Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named general manager of the Lakers before the 198283 NBA season. West referred to leaving Golden State as "one of the saddest days of his life," but was excited to find a new challenge. 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. 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. [8] West demonstrated his tenacity for the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats. And it was a mission that we had to beat the Russian team. Oscar was sitting right there. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. In five postseason games that year, West scored a total of 160 points, presaging his NBA playoff heroics. 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. West was motivated by a relentless drive to succeed. [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. David Astramskas 32,332 November 24, 2015 No Comments oscar robertson. [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". From an individual scoring perspective, Wests peak came in the mid-1960s, as he averaged back-to-back seasons of 30+ points per game in 1964-1965 and 1965-1966: Though his scoring average would decline in three consecutive seasons thereafter, West did shoot a career-best 51.4% in 1967-1968 to the tune of 26.3 points per game, and remained an all-around scoring threat, rebounder, and playmaker for the Lakers. [26] The Celtics tied the series in Game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to Boston for Game 7. Robertson was a broadcaster for CBS for the 1974-75 season. [22] Again, the Lakers reached the finals, and again, they battled the Celtics. 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). ". Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He remained a . Additionally, as President of the Players Association, he was involved in the landmark Robertson vs. National Basketball Association antitrust suit that led to reforms for the college draft and free agency rules, and also finally allowed the completion of the ABA-NBA merger to take place in 1976 (the suit was filed in 1970). [43] L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. [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. 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. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. In fact, scoreboard keepers didnt introduce the concept of assists till after Bob Cousy revolutionized the PG position. West spent days shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud and snow in the backyard, as well as his mother's whippings when he came home hours late for dinner. West is still regarded as one of the best pure scorers in NBA history. His 28.7 points per game eclipsed the 25.4 by Baylor, who stated that he suffered from knee problems. Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. He entered the NBA in 1960 and immediately established himself averaging 30.5 points per game and captured Rookie of the Year honors. His brilliance on and off the floor propelled West to call his former rival the best player of their era. 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. The Minneapolis Lakers chose West with the second overall pick . Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. 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. Jerry West and Oscar Robertson defined the guard position for over a decade. His ferocity rarely, if ever, rubbed players, coaches or fans the wrong way. Milwaukee's Oscar Robertson (1) averaged a triple double in 1961-62 - 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game. In addition, Robertson broke Bob Cousys single-season assist record in one of six seasons leading the NBA in assists. When you think about iconic NBA players of the 1960s and 1970s, a few players come to mind the great Russell vs. Chamberlain rivalry (and the great Celtics teams and players in general), Oscar Robertson and his triple-double season, Jerry West gracing the NBA logo with his silhouette, just to name a few. "I did that once or twice. [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. The Big O's best statistical season came in 1961-62 when he averaged a . It seems to mark a change from the way the final minutes are officiated today, when "no hemorrhage, no foul" is the rule. He eventually chose to stay in his home state and attend West Virginia University (WVU), located in Morgantown. If Im not nervous, if I dont have at least a little bit of the same self-doubt and anxious feelings I had when I started playing, then it will be time for me to go on, he told the Orange County Register in 1990. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. Moreover, before Johnson entered the NBA, West and Oscar "The Big O" Robertson were considered the greatest guards in league history, not to mention that West was the one who received more respect and love. 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. [23] However, West soon impressed his colleagues with his defensive hustle, with his vertical jumphe could reach up 16 inches above the rim when he went upand with his work ethic, spending countless extra hours working on his game. With continued individual excellence and improved team play, he earned MVP honors in 1963-1964 on the strength of a career-high 31.4 points (48.3% shooting), 9.9 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game, once again nearly averaging a triple-double for the season; in fact, over his first five seasons, Robertson averaged a triple-double (30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game). West completely immersed himself in practice, often neglecting to eat. Hence, every college game, every practice and every summer workout by 1958 became about the game within the game: winning at all costs, but also showing the world he could . FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. His first nickname, Zeke from Cabin Creek, was actually based on faulty information. [ 1] In-Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 115112. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. 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. For his contributions, West won the NBA Executive of the Year Award twice, once as a Lakers manager (1995) and then as a Grizzlies manager (2004). 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. Every bit West's equal was Baylor. 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. 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. Wilt Chamberlain cited the examples of his former teammates Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to explain how in his view, NBA basketball got diluted. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Emboldened by the success of the westward-bound Brooklyn Dodgers and faced with the dilemma of finding a site for its home games, the Lakers franchise moved to Los Angeles for the 1960-61 season. Once there, the Lakers lost Game 1 to the Knicks, but then won four straight by relatively large margins. This includes rookie cards for Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and Len Wilkens (misspelled Wilkins). The Americans' average margin of victory was 42.4 points per game. They beat the Pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. One of the main complaints that many old heads have with the modern game is its statistical, analytics aspect. But his all-around excellence was unprecedented for a guard. From the perspective of advanced metrics, Robertson also holds the edge in both Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Wins-Shares. 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. Oscar might dispute the analogy, though. Basketball had not yet sacrificed fundamentals for potential. Van Lier: Condition:--not specified. CLEVELAND The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honor 75 years on the hardwood floor. 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. It is an honor to know him and to have competed against him. ESPN has been the primary culprit in driving stat-driven basketball analysis, making the game hollow in the general publics minds. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. He looks determined. I could've played another very good year. [32] In Game 3, West scored 49points, and L.A. finally won a game, but in Games 4 and 5, the Lakers were beaten by double digits; in the last quarter of Game 5, West missed 14 of 15 shots and could not prevent yet another Celtics win. They were also both on the gold medal winning team at the 1959 Pan American Games. Besides, the Big O has quite a bit of respect for The Logo, too. Once you get out of it, you figure, 'Boy, what a great bunch of guys'.". Clutch." He was a loner. Ten of the players would go on to play in the NBA. The same road is shared on the south end of Morgantown with Don Knotts Boulevard, in honor of another WVU alumnus. 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. 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. Wilt Chamberlain wasnt out of place when he said the media is diluting the modern game of basketball. [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. Robertsons response might seem arrogant. Oscar Robertson vs Coby White. 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. Fittingly, Thomas remembered the Big O agreeing with Wests assessment. Wilt Chamberlain talks about how his contemporaries Jerry West and co wouldn't pursue stats [38] In return, the center blasted Van Breda Kolff as "the dumbest and worst coach ever". Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played. "I think the thing I most remember is that we won so easily ". Jerry West and the Lakers won Game 3 of the 1962 NBA Finals at the buzzer. He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss. 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. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about that Olympic experience.". Rather, he bestowed that honor on Oscar Robertson. West's NBA career was highly successful. After his playing career ended, West took over as head coach of the Lakers for three years. [17], During his junior year (195859), West scored 26.6 points per game and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game. The Minneapolis Lakers chose West with the second overall pick behind Robertson in the 1960 NBA Draft. The USA had a team to envy. West never thought he had been handed a burden, however. As the game ended, veteran Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy threw the ball high into the rafters of the L.A. Sports Arena. 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! He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.8 rebounds for his career, making the Lakers one of the most relevant franchises in the league. 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. 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. [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. 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 . ", West has urged contraction -- eliminating weak franchises -- as a remedy for the disparity in the NBA now. [47], Before the 197172 NBA season, West was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement. [9], West was an outgoing and aggressive child in his youth. It was 200 degrees and a heat wave in Rome. 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. [73] In 1979, West was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Lakers retired his No. Magic, Wilt, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant are some of the Laker greats, but Kareem was the best. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. [44] As the three-point line had not been introduced yet, the shot just tied the game. The players are bigger and more athletic now. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. Co-captains West and Robertson, and also Jerry Lucas, had legendary professional careers. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. [20] His college coach was also hired to coach the Lakers. [63], Jerry married his current wife, Kristine "Karen" Bua, in 1978. Rendimiento en Playoffs In the Olympic basketball tournament, the USA definitely conquered Rome. In 1995, West received his first Executive of the Year Award for his role in turning the Lakers around.[61]. I must have that tension. West was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. 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!. His 31.2 ppg in 1969-70 (at age 31) is the highest average ever for a player over 30. Also Read Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! 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. Your inbox approves The power couples & . No copyright infringement is intended. 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. [8] West led East Bank to a state championship on March 24 that year, prompting East Bank High School to change its name to "West Bank High School" every year on March 24 in honor of their basketball prodigy. Robertsonwas on hand when the Rome Olympic champions were inducted at Springfield. It's a test of your strength and stamina and playing ability, really. Van Lier See original listing. A loss just ripped his guts out., Its no wonder. Indeed, The Logo is still the only player to win Finals MVP as a member of the losing team. [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. [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. [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. A loss just ripped his guts out. 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 the 1972 NBA Finals, the Lakers again met the New York Knicks. He and the Lakers routinely experienced heartbreak at the hands of the Boston Celtics. [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. @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. His average of 27.0 ppg game stands as the fourth highest among retired players, behind Michael Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor. He scored 19 points in the second half, leading WVU to an upset victory. And his 6,238 career assists (6.7 apg) rank among the best ever. Isiah Thomas potentially snubs Michael Jordan as he labeles The Flash as the best Chicago athlete. But just a word to . Those two players formed the nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals. And in the 1970 NBA Finals against New York, West launched the famous bomb that, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers. [24], In West's second NBA season, the Lakers could only make limited use of Baylor, who was called up by the U.S. Army Reserves and could play only 48 games. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Wests statistical record only begins to tell his story. In a generation defined mostly by big men, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson managed to stand out from the crop. [75] Also, on November 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by West Virginia University and on February 17, 2007, a bronze statue created by sculptor Jamie Lester was installed outside of the WVU Coliseum. [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. West was the second pick of the 1960 NBA Draft. 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. He made the varsity squad at East Bank High School, although he mostly sat on the bench during his junior year. (Going into the 1963-64 season, Baylor was 28, West 25, Robertson 24, Lucas 23.) Oscar Robertson (1960-1974) Robertson, also known as the "Big O," is the only . "There are people on ESPN who never played basketball or even picked up a basketball," he said. However, he started at West Virginia, getting 13 rebounds and 25 points for each game. 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. Neither Chamberlains 50 point, 25.7 rebound average nor Oscars triple-double average swayed the media from such a view. They accomplished their mission of beating the USSR, too, winning 81-57. 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. Labeles the Flash as the fourth highest among retired players, behind Jordan! 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