[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. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. 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). [38] There was an altercation in which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff before Baylor had intervened. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. 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. West lost the first eight times he played in the Finals, twice by a single basket against the Boston Celtics in Game 7s. Jerry West's NBA Finals Record. CLEVELAND The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honor 75 years on the hardwood floor. 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. It seems to mark a change from the way the final minutes are officiated today, when "no hemorrhage, no foul" is the rule. I could've played another very good year. The Big O appeared on the Knuckleheads podcast to discuss his favorite players in league history. [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. [41] In Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. [22] Again, the Lakers reached the finals, and again, they battled the Celtics. [15] The Lakers had a disappointing season, winning only 36 games and getting swept by the San Francisco Warriors in the first round of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. And also, West can still feel the sensation of receiving his gold medal. Jerry West. SG. [8], West made himself available for the 1960 NBA draft, and he was drafted with the second overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers, shortly before the team relocated to Los Angeles. He is a. man for the ages." Jerry West. [36] In Game 5, an injured West scored 35points, but Boston won by threepoints. The latter is a concept that has been derided as "a fancy word for you haven't done it yet. The Americans' average margin of victory was 42.4 points per game. 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. It sounds like trash talk before its time, but West did not christen himself. Every athlete says that. He stayed on as a scout for three years and became general manager in 1982, helping to build the Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. [15] Among retired players, only Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average. He was unafraid, unabashed and unmatched in everything he did. This worldview of modern basketball wouldnt have spread if it wasnt a generational thing. And it was a mission that we had to beat the Russian team. [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. ", The NBA had only eight teams in 1960 when West and Robertson were rookies. [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. During their overlapping careers, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head on 94 occasions. West's mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defenses. In 1995, West received his first Executive of the Year Award for his role in turning the Lakers around.[61]. And in the 1970 NBA Finals against New York, West launched the famous bomb that, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers. 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. I must have that tension. West was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. Robertson's last All-NBA first team was in 1969 and West made first team from 1970-1973. 9 Copy quote. All rights reserved. The team was powered by Sharman's emphasis on tough defense and fast break offense, and L.A. embarked on an unprecedented 33 game win streak, en route to a then-record 69 wins in the regular season. 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? As the game ended, veteran Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy threw the ball high into the rafters of the L.A. Sports Arena. Oscar Robertson weighs in as Russell Westbrook attempts to join the Big O's one-man club. Im surprised when the ball doesnt go into the hoop, West said toward the end of his career. He took a loss harder than any player Ive ever known, said longtime Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn in the National Sports Daily. 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. [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. Now, why is it that way? "[83], West was also regarded for his extreme mental toughness and his exemplary work ethic. 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson Rookie Card. Head to Head: Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West. It was 200 degrees and a heat wave in Rome. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about that Olympic experience.". [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. 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. West tuvo una media de 2,6 recuperos y 0,7 tapones ese ao, contra un Robertson que apenas lleg a 1,1 robos y 0,1 tapas. 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. 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 . Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [37] Coach Van Breda Kolff was concerned about the drain at the guard positions after losing Clark, and especially after losing Goodrich in the expansion draft to the Phoenix Suns. 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 earned his eighth in the 201617 season. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. Before he was "The Logo" -- the model for the silhouette on every NBA player's jersey -- he was "Mr. It seems that tons of viewers from certain generations uniformly avoid the contemporary NBA in a conscious fashion. Robertson reciprocated Wests characterization of him earlier this year. 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. They're all that way on the Celtics, and you can't teach it. "I met people from all over the world," said Robertson, who was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2009. The book has had tremendous critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times bestseller. West was 6-3, although he was "long" in today's terminology because of his wingspan. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. [43] L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. On May 20, 2011, West was hired by the Warriors as one of the teams executive members, where he assisted the team in basketball and non-basketball related decisions. Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas and Dave Cowens honored at halftime of NBA All-Star Game. 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"). Former NBA Veteran JJ Redick made controversial comments calling NBA Legends Firemen and Plumbers. He would sit by himself and stare into space. He said at the ceremony that athletes should not pass up a chance to represent their homeland. Oscar might dispute the analogy, though. Amazon.com: Collision Course: The Basketball Lives of Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson and the Fall of the Cincinnati Royals: 9781620062104: Cook, . [31] However, in the 1965 NBA Finals, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers, 41. [40] L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. We aren't talking Mark Jackson triple-doubles either, his apples during the 1961-62 season were 31 points, 13 rebounds, and . There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper', who changed the game with his strength, athleticism and skill. [8], West attended East Bank High School in East Bank, West Virginia from 1952 to 1956. [23], The Lakers won 54 regular-season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. 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. "That was a unique period of time in this world," he said. 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. Jerry West is a legendary NBA star, and his silhouette is the logo. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. This site contains affiliate links to products. Boston won another NBA Finals matchup, prevailing in Game 7 at Boston Garden, 95-93. I think West is the smoother player and the stronger defensively. A 112-81 triumph over Italy and finally, a 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched the gold medal. Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas recalls the conversation quite well. The dirt-covered court became his domain. 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. He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. [15] Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. Known as "The Logo", Jerry West's legendary career ended with him unquestionably among the sport's all-time greats. Concept that has been derided as `` a fancy word for you have n't done it yet he a.!, at least briefly, resuscitated the Lakers had tremendous critical acclaim and an... Robertson weighs in as many games at the Olympics their overlapping careers, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head 94! Lucas and Dave Cowens honored at halftime of NBA All-Star Game % complete back to.. 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