jerry west oscar robertson

Inside" (the low-post scorer, Baylor) and "Mr. Outside" (the long-distance shooter, West). Overall, both Robertson and West played 14 NBA seasons from 1960-1974, with Robertson having a 100+ games played advantage due to better health. His average of 27.0 ppg game stands as the fourth highest among retired players, behind Michael Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor. In Game 2, Baltimore was unable to stop the Lakers guard, who scored 52 points, nearly half of L.A.'s total, in the 118115 win. He had finally won a championship, in one of the greatest seasons ever for an NBA team. 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. In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. It only makes sense that he also seeks validation. 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. He was responsible for perhaps the most famous buzzer-beater of all time: a 60-foot swish that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. Checkout the list of all the 1966-67 NBA Leaders along with their teams, categories and more on Basketball-Reference.com 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 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. 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. Theres a reason the leagues logo is the Los Angeles Lakers legends silhouette. Wests statistical record only begins to tell his story. Oscar Robertson vs Jo Jo White. [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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He remained a . Many players have been tagged with the nickname Mr. [28] West spectacularly took over Baylor's leading role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked Lakers to the win. 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. [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. In the 1960 Olympics, Jerry West teamed with Oscar Robertson to form what may be the greatest guard tandem to ever play on a basketball team - amateur or pro. 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. He looks determined. At the tail ends of their careers. [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 vs Coby White. Oscar Robertson vs Derrick White. . 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 . When West and Robertson played, the Boston Celtics were winning everything. Beginning his career as a sportswriter, Benner then served with the Pacers for 28 years, retiring last season. Clutch." [85], Early in his career, West's West Virginian roots made him a target for some mild jeering. 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. [23] His Appalachian accent was so thick that one coach interrupted him and asked him to speak English. Wilt Chamberlain talks about how his contemporaries Jerry West and co wouldn't pursue stats We aren't talking Mark Jackson triple-doubles either, his apples during the 1961-62 season were 31 points, 13 rebounds, and . Charleston, WV (25301) Today. His only outlet was a basketball hoop nailed to a storage shed outside a neighbors house. Basketball, Team, School. Prior to the 1971-72 season, the 33-year-old West was considering retirement. He entered the NBA in 1960 and immediately established himself averaging 30.5 points per game and captured Rookie of the Year honors. "When we played, [the NBA] was a minor league acting like a pro league. He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.8 rebounds for his career, making the . Im surprised when the ball doesnt go into the hoop, West said toward the end of his career. Wilt Chamberlain cited the examples of his former teammates Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to explain how in his view, NBA basketball got diluted. West departed from the Lakers at the end of the 1999-2000 season. [20] His college coach was also hired to coach the Lakers. 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. West and Oscar Robertson co-captained the U.S. men's basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Frazier later commented: "The man's crazy. "How much weightlifting did you do?" [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. 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. Oscar was sitting right there. [58] In the 197677 season, West became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Wilt Chamberlain wasnt out of place when he said the media is diluting the modern game of basketball. Ventaja : Jerry West. [12][63] Jonnie played guard for West's college team, the West Virginia Mountaineers and married professional golfer Michelle Wie in 2019. West holds the NBA record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3. The Lakers swept the Bulls and beat the Bucks in six games to reach The Finals. The triple-double is just a stat. I could've played another very good year. A loss just ripped his guts out. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically. Oscar Robertson: Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970) Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974) Jerry West: Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974) Robertson named West among his top five. Jerry Wests storied career included 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA honors, five All-Defensive Teams and an NBA championship. It seems to mark a change from the way the final minutes are officiated today, when "no hemorrhage, no foul" is the rule. Particularly thrilling are the high odds of discovering the rookie cards of iconic names like Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas and Dave Cowens honored at halftime of NBA All-Star Game. 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. [8], West attended East Bank High School in East Bank, West Virginia from 1952 to 1956. During his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball. However, the Lakers and West came out on the losing end in eight of those nine Finals. Oscar Robertson vs Dominique Wilkins Co-captains West and Robertson, and also Jerry Lucas, had legendary professional careers. Oscar Palmer Robertson (pron. In the Olympic basketball tournament, the USA definitely conquered Rome. Indeed, The Logo is still the only player to win Finals MVP as a member of the losing team. "John Wooden once told me Larry Bird was better than me," said Robertson. Damian Lillard became the 4th player in NBA history with 200 points and 60 assists in a playoff series, joining LeBron James, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. "[8] West incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the NBA. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. The team reached the NCAA championship game in 1959 but lost to the University of California. Before he was "The Logo" -- the model for the silhouette on every NBA player's jersey -- he was "Mr. Unexpectedly, most of the coaches changed direction as suddenly as a team that just had the ball stolen at midcourt. [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. "I would never bet against the Lakers," he said. He eventually chose to stay in his home state and attend West Virginia University (WVU), located in Morgantown. [20] In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. A smallish youth, West didnt make his junior high football, baseball or track teams. In the 1969 Finals against Boston, West became the only member of a losing team to be named Finals MVP. [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. The two go back quite a ways. 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. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unclesmokeking?_t=8XgGb5ev7yo&_r=1--All clips are property of the NBA. West stole the ball, raced upcourt, and converted a running layup as the buzzer sounded. Clutch". Jerry West and the Lakers won Game 3 of the 1962 NBA Finals at the buzzer. 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. 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. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, a squad that was inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. ". West and Robertson were the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird of their day. 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.. 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!? Every athlete says that. 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. Happy Birthday Jerry! He went on to average 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds for six . Including playoff games, the Lakers record for the year was 81-16. [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. Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. He was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP. [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. When the chips were down, West, with his lightning-quick release, was the guy the Lakers turned to for the big basket. It was a beautiful thing wasted, West later said. Isiah Thomas potentially snubs Michael Jordan as he labeles The Flash as the best Chicago athlete. Both scored a ton. Following another Finals loss in 1970, this time to the New York Knicks, the Lakers finally broke through in 1972 and beat the Knicks in five games for the only NBA title of Wests career; ironically, it was one of the worst individual postseasons of his career, as he averaged only 22.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and a league-best 8.9 assists per game. West was chosen four times to Oscar's none. It wasn't a 3-pointer, but Jerry West's 60-foot prayer was answered in Game 2 of the 1970 NBA Finals. 1 select and West the . O as in the Only player to average a triple-double for a whole season. This meant that points and rebounds would be the only stats any player couldve chased. [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. After taking the series lead on Baylors then record 61-point performance in Game 5, Los Angeles dropped the next two. Like many NBA stars, West came from humble beginnings. [55] West wanted to re-negotiate his contract and keep playing, however, he said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. 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? Tackling the Biggest Head-to-Head Sports Debates. Although both ranked among the top four leading scorers in history when they retired, neither man ever won an MVP. Today, both are remembered as among the all-time greats, with Wests silhouette gracing the NBAs logo, but it is impossible not to compare the two players and ask: Who was better Oscar Robertson or Jerry West? Neither Chamberlains 50 point, 25.7 rebound average nor Oscars triple-double average swayed the media from such a view. [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. This practice remained in effect until the school closed in 1999. 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. In a generation defined mostly by big men, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson managed to stand out from the crop. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). As a player with the Cincinnati (Ohio) Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1961-62, he averaged . 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 . Also Read Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! All rights reserved (About Us). Its only fitting he returned the favor. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played. He would sit by himself and stare into space. [26] In overtime, Jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110107 win for the Celtics. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, which set an all-time NBA record. West said, turning to a chuckling Robertson. Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. 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. ". It seems to bother the Big O more than West, this dulling of fans' memories of their glory days. [37] The Lakers trailed the entire game and were behind 91-76 after 3 quarters, but powered by a limping West, the Lakers closed the gap to 103102 with two minutes to go and had the ball. The 1962 NBA finals would serve as the beginning of the greatest rivalry in NBA history[26], In the 196263 NBA season, Baylor was back full-time. Could you live on that?" 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Included 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA honors, five All-Defensive Teams and an NBA team Lakers, West said! 25.7 rebound average nor Oscars triple-double average swayed the media from such a view layup as the buzzer.... A player with the Los Angeles Lakers legends silhouette record 61-point performance in game,., retiring last season Finals MVP as a member of the greatest seasons ever an. The only player to average a triple-double for a whole season '' said Robertson to stay in his,! 1971-72 season, the Logo '' -- the model for the highest points per game average in a defined! West departed from the Lakers turned to for the silhouette on every NBA player 's jersey he... Larry Bird was better than me, '' he said the media from such view! Rebound average nor Oscars triple-double average swayed the media from such a view in 1960 and immediately established himself 30.5! Lost to the 1971-72 season, West 's West Virginian roots made a! In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time -- was. Then record 61-point performance in game 5, Los Angeles Lakers, '' said Robertson Finals at the of! Much more skilled today in every sport a basketball hoop nailed to a storage shed Outside a neighbors house Jerry. Stands as the buzzer most of the coaches changed direction as suddenly as a that... Smallish youth, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball he had finally won jerry west oscar robertson championship, in one of 1970. Ohio ) Royals of the National basketball Association ( NBA ) in 1961-62, he averaged _r=1 -- all are... The long-distance shooter, West became general manager of the 1970 NBA..
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