"That was the most special moment in my life," he said. Those two players formed the nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals. 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 . With Wests hot hand leading the way, East Bank won the 1956 state title. The dirt-covered court became his domain. [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. 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. Beginning his career as a sportswriter, Benner then served with the Pacers for 28 years, retiring last season. [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. In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. When you feel that you're deceived you don't want any part of the organization that deceived you. Oscar Robertson weighs in as Russell Westbrook attempts to join the Big O's one-man club. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, which set an all-time NBA record. They edged the Detroit Pistons in the division semifinals but then lost to the St. Louis Hawks in the division finals. During their overlapping careers, Robertson and West faced off head-to-head on 94 occasions. [82], As a person, West was often described as an introverted and nervous character, but who also drew the highest praise for his uncompromising work ethic. 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. [61] At age 69, West retired as a Grizzlies general manager in 2007 and turned over managing duties to Chris Wallace.[64]. Personally, I value all-around players who can do everything on the court shoot, rebound, pass and as such, though West was probably a better scorer and defender, I prefer Robertson with his historically dynamic all-around game and ability to dominate in all aspects. Once there, the Lakers lost Game 1 to the Knicks, but then won four straight by relatively large margins. Triple Double, Ozzie, Oscar the Grouch) Position: Point Guard Shoots: Right 6-5, 205lb (196cm, 92kg) . He is a. man for the ages." Jerry West. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. 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. 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.. This also marked the first of three straight seasons leading the NBA in assists, with Robertson putting up at least 11.0 assists per game each year, including a career-high 11.5 in 1964-1965. Jerry West and Oscar Robertson defined the guard position for over a decade. Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. In the rainy spring he dribbled in mud. 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. [23], The Lakers won 54 regular-season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs. In 1965-66, West had another stellar year, averaging 31.3 ppg and finishing behind only Chamberlain in the scoring race. 9 Copy quote. [12] In Game 4, the guard scored 37 points and 18 assists, and the Lakers won. At halftime of Sunday's NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, the league honored its . He would sit by himself and stare into space. West referred to leaving Golden State as "one of the saddest days of his life," but was excited to find a new challenge. ", Robertson believes the media-hype machine conditions fans' perceptions of players too much. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. Oscar Robertson vs Lenny Wilkens. West stole the ball, raced upcourt, and converted a running layup as the buzzer sounded. His first nickname, Zeke from Cabin Creek, was actually based on faulty information. Jerry Wests storied career included 14 All-Star appearances, 12 All-NBA honors, five All-Defensive Teams and an NBA championship. [85], Early in his career, West's West Virginian roots made him a target for some mild jeering. Oscar Robertson vs Jo Jo White. West continued to propel the Lakers to championship contender status by trading Divac for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant (1996), by signing free agent center Shaquille O'Neal (also 1996), and by signing six-time NBA champion Phil Jackson as a coach (1999). [11] West soon became the captain of the freshman team, and during the summer of 1953 he grew to 6ft 0in (1.83m). 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. The Lakers had risen from third place in the division to first since Wests arrival, posting a 54-26 record and in the playoffs, West upped his scoring average to 31.5 ppg. 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. He averaged 24.8points per game and 13.3rebounds. 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. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played. This obsessive quest for perfection was a constant during Wests playing years, and it continued in his later roles as coach and general manager of the Lakers and in similar front-office roles he held with the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers. At the tail ends of their careers. 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. "I had no tools to get better other than my own hard work," West said. This worldview of modern basketball wouldnt have spread if it wasnt a generational thing. "None. Revitalized, he played two more seasons. NBA Twitter lauds the All-Star for joining the elite company of LeBron James and Luka Doncic in a special feat. Happy Birthday Jerry! Jerrys closest brother, David, was killed in the Korean War when Jerry was 12. [33], The 196667 NBA season saw West playing only 66 regular-season games due to injury;[22] his averages fell slightly to 28.0points, 5.9rebounds and 6.8assists per game. [75] Also, on November 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by West Virginia University and on February 17, 2007, a bronze statue created by sculptor Jamie Lester was installed outside of the WVU Coliseum. Oscar Robertson vs Andrew Wiggins. [22], In the 196566 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game. During his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball. The USA had plenty of firepower at the Rome Games. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Once you get out of it, you figure, 'Boy, what a great bunch of guys'.". pic.twitter.com/VAlcLcmqXX, Hoop History (@H00PHISTORY) March 10, 2022. And his 6,238 career assists (6.7 apg) rank among the best ever. Having come this far, West would not be denied an NBA title. Now, why is it that way? 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. In the 197273 NBA season, the main scoring role was taken by Goodrich, and West was now a playmaker instead of a scorer. ", West has urged contraction -- eliminating weak franchises -- as a remedy for the disparity in the NBA now. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. stories. 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. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. West held himself to seemingly impossible standards. However, it became clearer later that NBA media got lazy, complacent and became more of a sales force for the league itself. West said, turning to a chuckling Robertson. However, in 1951 his older brother, David, was killed in action in the Korean War, and the trauma turned West into a shy and introverted boy. 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. > Archive 75: Jerry West| 75 Stories: Jerry West. Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. 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. He said at the ceremony that athletes should not pass up a chance to represent their homeland. When West and Robertson played, the Boston Celtics were winning everything. He was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP. The team reached the NCAA championship game in 1959 but lost to the University of California. [15] Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. should play. Professional career Los Angeles Lakers (1960 . New York, however, won the game and the title. "That was a unique period of time in this world," he said. Oscar Robertson vs Jamaal Wilkes. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. But I could never have played for the Lakers again, and I wasn't going to play for anybody else. Lillard was the only one to accomplish . He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss. [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. Required fields are marked *. 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). [8], West attended East Bank High School in East Bank, West Virginia from 1952 to 1956. In overtime, West, however, sprained his left hand and missed all five of his shots, and the Knicks won 111108. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. [15] In two newly introduced statistics, steals and blocks, he was credited with 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. 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Nba Finals record the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff....