averaged 8.8assists per game, and again was a First Teamer in the All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense Teams. [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. Oscar Palmer Robertson (pron. The Lakers swept the Bulls and beat the Bucks in six games to reach The Finals. [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. The other definition is 'two way' player - one who can do everything offensively, and defensively. Fans' memories have dimmed of Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. [23], West's all-round game and attitude is maybe best expressed in his statistically most spectacular game: he once was credited with 44 points (16 of 17 shots from the field, 12 of 12 free throw attempts) with 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and (unofficially counted) 10 blocked shots, thus scoring a non-official ultra-rare quadruple double.