"I met people from all over the world," said Robertson, who was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2009. Oscar Robertson vs Jo Jo White. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Wednesday night's slate. Overall, both Robertson and West played 14 NBA seasons from 1960-1974, with Robertson having a 100+ games played advantage due to better health. Enjoying a prolific 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks, Robertson amassed 26,710 points and 9,887 assists. [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. Oscar Robertson vs Andrew Wiggins. In 1965-66, West had another stellar year, averaging 31.3 ppg and finishing behind only Chamberlain in the scoring race. When the chips were down, West, with his lightning-quick release, was the guy the Lakers turned to for the big basket. When it snowed West played wearing gloves. West was the second pick of the 1960 NBA Draft. Jerome Alan West (Cheylan, 28 de maio de 1938) um ex-jogador de basquetebol norte-americano que atualmente exerce a funo de Conselheiro nos Clippers. A 112-81 triumph over Italy and finally, a 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched the gold medal. 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. 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 theOlympic Games in Rome are crystal clear. With Wests hot hand leading the way, East Bank won the 1956 state title. And his 6,238 career assists (6.7 apg) rank among the best ever. The teams split the first two games, and at the end of Game 3 in Los Angeles, West tied the game at 115. He earned his eighth in the 201617 season. Jerry West. Oscar Robertson. 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. But just a word to . Also Read Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! West averaged 27 points for his career to Robertson's 25.7. Jerry West is a legendary Lakers guard. During their overlapping careers, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head on 94 occasions. [15] He tied the NCAA five-game tournament record of 160points (32.0points per game) and led all scorers and rebounders in every West Virginia game, including getting 28points and 11rebounds in a 7170 loss to California in the final. They're all that way on the Celtics, and you can't teach it. West is still regarded as one of the best pure scorers in NBA history. [43] In Game 3, DeBusschere hit a mid-range jump shot with three seconds left to put the Knicks ahead 102100, and the Lakers had no time-outs left. Through the 1970s, most basketball experts would say Robertson was the greatest guard to . He was named All-State from 1953 to 1956, then All-American in 1956 when he was West Virginia Player of the Year, becoming the state's first high-school player to score more than 900 points in a season, with an average of 32.2 points per game. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. [46] With his injured hands, West still hit nine of his 19 shots, but was outplayed by Walt Frazier, who scored 36points and 19assists and was credited with several crucial steals on Lakers guard Dick Garrett. 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. [85], Early in his career, West's West Virginian roots made him a target for some mild jeering. Charleston, WV (25301) Today. He looks determined. He left the game holding records for career postseason scoring and the highest average in a playoff series. Once you get out of it, you figure, 'Boy, what a great bunch of guys'.". Born: May 28, 1938 (84 years old) Nationality: United States. [20] His college coach was also hired to coach the Lakers. Jerry Wests storied career included 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA honors, five All-Defensive Teams and an NBA championship. 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. ". Prior to the 1971-72 season, the 33-year-old West was considering retirement. I must have that tension. West was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. Chance of rain 100%. Oscar Robertson, however, demurred about change in general in basketball. [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. Every athlete says that. 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. Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated. Estimated PSA 8 Value: $3,500. The two go back quite a ways. "There are people on ESPN who never played basketball or even picked up a basketball," he said. 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. Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. [41] After the loss West was seen as the ultimate tragic hero: after the game, Bill Russell held his hand, and John Havlicek said: "I love you, Jerry". Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played. In-Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 115112. 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? "[63] West's Memphis stint was not as spectacular as his Los Angeles stint, but he turned a franchise which was about to be sold into a reliable playoffs team, making few trades but getting the maximum from the players he had available (such as Pau Gasol, James Posey and Jason Williams) and signing coach Hubie Brown, who became Coach of the Year in 2004. 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. "[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. [22], In the 196566 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game. [76] On February 17, 2011, a statue of West was unveiled outside Staples Center at the Star Plaza in Los Angeles, California. "I'm very fortunate that I was one of those athletes.". Im surprised when the ball doesnt go into the hoop, West said toward the end of his career. In five postseason games that year, West scored a total of 160 points, presaging his NBA playoff heroics. Ten of the players would go on to play in the NBA. [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. 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.". Oscar Robertson weighs in as Russell Westbrook attempts to join the Big O's one-man club. During has remaining 13 seasons, the Lakers missed the Finals only four times. As a rookie, West would make the first of 14 straight All-Star teams by averaging 17.6 points (41.9% shooting), 7.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. sk* pam* rbtsn; Charlotte, 24 novembre 1938) un ex cestista statunitense di ruolo guardia.. Soprannominato The Big O, disput 14 campionati NBA con le maglie dei Cincinnati Royals e dei Milwaukee Bucks, vincendo con questi ultimi il titolo nel 1971.Nel 1962 fu il primo giocatore nella storia dell'NBA a concludere una stagione con una tripla . 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. It was a beautiful thing wasted, West later said. 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. Fourteen seasons, 25,192 points, 6,238 assists and 5,366 rebounds later, he had become one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. As a player with the Cincinnati (Ohio) Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1961-62, he averaged . [74] As a coach, West led the Lakers into three consecutive playoff campaigns, and then went on to win seven NBA championships as a general manager, building the 1980s Lakers dynasty under coach Pat Riley and players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy and the 2000s under coach Phil Jackson and players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. "When we played, [the NBA] was a minor league acting like a pro league. [65][66] This role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team. Jerry West is a legendary NBA star, and his silhouette is the logo. Now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3points, 3.7rebounds and 6.6assists per game. [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. 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). Oscar Robertson (1960-1974) Robertson, also known as the "Big O," is the only . [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. 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. /VCG. He remained a . 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. Oscar Robertson vs Lenny Wilkens. He also led Oscar in NBA All-First Team selections, ten to nine. [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. Im not willing to sacrifice my standards, West told the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he retired. Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. In addition to their regular season performances, Robertson and West were both consistent presences in the postseason and led their teams admirably for a number of years. [84] His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. [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. 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. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. I think West is the smoother player and the stronger defensively. West played the small forward position early in his career, and he was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game. 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. [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. [61] At age 69, West retired as a Grizzlies general manager in 2007 and turned over managing duties to Chris Wallace.[64]. 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. . He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically. He played West as a guard, in contrast to West's college days as a forward. He went on to average 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds for six . [ 1] [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. 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. Having come this far, West would not be denied an NBA title. "To play the national anthem, it was the most thrilling, chilling thing that I've ever been involved with.". [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. 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. But the experience itself was the most gratifying of all," he recalled. 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. He also ranked fourth in both assists (6.1 apg) and free- throw percentage (.860). At the same time, West was likewise a standout high school player, winning West Virginia Player of the Year honors and leading his high school team to a state championship. 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. "When I was able to play for the Olympic team, it was great for me. His high-pitched voice earned him the nickname "Tweety Bird", and he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as "Zeke from Cabin Creek" (his nickname acknowledged his country roots, and his accent was so thick that he squeaked his nickname sheepishly "Zeek from Cab'n Creek"). 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. However, it became clearer later that NBA media got lazy, complacent and became more of a sales force for the league itself. RELATED: Kobe's Final Game Was The Perfect Farewell. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. "I was one of the fortunate ones selected as a player and to be a part of a team," West said. 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