West's mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defenses. 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 . Much like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s, the careers of Oscar Robertson and Jerry West were closely intertwined and highlighted by many of the same contrasts between the two players, e.g. Theyre gonna be selling TODAYs game. Both are the most prolific assist men of their periods. He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference Finals berth once. Before that, the Oscar Robertson Rule was established in 1976, and the ABA-NBA merger allowed the NBA to expand for the 1976-77 season. ", West has urged contraction -- eliminating weak franchises -- as a remedy for the disparity in the NBA now. 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. 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!? He was also at the forefront of rebuilding the Lakers into championship shape by adding Shaquille ONeal as a free agent and trading for Kobe Bryant, who entered the NBA out of high school in 1996. 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.". "Not a day goes by when I don't think about that Olympic experience.". He also led Oscar in NBA All-First Team selections, ten to nine. He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.8 rebounds for his career, making the . Led by Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, and John Havlicek, the Celtics would win eleven NBA . 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). Jerry West and the Lakers won Game 3 of the 1962 NBA Finals at the buzzer. Neither Chamberlain's 50 point, 25.7 rebound average nor Oscar's triple-double average swayed the media from such a view. He spent five years at that post, helping build Memphis into a playoff team in 2004, 05 and 06 before stepping down in 2007. West lost the first eight times he played in the Finals, twice by a single basket against the Boston Celtics in Game 7s. LA Clippers executive board member Jerry West attends a game between the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets during the 2022 NBA Summer League at the Thomas and Mack Center July 7, 2022, in Las . [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. I worked construction in the summer," said Robertson, noting that all players had off-season jobs then. [8] The Lakers were captained by Hall-of-Fame forward Elgin Baylor, who was complemented by centers Jim Krebs and Ray Felix; forwards Rudy LaRusso and Tom Hawkins; and guards Rod Hundley (from West Virginia, like West), Frank Selvy, and Bobby Leonard. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. FTA complete back to 1948-49. Lillard was the only one to accomplish . Its one that calls for a mutual appreciation, something that remains to this day. Before Game 1, West privately complained to Bill Russell of exhaustion, but then the Lakers guard scored 53 points on Boston in a close two-point win. 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. Despite the Lakers failure to win more titles, most of Wests legendary exploits came during the postseason. [5] West was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996, and to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.[6][7]. West's NBA career was highly successful. 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. His only outlet was a basketball hoop nailed to a storage shed outside a neighbors house. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. 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. 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. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas recalls the conversation quite well. The game, which was the Lakers' first home game of . Van Lier: Condition:--not specified. The team had posted a 25-50 record in its last season in Minneapolis. As the NBA celebrates it's 75th Anniversary Season, get to know dozens of star players who helped make the NBA what it is today. As a member of the Bucks in 1970-1971, Robertson finally broke through as Milwaukee swept the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals for his only NBA title; Robertson led the playoffs in assists that season (8.9 assists per game) to go along with 18.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. [62] However, he laid down the foundation of the Lakers three-peat, which saw L.A. win three NBA titles from 2000-2002. According to StatMuse, only West, Oscar Robertson, John . The Big O appeared on the Knuckleheads podcast to discuss his favorite players in league history. "There are people on ESPN who never played basketball or even picked up a basketball," he said. 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] Game 4 saw Celtics guard Sam Jones hit an off-balance buzzer beater to tie the series,[41] but in Game 5, the Lakers struck back and won by 13points; however, they suffered a major blow when West who scored 39points and by far led all players in scoring during the entire series lunged for a meaningless late-game ball and seriously pulled his hamstring: it was immediately visible that the injury would not heal until the end of the series. During has remaining 13 seasons, the Lakers missed the Finals only four times. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. [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. Your email address will not be published. [59], After his coaching stint, West worked as a scout for three years before becoming general manager of the Lakers before the 198283 seasons. Roma Invicta, which means Unconquered Rome, was an inspirationalmottoused until the fall of the WesternRomanEmpire, in 476 AD. It was a beautiful thing wasted, West later said. I will say that Oscar fits the 'all around' definition better - he was *almost* as good at scoring as Jerry although not quite matching up to West's peak scoring abilities, he was a better rebounder and also a better passer (both by . Van Lier See original listing. Wests statistical record only begins to tell his story. CLEVELAND - "Mr. 1 overall pick in the 1960 NBA Draft, with the Lakers selecting West immediately thereafter. There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper', who changed the game with his strength, athleticism and skill. In 2002, West became the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies. Oscar Robertson vs Russell Westbrook. 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. "To play the national anthem, it was the most thrilling, chilling thing that I've ever been involved with.". Having played in nine NBA Finals, he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team (1969). TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unclesmokeking?_t=8XgGb5ev7yo&_r=1--All clips are property of the NBA. And knowing what that looked like, the Logo wanted to surpass him. You pass them on, but nobody can understand you. Outside) contributing 17.6 ppg, the Lakers improved to 36-43 and finished in second place in the Western Division. Advertisement. His own athleticism far exceeded that of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and the other guards/forwards on the 1960 team. "Oscar was one of basketball's great leaders, and his life is one of basketball's great. West never thought he had been handed a burden, however. Every bit West's equal was Baylor. [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. said "Mr. Clutch." [81] They have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie. Jerry West. His 31.2 ppg in 1969-70 (at age 31) is the highest average ever for a player over 30. Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Hal Greer, the Boston Celtics became the most dominating team in the league. RT @LakersLead: Blake Griffin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West are the only other rookies to have a 30/15/10 game . Not blessed with great size, strength, or dribbling ability, West made up for these deficiencies with pure hustle and an apparent lack of regard for his body. Head to Head: Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West. Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. [41] In Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. Combine a deadly jump shot, tenacious defense, obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win, and youve got Jerry West, one of the greatest guards in NBA history. 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. Said Jerry West, a fellow Hall of Famer and Warriors . The Lakers seven-game defeat at the hands of the Celtics in the 1962 Finals was particularly heartbreaking. 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. Oscar Robertson. 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. One of the game's most gifted players, Elgin Baylor made 10 appearances on the All-NBA first team. 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. Jerrys closest brother, David, was killed in the Korean War when Jerry was 12. Milwaukee's Oscar Robertson (1) averaged a triple double in 1961-62 - 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game. 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. Ended: Feb 21, 2023. [50][51] West conceded that he had played a terrible series, and credited the team for the success. The Minneapolis Lakers chose West with the second overall pick behind Robertson in the 1960 NBA Draft. [20] His college coach was also hired to coach the Lakers. Then as now, it is rings that really validate the best. 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. [15] The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. Oscar Robertson vs Jo Jo White. Entering the same 1960 NBA Draft as Robertson, West was selected right after Robertson with the second overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers, who soon relocated to California and became the Los Angeles Lakers. In a generation defined mostly by big men, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson managed to stand out from the crop. [26] The Celtics tied the series in Game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to Boston for Game 7. 9 Copy quote. Regarding his shyness, WVU roommate Jody Gardner testified that West never dated in his entire freshman year, and Lakers coach Fred Schaus once recalled two weeks when his guard never said a word. Until he got it right, the ball would frequently hit and bruise his face. Boston won in overtime, 110-107. Ventaja : Jerry West. Also Read When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? [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". Co-captains West and Robertson, and also Jerry Lucas, had legendary professional careers. 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. Instead, there's only admiration between the two all-time greats. 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. Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is: As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below. At age 32, West averaged 26.9points, 4.6rebounds and 9.5assists,[15] and helped the Lakers win 46 games and make the 1971 NBA Playoffs. The Celtics' Sam Jones inbounded the ball at half-court with three seconds left. 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson Rookie Card. St. Joseph's Joe Spratt: "I give a somewhat hesitant edge to Jerry West over Oscar Robertson. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, 5 takeaways from Durant's debut with Suns, Durant expected to make Suns debut tonight, David Benner, Pacers longtime PR director, dies, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays & strategy for March 1, Kia Rookie Ladder: State of chase after All-Star, NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer Wednesday 3/1. And in the 1970 NBA Finals against New York, West launched the famous bomb that, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. There were fewer jobs, and the ones that were open were filled by players who had spent multiple years in college. Oscar Robertson weighs in as Russell Westbrook attempts to join the Big O's one-man club. It is an honor to know him and to have competed against him. Charleston, WV (25301) Today. [12][63] Jonnie played guard for West's college team, the West Virginia Mountaineers and married professional golfer Michelle Wie in 2019. > Archive 75: Jerry West| 75 Stories: Jerry West. Fittingly, Thomas remembered the Big O agreeing with Wests assessment. West was born into a poor household in Chelyan, West Virginia. ESPN has been the primary culprit in driving stat-driven basketball analysis, making the game hollow in the general publics minds. 1971 Topps NBA Assist Leaders #143 PSA 6 Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N. Moreover, the duo had two playoff matchups first, in the 1972 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers beat the Bucks 4-2 behind Wests 21.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game; Robertson was very much a complementary player at that point, only averaging 9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game during the six-game series. 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