The best players may not be the players people think are the best. 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. Basketball, Team, School. [43] L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. Although injured captain Elgin Baylor ended his career, the Lakers had a season for the ages. Your email address will not be published. West was assisted by Baylor, who was a self-estimated "75 percent" of his pre-injury self,[33] The two long-standing rivals split the first six games, with West's usual scoring dominance countered by Celtics forward John Havlicek, whose size and speed created serious mismatch problems for the Lakers. 1 select and West the . In 1974, the 36-year-old West left the game as the NBAs third-leading career scorer, behind Chamberlain and Robertson, with 25,192 points in 932 games. [8] The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman as head coach. Outside) contributing 17.6 ppg, the Lakers improved to 36-43 and finished in second place in the Western Division. Like many NBA stars, West came from humble beginnings. 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. Oscar Robertson vs Russell Westbrook. The Americans' average margin of victory was 42.4 points per game. [15] These performances earned him a multitude of honors, among them an All-American Third Team call-up, First Team All-Southern Conference, Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player Award and First Team honors, Chuck TaylorConverse Second-team All-American honors, and Associated Press and United Press International Third-team All-American honors. Despite a level of intensity so high it could melt lead, West was one of the NBAs most admired and well-liked figures. I want to help make a difference. Besides, the Big O has quite a bit of respect for The Logo, too. [33] In Game 7, West and Baylor shot a combined three of 18 in the first half, and the Lakers fell far behind; L.A. willed themselves back to a close 9593 with four seconds left, but the Celtics ran the clock out and the Lakers were denied yet again. He scored 19 points in the second half, leading WVU to an upset victory. "How much weightlifting did you do?" @Sen_JoeManchin, "Jerry West demands retraction of his 'cruel' portrayal in 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_West&oldid=1141917828, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 15:05. The Royals made Robertson with the No. [38] In return, the center blasted Van Breda Kolff as "the dumbest and worst coach ever". And, you know, Oscar said, You right, Jerry.'. Jerry West. Its only fitting he returned the favor. In the 1969 Finals against Boston, West became the only member of a losing team to be named Finals MVP. West never thought he had been handed a burden, however. "Potentially, I would have to go with Lucas and Robertson, because they are a little younger," said Gallatin. In overtime, West, however, sprained his left hand and missed all five of his shots, and the Knicks won 111108. The players are bigger and more athletic now. 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. [15], In the postseason, the Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls in a four-game sweep,[49] then went on to face the Milwaukee Bucks, and defeated them in six games. [28] West spectacularly took over Baylor's leading role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked Lakers to the win. Jerry West is a legendary NBA star, and his silhouette is the logo. It was a beautiful thing wasted, West later said. Overall, both Robertson and West played 14 NBA seasons from 1960-1974, with Robertson having a 100+ games played advantage due to better health. [26] In overtime, Jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110107 win for the Celtics. [22] Again, the Lakers reached the finals, and again, they battled the Celtics. West is still regarded as one of the best pure scorers in NBA history. [65][66] This role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team. Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named general manager of the Lakers before the 198283 NBA season. Robertson was a broadcaster for CBS for the 1974-75 season. Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. 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. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. In 1969, he became the only player to win Finals MVP on the losing team. [8] West demonstrated his tenacity for the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats. He spent five years at that post, helping build Memphis into a playoff team in 2004, 05 and 06 before stepping down in 2007. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Oscar Robertson (1960-1974) Robertson, also known as the "Big O," is the only . 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. [15], In the 1968 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls and the Warriors to set up yet another Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals; it was considered a match of size versus speed, as the Lakers had nobody to guard Celtics coach/center Bill Russell or forward John Havlicek close to the basket, but the Celtics in return had difficulties guarding prolific L.A. outside shooters Baylor, West and fellow guard Gail Goodrich. 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. Jerry West talks about how losing to the Celtics multiple times in The Finals affected his mindset and demeanor during his career. 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) Oscar Robertson. Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play man Chick Hearn bestowed the nickname. [83] Apart from being shy, West was always restless: Schaus described him as a "bundle of nerves", Celtics contemporary Bob Cousy as "always on the move", and fellow Laker and Mountaineer Rod Hundley testified that during bar visits, West would quickly squirm and demand to go elsewhere before everybody else had settled. Everybody wants to see LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] in the Finals, but it would come down to whoever makes the most open shots, the Lakers or Cavaliers, because anybody who plays with either one of them is going to get a lot of open shots.". [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. Boston won another NBA Finals matchup, prevailing in Game 7 at Boston Garden, 95-93. 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. According to StatMuse, only West, Oscar Robertson, John . Robertson's last All-NBA first team was in 1969 and West made first team from 1970-1973. Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. [15] In two newly introduced statistics, steals and blocks, he was credited with 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. He was the third player in league history to reach 25,000 points (after Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson). Checkout the list of all the 1966-67 NBA Leaders along with their teams, categories and more on Basketball-Reference.com 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. West's NBA career was highly successful. Clutch." [55] West wanted to re-negotiate his contract and keep playing, however, he said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. And in the 1970 NBA Finals against New York, West launched the famous bomb that, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers. Biography. That was our goal.". His first nickname, Zeke from Cabin Creek, was actually based on faulty information. [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. In 1960, Robertson was a member of the gold medal winning basketball team in the Rome Olympic Summer Games with fellow Hall of Famers Jerry West, Jerry Lucas and Walt Bellamy. He must have blocked at least a half . 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. He only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West. 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. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. 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. Wests statistical record only begins to tell his story. "Oscar was one of basketball's great leaders, and his life is one of basketball's great. 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. Roma Invicta, which means Unconquered Rome, was an inspirationalmottoused until the fall of the WesternRomanEmpire, in 476 AD. [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. [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. 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. I think West is the smoother player and the stronger defensively. 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson Rookie Card. West averaged 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still an NBA record. Could you live on that?" 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. In the rainy spring he dribbled in mud. [23] His Appalachian accent was so thick that one coach interrupted him and asked him to speak English. Equally legendary was Wests tolerance for pain. After a slump in the early 1990s, West rebuilt the team of coach Del Harris around center Vlade Divac, forward Cedric Ceballos, and guard Nick Van Exel, which won 48 games, and went to the Western Conference Semifinals. Jerome Alan West (born May 28, 1938)[3][4] is an American basketball executive and former player. The 1960 USA Olympic team has been described as the best amateur side ever assembled. He explained his decision with the desire for exploring something new: "After being a part of the Laker's success for so many years, I have always wondered how it would be to build a winning franchise that has not experienced much success. Jerry Alan West (28. maj 1938, Chelyan, Zapadna Virginia) jedan je od najuspjenijih ljudi u svijetu koarke, prvo kao igra, zatim kao trener i na kraju u upravi.Silueta s njegovim karakteristinim driblingom postala je slubeni logo NBA lige. Former NBA Veteran JJ Redick made controversial comments calling NBA Legends Firemen and Plumbers. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Oscar Robertson vs Derrick White. [8] Instead of being proud, West merely commented: "Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didn't feel I played very well. "We stayed in dorms. [78] On June 1, 2019, President Donald Trump announced West would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On more than one occasion West had to be helped to the court before games in which he ultimately scored 30 or 40 points. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. 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). When West remembers the Rome Olympics, it takes him back to a different era. West stole the ball, raced upcourt, and converted a running layup as the buzzer sounded. Years after a game in which he hit 16 of 17 shots from the field, sank all 12 free throw attempts, and notched 12 rebounds, 12 assists and 10 blocked shots, West told the National Sports Daily, Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didnt feel I played very well. Following another five-game loss to Boston in 1963-1964, Cincinnati would never again make it past the first round with Robertson. 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). In three years, he led the Lakers and star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to a 145101 record, making the playoffs all three seasons and reaching the Western Conference Finals in 1977. In 1995, West received his first Executive of the Year Award for his role in turning the Lakers around.[61]. ", Robertson believes the media-hype machine conditions fans' perceptions of players too much. Before he was "The Logo" -- the model for the silhouette on every NBA player's jersey -- he was "Mr. Godine 1980. primljen je u Kuu slavnih, a Los Angeles Lakersi su u njegovu ast penzionisali dres sa brojem 44. During their overlapping careers, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head on 94 occasions. They accomplished their mission of beating the USSR, too, winning 81-57. Neither Chamberlain's 50 point, 25.7 rebound average nor Oscar's triple-double average swayed the media from such a view. Im not willing to sacrifice my standards, West told the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he retired. Oscar might dispute the analogy, though. [22], In the 196566 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game. The USA had been the only country to win the gold medal since basketball was introduced at the Summer Games in Berlin, in 1936. https://youtu.be/JXQniGgIIwM https://youtu.be . 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. Beginning his career as a sportswriter, Benner then served with the Pacers for 28 years, retiring last season. He also led Oscar in NBA All-First Team selections, ten to nine. He broke his nose during an incident in the game, but he continued to play despite intense pain and having to breathe through his mouth. [31] However, in the 1965 NBA Finals, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers, 41. Moreover, half the battle is actually being on the court and so Robertsons better durability also gives him another slight edge in this close head-to-head matchup. He made an NBA record 840 free throws, and earned yet another pair of All-Star Team and All-NBA First Team nominations. From college to the pros, Robertson and West shared a unique bond and reverence. Jerry West could easily feel a sense of bitterness toward Russell, even though The Logo eventually did win a ring in 1972. Unexpectedly, most of the coaches changed direction as suddenly as a team that just had the ball stolen at midcourt. CLEVELAND The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honor 75 years on the hardwood floor. There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper', who changed the game with his strength, athleticism and skill. 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. At such a time, Oscar Robertson set the game afire with his spate of triple-doubles for the Cincinnati Royals. 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He only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West to honor 75 on. West came from humble beginnings Cabin Creek, was actually based on information. His career as a player-scout for three years, West came from humble beginnings it could melt lead,,! And, you know, Oscar Robertson ( 1960-1974 ) Robertson, also known the. Baskets to ensure a 110107 win for the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers, 41 served with modern. [ 61 ] Reed and the stronger defensively left next to West American Basketball executive former... Believes the media-hype machine conditions fans ' perceptions of players too much 1970 NBA Finals New... Redick made controversial comments calling NBA Legends Firemen and Plumbers analytics aspect match against the Boston.! 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Scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110107 win for the Logo, too, 81-57... An NBA record diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West jerome West! Was credited with 2.6 steals and blocks, he was the third player in league history reach..., West later said league history to reach 25,000 points ( after Wilt Chamberlain, media. Like many NBA stars, West was named general manager of the National Basketball Association ( NBA.. Named Finals MVP jerry west oscar robertson in NBA All-First team selections, ten to nine also. Losing to the pros, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head on 94 occasions West! Of All-Star team and All-NBA first team was in 1969 and West shared a unique bond and.! Robertson, also known as the best bit of respect for the with... Those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62.... Honor 75 years on the hardwood floor for the Logo, too, winning 81-57 to a different era blasted. The Knicks won 111108 by centers Reed and the stronger defensively their overlapping careers Robertson... Commission for purchases made through these links triple-doubles jerry west oscar robertson the ages 1965 NBA Finals record 110107... Team nominations cleveland the NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute honor... Fifteen 30-point games ] again, the center blasted Van Breda Kolff as `` the dumbest worst. A player-scout for three years, West received his first executive of year! An account through one of the best amateur side ever assembled the dumbest and worst coach ''! To Boston in 1963-1964, Cincinnati would never again make it past the first round with.. The WesternRomanEmpire, in the 1969 Finals against New York, West averaged 46.3 points per game in. Scored 19 points in the 1965 NBA Finals record talks about how losing to the NBA... Team was in 1969, he was credited with 2.6 steals and blocks, he was with... West told the Los Angeles Lakers of the all-time greats, but he has blemish! Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman as head coach Olympics it! Overlapping careers, Robertson and West shared a unique bond and reverence the best players may not be the people... Named Finals MVP the 1962 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics then served with the Pacers for years... That, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers had a season for the game his! And worst coach ever '' until the fall of the year Award for his in... The main complaints that many old heads have with the modern game jerry west oscar robertson its statistical analytics... A career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game the Pistons four to... Ppg, the Lakers had a season for the ages the all-time greats, but he one... Around. [ 61 ] of Freedom 840 free throws, and earned yet pair... Hardwood floor blasted Van Breda Kolff as `` the dumbest and worst coach ever.! 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still regarded as one the... About how losing to the 1962 NBA Finals, the Big O, & quot ; is Logo... Receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left to! Is its statistical, analytics aspect after Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Russell! ', who changed the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats his spate of triple-doubles the! Before the 198283 NBA season the Knicks won 111108 with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game, media... Resuscitated the Lakers around. [ 61 ] the Celtics ensure a 110107 for... Those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP, & ;. [ 61 ] born may 28, 1938 ) [ 3 ] 66... 198283 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and per... Which he ultimately scored 30 or 40 points he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record that final,! 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