[16] The Mountaineers went 262 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College in postseason tournament play. CLEVELAND The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honor 75 years on the hardwood floor. Amazon.com: Collision Course: The Basketball Lives of Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson and the Fall of the Cincinnati Royals: 9781620062104: Cook, . He entered the NBA in 1960 and immediately established himself averaging 30.5 points per game and captured Rookie of the Year honors. Robertson reciprocated Wests characterization of him earlier this year. His 31.2 ppg in 1969-70 (at age 31) is the highest average ever for a player over 30. Born: November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee us College: Cincinnati High School: Crispus Attucks in Indianapolis, Indiana Draft: Cincinnati Royals, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1960 NBA Draft (territorial selection) West was the second pick of the 1960 NBA Draft. This worldview of modern basketball wouldnt have spread if it wasnt a generational thing. "John Wooden once told me Larry Bird was better than me," said Robertson. > Archive 75: Jerry West| 75 Stories: Jerry West. Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. He died aged 67. [17], During his junior year (195859), West scored 26.6 points per game and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game. The best players may not be the players people think are the best. https://youtu.be/JXQniGgIIwM https://youtu.be . If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Prior to the 1971-72 season, the 33-year-old West was considering retirement. West returned, however, and helped make history. [18] In his collegiate career, West totaled 2,309points and 1,240rebounds. Besides, the Big O has quite a bit of respect for The Logo, too. West spent days shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud and snow in the backyard, as well as his mother's whippings when he came home hours late for dinner. They were also both on the gold medal winning team at the 1959 Pan American Games. 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. Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. "There's all the publicity today for a 19-year-old player who might not be that good a player. 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. Dr. J went decidedly old-school with his selections, naming Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to the first team. He broke his nose at least nine times. 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. He said at the ceremony that athletes should not pass up a chance to represent their homeland. West referred to leaving Golden State as "one of the saddest days of his life," but was excited to find a new challenge. Asked who he likes to win it all this year, West remained loyal to the Lakers dynasty he built as a general manager. Perhaps fittingly, the two players also went into the Hall of Fame together in 1980, and Wests silhouette continues to grace the NBA logo today. The game, which was the Lakers' first home game of . West said to Robertson. [20] His college coach was also hired to coach the Lakers. ". "We were amateurs in every sense of the word. pic.twitter.com/VAlcLcmqXX, Hoop History (@H00PHISTORY) March 10, 2022. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. 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. 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. However, he started at West Virginia, getting 13 rebounds and 25 points for each game. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. "I was one of the fortunate ones selected as a player and to be a part of a team," West said. [23], The Lakers won 54 regular-season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs. 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. West held himself to seemingly impossible standards. They beat the Pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. He is a. man for the ages." Jerry West. Oscar Robertson vs Jo Jo White. [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. [8] Growing up, West spent his days hunting and fishing, but his main activity was shooting at a basketball hoop that a neighbor had nailed to his storage shed. In the 1965 playoffs, West averaged 40.6 ppg over 11 contests; his 46.3 ppg average against Baltimore in the division finals was a record for a six-game series. Laker Legend Jerry West calls Redick out for his reckless. The book has had tremendous critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times bestseller. Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas recalls the conversation quite well. When you think about iconic NBA players of the 1960s and 1970s, a few players come to mind the great Russell vs. Chamberlain rivalry (and the great Celtics teams and players in general), Oscar Robertson and his triple-double season, Jerry West gracing the NBA logo with his silhouette, just to name a few. [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. 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 . [12] Further awards were All-American, Southern Conference Tournament MVP and Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. West was assisted by Baylor, who was a self-estimated "75 percent" of his pre-injury self,[33] The two long-standing rivals split the first six games, with West's usual scoring dominance countered by Celtics forward John Havlicek, whose size and speed created serious mismatch problems for the Lakers. [83] Apart from being shy, West was always restless: Schaus described him as a "bundle of nerves", Celtics contemporary Bob Cousy as "always on the move", and fellow Laker and Mountaineer Rod Hundley testified that during bar visits, West would quickly squirm and demand to go elsewhere before everybody else had settled. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. For the children's author, see, In the summer of 1996, West traded for shooting guard. Unfortunately for West, individual success could not prevent. 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. A smallish youth, West didnt make his junior high football, baseball or track teams. NBA Twitter lauds the All-Star for joining the elite company of LeBron James and Luka Doncic in a special feat, Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! Sometimes you get involved in situations like that, you don't realize the importance of it until you get out of it. 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. Oscar Robertson vs Lenny Wilkens. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. Indeed, The Logo is still the only player to win Finals MVP as a member of the losing team. "There are people on ESPN who never played basketball or even picked up a basketball," he said. [25] West became known especially for hitting important late-game shots, and Lakers' announcer Chick Hearn named him "Mr. Jerry West was a 12-time All-NBA performer who knew how to elevate his game when the lights shined the brightest. 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. Their checks kinda depend upon that. Jerry West's NBA Finals Record. In Game 7, a 15-foot Frank Selvy jumper at the buzzer that would have won the game in regulation bounced off the rim. West was named the NBA Executive of the Year for 1995 after the Lakers posted their best record in four seasons. 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. @Sen_JoeManchin, "Jerry West demands retraction of his 'cruel' portrayal in 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_West&oldid=1141917828, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 15:05. Robertson played point guard and was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in 14 seasons. He also led Oscar in NBA All-First Team selections, ten to nine. 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. After taking the series lead on Baylors then record 61-point performance in Game 5, Los Angeles dropped the next two. [55] West wanted to re-negotiate his contract and keep playing, however, he said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. St. Joseph's Joe Spratt: "I give a somewhat hesitant edge to Jerry West over Oscar Robertson. "I would never bet against the Lakers," he said. [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. [73] In 1979, West was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Lakers retired his No. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about that Olympic experience.". In addition, Robertson broke Bob Cousys single-season assist record in one of six seasons leading the NBA in assists. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). With Chamberlain now in the middle and Gail Goodrich pitching in on offense, the Lakers won a record 33 games in a row under new coach (and former Celtics star) Bill Sharman. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. [26] In overtime, Jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110107 win for the Celtics. As the game ended, veteran Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy threw the ball high into the rafters of the L.A. Sports Arena. Advertisement. And, you know, Oscar said, You right, Jerry.'. Oscar Palmer Robertson (pron. Magic, Wilt, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant are some of the Laker greats, but Kareem was the best. And it was a mission that we had to beat the Russian team. Wilt Chamberlain cited the examples of his former teammates Jerry West and Elgin Baylor to explain how in his view, NBA basketball got diluted. In 2002, West became the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies. The latter is a concept that has been derided as "a fancy word for you haven't done it yet. Jerry Alan West (28. maj 1938, Chelyan, Zapadna Virginia) jedan je od najuspjenijih ljudi u svijetu koarke, prvo kao igra, zatim kao trener i na kraju u upravi.Silueta s njegovim karakteristinim driblingom postala je slubeni logo NBA lige. [23] Baylor once commented: "Rumors are safe with you, Tweety Bird. Basketball, Team, School. After two years away from basketball, West became the Lakers coach before the 1976-77 season. Naturally, West must have felt a . "Certain players seem to be able to do things in a certain part of the game that they might not be able to do earlier," said West. 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. Rendimiento en Playoffs [89], This article is about the basketball player. He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference Finals berth once. 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. All of these rookies except for Wilkens are also featured on the action cards. Of the 87 regular season matchups, West holds a 50-37 lead, though Robertson outscored his counterpart by 28.5 to 27.7 points per game. FTA complete back to 1948-49. With Wests hot hand leading the way, East Bank won the 1956 state title. West became the first draft pick ever of the relocated franchise. Robertsonwas on hand when the Rome Olympic champions were inducted at Springfield. He moved up and he was like, I know Im The Logo and everything else, but in my era, there was no better basketball player than Oscar Robertson.'. 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. 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. [citation needed] West's father physically abused him, and West has stated that for a time he slept with a loaded shotgun under his bed out of fear that he might have to kill his father in self-defense. From college to the pros, Robertson and West shared a unique bond and reverence. Beginning his career as a sportswriter, Benner then served with the Pacers for 28 years, retiring last season. I could've played another very good year. Thomas said on an older edition of NBA TVs Open Court that he had the privilege of sharing a panel with Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. He thought of the broken noses, the broken hands, the pulled muscles and the lost championships. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. [34] Veteran coach Fred Schaus retired, and Butch Van Breda Kolff took over; under his reign, the Lakers won 52 games in the 196768 NBA season in their first season in The Forum. Overall, both Robertson and West played 14 NBA seasons from 1960-1974, with Robertson having a 100+ games played advantage due to better health. The team had posted a 25-50 record in its last season in Minneapolis. Im not willing to sacrifice my standards, West told the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he retired. And in NBA All-First Team Defense selections it wasn't even close. We got one dollar a day as a per diem. ", The NBA had only eight teams in 1960 when West and Robertson were rookies. According to StatMuse, only West, Oscar Robertson, John . 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. Oscar Robertson Calls out NBA for Super Teams Hypocrisy: When Boston Got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, That Was David Sterns Deal. Robertson named West among his top five. [23] His Appalachian accent was so thick that one coach interrupted him and asked him to speak English. [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. 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