He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.8 rebounds for his career, making the . Jerry Wests storied career included 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA honors, five All-Defensive Teams and an NBA championship. Now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3points, 3.7rebounds and 6.6assists per game. Oscar Robertson, in full Oscar Palmer Robertson, byname the Big O, (born November 24, 1938, Charlotte, Tennessee, U.S.), American basketball player who starred in both the collegiate and professional ranks and was considered one of the top players in the history of the game. [62] However, he laid down the foundation of the Lakers three-peat, which saw L.A. win three NBA titles from 2000-2002. No portion of FIBA.basketball may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form.By accessing FIBA.basketball pages, you agree to abide by FIBA.basketball terms and conditions. Luckily, both legends got their just due. At the tail ends of their careers. [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. [8] The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman as head coach. 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. Sure did," said Jerry West. [61] At age 69, West retired as a Grizzlies general manager in 2007 and turned over managing duties to Chris Wallace.[64]. To get the center, the Lakers traded West's backcourt partner Archie Clark, starting center Darrall Imhoff and backup forward Jerry Chambers to Philadelphia. 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. Oscar Robertson: Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970) Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974) Jerry West: Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974) West lost the first eight times he played in the Finals, twice by a single basket against the Boston Celtics in Game 7s. 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). Led by Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, and John Havlicek, the Celtics would win eleven NBA . However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. In 1961-62, West established himself as a deadly scoring threat and averaged 30.8 ppg, marking the first of four seasons in which he 30 ppg or more. [81] They have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie. "[48], Having vanquished this long-time bane, West entered his 13th NBA year. "That was the most special moment in my life," he said. Local de nasc. 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. "Fans believe what people tell them.". 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. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. With Wests hot hand leading the way, East Bank won the 1956 state title. One of the salient features that differentiate the 50s and 60s basketball from eras that came later is the lack of emphasis on stats. Many players have been tagged with the nickname Mr. 9 Copy quote. 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!? Tackling the Biggest Head-to-Head Sports Debates. Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. [28] The Lakers struggled during the entire season, winning only 42 games, and were beaten by the Hawks in five games during the first round of the 1964 NBA Playoffs. 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. There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper', who changed the game with his strength, athleticism and skill. This also marked the first of three straight seasons leading the NBA in assists, with Robertson putting up at least 11.0 assists per game each year, including a career-high 11.5 in 1964-1965. Like many NBA stars, West came from humble beginnings. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. 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. "I had no tools to get better other than my own hard work," West said. The teams split the first two games, and at the end of Game 3 in Los Angeles, West tied the game at 115. 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. Head to Head: Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West. And also, West can still feel the sensation of receiving his gold medal. Theres a reason it took well over 50 years for another player (Russell Westbrook) to average a triple-double over the course of a full season. "I think any time an athlete gets an opportunity to play for your country, he should accept it," he said. Ended: Feb 21, 2023. He also led Oscar in NBA All-First Team selections, ten to nine. Im not willing to sacrifice my standards, West told the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he retired. 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. West averaged 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still an NBA record. As players on a perennial bridesmaid team, West and Baylor were frequently eclipsed by Chamberlain, Robertson and Bill Russell, who collectively won virtually every MVP during Wests and Baylors most productive years. [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. 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. The best players may not be the players people think are the best. Unfortunately for West, individual success could not prevent. 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.. The two go back quite a ways. Im surprised when the ball doesnt go into the hoop, West said toward the end of his career. 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. 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. "Potentially, I would have to go with Lucas and Robertson, because they are a little younger," said Gallatin. Rain. [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. He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. "Certain players seem to be able to do things in a certain part of the game that they might not be able to do earlier," said West. This includes rookie cards for Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and Len Wilkens (misspelled Wilkins). stories. [15] The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. [16] The Mountaineers went 262 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College in postseason tournament play. He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference Finals berth once. Steals and blocks came into official book-keeping during the mid-70s. 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. The game, which was the Lakers' first home game of . 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. [ 1] His nicknames included "Mr. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a decade of dominance. The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFLs All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years. This practice remained in effect until the school closed in 1999. [64] West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. The team had posted a 25-50 record in its last season in Minneapolis. "[8] West incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the NBA. West is still regarded as one of the best pure scorers in NBA history. In-Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 115112. 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. SG. Perhaps fittingly, the two players also went into the Hall of Fame together in 1980, and Wests silhouette continues to grace the NBA logo today. Wilt Chamberlain cited the examples of his former teammates Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to explain how in his view, NBA basketball got diluted. Also Read Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! Oscar Robertson vs Andrew Wiggins. His 28.7 points per game eclipsed the 25.4 by Baylor, who stated that he suffered from knee problems. At the same time, the early 1970s also saw West post his highest career assist numbers, which culminated in him leading the NBA in assists in 1971-1972 at 9.7 assists per game to go along with 25.8 points (47.7% shooting) and 4.2 rebounds per 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). > Archive 75: Jerry West| 75 Stories: Jerry West. It was particularly frustrating because I was playing so poorly that the team overcame me. Oscar Robertson was the only college player to finish the March Madness career with four triple-doubles. [48] West himself contributed with 25.8points and led the league with a career-high 9.7assists per game. Only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs, and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tallied more career points in the postseason. [29], In the following 196465 NBA season, West averaged 31.0 points (at the time, a career-high), only surpassed by perennial scoring champion Wilt Chamberlain. Isiah Thomas potentially snubs Michael Jordan as he labeles The Flash as the best Chicago athlete. [43][45] After Chamberlain scored 45points and West 31points plus 13assists in a series-equalising 135-113 Lakers win, the Lakers seemed favorites prior to Game 7. [8] Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn once said: "He took a loss harder than any player I've ever known. 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. 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. Wests statistical record only begins to tell his story. West and Co. got their revenge the following season, as The Logo led the NBA in assists and LA got a legendary game from Wilt Chamberlain en route to a title. He thinks it's going in! Clutch" didn't taunt, at least by the strict interpretation of the term. 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. 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. During his first year, he was benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. RT @LakersLead: Blake Griffin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West are the only other rookies to have a 30/15/10 game . should play. [50][51] West conceded that he had played a terrible series, and credited the team for the success. Both entered the league via the 1960 NBA Draft - Robertson was the No. NBA Twitter lauds the All-Star for joining the elite company of LeBron James and Luka Doncic in a special feat, Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! [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. 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 Jerry West was a 12-time All-NBA performer who knew how to elevate his game when the lights shined the brightest. "[86], In 2011, West and bestselling author Jonathan Coleman wrote a memoir entitled West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life. [8] He had a jump shot with a release the NBA lauded as "lightning quick", and was known for making baskets late in the game, earning him the nickname "Mr. [53][54], The 197374 NBA season was to be West's last as a player. Just look at the roster: Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger . The Minneapolis Lakers chose West with the second overall pick . Robertsons all-around excellence made him a triple-double machine on the court, and he drastically altered the complexion of the sport with a 1970 class-action lawsuit that led to the creation of free agency. 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