Robertson's last All-NBA first team was in 1969 and West made first team from 1970-1973. Following another five-game loss to Boston in 1963-1964, Cincinnati would never again make it past the first round with Robertson. [59], After his coaching stint, West worked as a scout for three years before becoming general manager of the Lakers before the 198283 seasons. Oscar Palmer Robertson (Big O, Mr. Its only fitting he returned the favor. He took a loss harder than any player Ive ever known, said longtime Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn in the National Sports Daily. Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named general manager of the Lakers before the 198283 NBA season. During his first year, he was benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. Although West suffered a terrible shooting slump during Games 1 and 2, the Lakers tied the series at one win each, and in Game 3, he scored 21points and helped L.A. win Game 3. Professional career Los Angeles Lakers (1960 . 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. [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. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Basketball had not yet sacrificed fundamentals for potential. One of the game's most gifted players, Elgin Baylor made 10 appearances on the All-NBA first team. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. Isiah Thomas potentially snubs Michael Jordan as he labeles The Flash as the best Chicago athlete. Van Lier: Condition:--not specified. [36] In Game 5, an injured West scored 35points, but Boston won by threepoints. [12], West graduated from East Bank High School in 1956, and more than 60 universities showed interest in him. Jerry West's NBA Finals Record. [40] L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. Just look at the roster: Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy, Bob Boozer, Terry Dischinger . [50] After winning Game 4 due to a superb outing from Wilt Chamberlain, West scored 23 points and dished out 9 assists in Game 5, helping the Lakers to win the game and the NBA championship. [8] Instead of being proud, West merely commented: "Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didn't feel I played very well. His average of 27.0 ppg game stands as the fourth highest among retired players, behind Michael Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, which set an all-time NBA record. Sure did," said Jerry West. He was the son of a coal mine electrician who could afford no luxuries and who was usually too drained from work to play with his children. 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. After taking the series lead on Baylors then record 61-point performance in Game 5, Los Angeles dropped the next two. 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 Game 1, which Boston easily won, defensive Celtics guard K. C. Jones kept West to the only 26 points, and in Game 2, West scored 45 points, but Boston still won 129123. "[86], In 2011, West and bestselling author Jonathan Coleman wrote a memoir entitled West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life. Basketball, Thinking, Able. During their overlapping careers, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head on 94 occasions. A 112-81 triumph over Italy and finally, a 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched the gold medal. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. "None. 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. Countdown 4: Top 10 Five-Tool Players in MLB History, Countdown 153: Top 10 Minnesota Twins of All Time, Countdown 152: Top 10 Dallas Mavericks of All Time, Countdown 151: Top 10 Tampa Bay Lightning of All Time, Countdown 150: Top 10 Kickers in NFL History, Countdown 149: Top 10 Left-Handed Pitchers in MLB History. [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. In the playoffs he kept up his torrid scoring pace, averaging 34.2 ppg over 14 contests. "[8], West ended his playing career with 14 All-Star, 12 All-NBA Team and five All-Defensive Team selections, and scored 25,192points, 6,238assists and 5,366rebounds in 932 games, translating to an average of 27.0points, 6.7assists and 5.8rebounds per game. Revitalized, he played two more seasons. [85], Early in his career, West's West Virginian roots made him a target for some mild jeering. The Lakers drafted him after the Cincinnati Royals drafted Oscar Robertson. NBA Twitter lauds the All-Star for joining the elite company of LeBron James and Luka Doncic in a special feat. ". the Lakers held a "Jerry West Night", and eleven-time NBA champion and perennial rival Bill Russell appeared and said: "Jerry, you are, in every sense of the word, truly a . Theyre gonna be selling TODAYs game. He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.8 rebounds for his career, making the . 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. In some ways, the decision of who was better comes down to personal preferences on playing style do you prefer Robertson with his penchant for racking up triple-doubles or West with his silky smooth moves and shooting? He thinks it's going in! [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. Jerry West and the Lakers won Game 3 of the 1962 NBA Finals at the buzzer. While his famous triple-double season would come a year later, Robertson got off to a fast start right out of the gate during his 1960-61 rookie season in which he . Oscar Robertson. "There are a lot of bad teams," he said. [35] The 52 wins were accumulated despite West playing only 51 regular season games due to injury[22] and scoring 26.3 points, the lowest average since his rookie year: after being a First-Teamer for six times en bloc, he only made the All-NBA Second Team. Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; from Robertsons complementary role on the Bucks to Wests proneness to injury, both players were eventually affected by these factors. 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. In fact, scoreboard keepers didnt introduce the concept of assists till after Bob Cousy revolutionized the PG position. Its one that calls for a mutual appreciation, something that remains to this day. "[36], On July 9, 1968, the Lakers made a trade that brought reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers to Los Angeles at the beginning of the 196869 NBA season. West averaged 27.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists and was again NBA All-Star and All-NBA First-Team;[15] however, he played in only 55 regular-season games, missing the last seven weeks due to a hamstring injury. [87][88], West is portrayed in the 2022 HBO docudrama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty as a temperamental, foul-mouthed executive prone to angry outbursts and mood swings. Jerry Wests storied career included 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA honors, five All-Defensive Teams and an NBA championship. Wilt Chamberlain wasnt out of place when he said the media is diluting the modern game of basketball. Perhaps I expect too much.. 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. Tackling the Biggest Head-to-Head Sports Debates. [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. An abundance of admiration, actually. [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. Oscar Robertson Calls out NBA for Super Teams Hypocrisy: When Boston Got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, That Was David Sterns Deal. Clutch". [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. [15] As of 2011, West holds 12 WVU all-time records. However, due to the dynastic dominance of the Boston Celtics, who won 10 NBA titles between 1959 and 1969, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966, both players would fall short of a ring time after time again until finally reaching the NBA pinnacle in the early 1970s. [31] However, in the 1965 NBA Finals, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers, 41. By Oscar Robertson Aug. 7, 2010 Let me tell you about the original Dream Team, the 1960 United States Olympic gold medalist basketball team coached by Pete Newell, with Jerry West and me as the co . [28] West spectacularly took over Baylor's leading role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked Lakers to the win. 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. "There are people on ESPN who never played basketball or even picked up a basketball," he said. He was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP. Also Read When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? Robertsonwas on hand when the Rome Olympic champions were inducted at Springfield. Wests long wait had ended. No one was affected more by those defeats than West. West was born into a poor household in Chelyan, West Virginia. 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. His best opportunity for a title with the Royals came in 1962-1963, when they advanced to the Eastern Division Finals, but lost to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in seven games despite the Big Os 31.8 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game in the postseason. Unexpectedly, most of the coaches changed direction as suddenly as a team that just had the ball stolen at midcourt. Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas and Dave Cowens honored at halftime of NBA All-Star Game. [13] In his freshman year (195657), West was a member of the WVU freshman squad that achieved a perfect record of 17 wins without a loss over the course of the season;[13] other team members included Jay Jacobs and Willie Akers. West was motivated by a relentless drive to succeed. Triple Double, Ozzie, Oscar the Grouch) Position: Point Guard Shoots: Right 6-5, 205lb (196cm, 92kg) . Maybe that's what a team is all about. Jerry West was a 12-time All-NBA performer who knew how to elevate his game when the lights shined the brightest. 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. Local de nasc. From the perspective of advanced metrics, Robertson also holds the edge in both Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Wins-Shares. Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. West threw in 28.7 points per game with 48% shooting from the floor and 83% shooting from the foul line. In five postseason games that year, West scored a total of 160 points, presaging his NBA playoff heroics. If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy. I want to help make a difference. 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. This worldview of modern basketball wouldnt have spread if it wasnt a generational thing. Outside) contributing 17.6 ppg, the Lakers improved to 36-43 and finished in second place in the Western Division. 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. [16] He was also named to be a member of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold medal. [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. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. Although injured captain Elgin Baylor ended his career, the Lakers had a season for the ages. Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. Wilt Chamberlain broke it down in the following fashion: Why would someone doing a game for lets say NBC do nothing but applaud the players and praise who they are? His 28.7 points per game eclipsed the 25.4 by Baylor, who stated that he suffered from knee problems. Jerry West is one of the most revered players in NBA history. However, it became clearer later that NBA media got lazy, complacent and became more of a sales force for the league itself. Pro basketball has become more athletic, less cerebral, and more hyped since their day, but they would have been great players in any era. 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. The players are bigger and more athletic now. I think West is the smoother player and the stronger defensively. "[48], Having vanquished this long-time bane, West entered his 13th NBA year. And in the 1970 NBA Finals against New York, West launched the famous bomb that, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers. 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. Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated. said "Mr. [60], Those championship-winning Lakers were coached by Pat Riley, and featured superstar players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. 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. [81] They have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie. Now, why is it that way? 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. You'll see their coaches shaking their heads on the bench because they didn't make the right play. Jerry West is a legendary Lakers guard. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. West was also superior as a clutch performer and in playoff competition. Robertsons response might seem arrogant. And also, West can still feel the sensation of receiving his gold medal. Both Robertson and West were standout high school basketball players (in fact, both were named the best player in their respective home states) before going on to dominate the college ranks; drafted 1-2 in 1960, the duo would also quickly make their marks in the NBA. A loss just ripped his guts out. Jerry West SG. [8], West attended East Bank High School in East Bank, West Virginia from 1952 to 1956. When West remembers the Rome Olympics, it takes him back to a different era. In three campaigns with West at the helm, the Lakers went 145-101 and returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason during Wests retirement. He scored 19 points in the second half, leading WVU to an upset victory. They beat the Pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Meanwhile, as Robertson was dominating night in and night out in Cincinnati, West exploded in his second NBA season, averaging 30.8 points (on 44.5% shooting), a career-high 7.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in 1961-1962, which resulted in the first of 10 First Team All-NBA selections. [61] At age 69, West retired as a Grizzlies general manager in 2007 and turned over managing duties to Chris Wallace.[64]. West was named the NBA Executive of the Year for 1995 after the Lakers posted their best record in four seasons. Over the next summer he grew six more inches. He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. 1 overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft, with the Lakers selecting West immediately thereafter. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. Both men won gold medals at the 1959 Pan American Games and led Team USA to a gold medal in the Olympics the following year, forming perhaps the greatest backcourt in the history of basketball. [67] In 2015, the Warriors won their first championship in 40 years; the championship was the seventh earned by West while serving as a team executive. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. For most of the game, the Lakers trailed, but West and Frank Selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. [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. Kareem said Oscar was better than Magic. ", West has urged contraction -- eliminating weak franchises -- as a remedy for the disparity in the NBA now. For the children's author, see, In the summer of 1996, West traded for shooting guard. On the flipside, West was selected more frequently for All-Star (14x to 12x), All-NBA (12x to 11x), and All-Defensive (5x to none) Teams, though Robertson does have the one MVP to his name. Wilt Chamberlain cited the examples of his former teammates Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to explain how in his view, NBA basketball got diluted. But despite his remarkable legacy, West does not feel he was the best individual talent of his era. The triple-double is just a stat. 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). The Big O's best statistical season came in 1961-62 when he averaged a . SG. The best players may not be the players people think are the best. Oscar Robertson vs Jamaal Wilkes. [55] West wanted to re-negotiate his contract and keep playing, however, he said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. West continued to propel the Lakers to championship contender status by trading Divac for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant (1996), by signing free agent center Shaquille O'Neal (also 1996), and by signing six-time NBA champion Phil Jackson as a coach (1999). [15] Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. Naturally, West must have felt a . West was chosen four times to Oscar's none. [22], In the 196566 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. [45] However, more frustration awaited West in Game 5, when Reed pulled his thigh muscle and seemed out for the series; instead of capitalizing on a double-digit lead and reeling off an easy win, the Lakers committed 19 second-half turnovers, and the two main scorers Chamberlain and West shot the ball only three and two times, respectively, in the entire second half and lost 107100 in what was called one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history. In addition, Robertson broke Bob Cousys single-season assist record in one of six seasons leading the NBA in assists. 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. 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