Revitalized, he played two more seasons. He left the game holding records for career postseason scoring and the highest average in a playoff series. RELATED: Kobe's Final Game Was The Perfect Farewell. Also Read When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? should play. Oscar Robertson was the only college player to finish the March Madness career with four triple-doubles. I felt I was deceived. But the experience itself was the most gratifying of all," he recalled. David Astramskas 32,332 November 24, 2015 No Comments oscar robertson. [12] In Game 4, the guard scored 37 points and 18 assists, and the Lakers won. Maybe that's what a team is all about. From college to the pros, Robertson and West shared a unique bond and reverence. He must have blocked at least a half . All of these rookies except for Wilkens are also featured on the action cards. No one was affected more by those defeats than West. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. First up is Oscar Robertson's 1961 Fleer rookie card which is one of the keys to the iconic set and one of the most valuable basketball cards in general.. 9 Copy quote. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically. [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. Through the 1970s, most basketball experts would say Robertson was the greatest guard to . "I think any time an athlete gets an opportunity to play for your country, he should accept it," he said. [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]. Oscar Robertson vs Jamaal Wilkes. [40] L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. 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. On more than one occasion West had to be helped to the court before games in which he ultimately scored 30 or 40 points. "None. Oscar Robertson vs Dominique Wilkins Robertsons career arc is fairly similar. After helping the Golden State Warriors win the championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers, on June 14, 2017, West announced that he would go to the Los Angeles Clippers as an executive board member and consultant. Wilt Chamberlain wasnt out of place when he said the media is diluting the modern game of basketball. "We stayed in dorms. 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. 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. 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.". Luckily, both legends got their just due. The triple-double is just a stat. "They have everything it takes to win a championship. Theres a reason the leagues logo is the Los Angeles Lakers legends silhouette. Additionally, Robertson also remains #1 all-time in career triple-doubles with 181; the only other players in NBA history with more than 100 career triple-doubles are Russell Westbrook (138, as of the end of the 2018-2019 season), Magic Johnson (138), and Jason Kidd (107). [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. Height: 6-2 (188cm) Weight: 185 (84kg) He was the measuring stick for how a player. Robertson's last All-NBA first team was in 1969 and West made first team from 1970-1973. 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. 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson Rookie Card. But his all-around excellence was unprecedented for a guard. West was named Most Outstanding Player of that year's Final Four. 14 minutes of The Big O! said "Mr. [20] In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. [32] In Game 3, West scored 49points, and L.A. finally won a game, but in Games 4 and 5, the Lakers were beaten by double digits; in the last quarter of Game 5, West missed 14 of 15 shots and could not prevent yet another Celtics win. [12] Further awards were All-American, Southern Conference Tournament MVP and Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. . [22] Again, the Lakers reached the finals, and again, they battled the Celtics. ESPN has been the primary culprit in driving stat-driven basketball analysis, making the game hollow in the general publics minds. Prior to the 1971-72 season, the 33-year-old West was considering retirement. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. 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. The teams split the first two games, and at the end of Game 3 in Los Angeles, West tied the game at 115. [13] In his freshman year (195657), West was a member of the WVU freshman squad that achieved a perfect record of 17 wins without a loss over the course of the season;[13] other team members included Jay Jacobs and Willie Akers. "[8] West incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the NBA. 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. Also Read Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! "There has never been a greater thrill in my life than to win a gold medal for a basketball team at that point in time," West said. During the 1969-1970 season, he would win his only scoring title by averaging 31.2 points on 49.7% shooting to go with 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game; moreover, after two seasons as a Second Team All-NBA selection, West returned to First Team status and also garnered the first of four consecutive All-Defensive First Team nods. West referred to leaving Golden State as "one of the saddest days of his life," but was excited to find a new challenge. [15] After ending the regular season with 49 wins, L.A. played the Baltimore Bullets in the first round of the 1965 NBA Playoffs, but then team captain Baylor suffered a career-threatening knee injury. Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play man Chick Hearn bestowed the nickname. At such a time, Oscar Robertson set the game afire with his spate of triple-doubles for the Cincinnati Royals. West was also superior as a clutch performer and in playoff competition. It might have been even better had John Havlicek and Lenny Wilkins not been passed over in the selection process. [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. Too few fans today saw Oscar play with Jerry Lucas in Cincinnati or saw him when he was the sidekick of Lew Alcindor (before he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) on a championship team in Milwaukee. The game, which was the Lakers' first home game of . The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. Oscar Robertson vs Coby White. Both are the most prolific assist men of their periods. Jerry West Chris Webber Oscar Robertson Mark Jackson. [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. Those two players formed the nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals. [8] He had a jump shot with a release the NBA lauded as "lightning quick", and was known for making baskets late in the game, earning him the nickname "Mr. "I had no tools to get better other than my own hard work," West said. [68] [69][70], On December 17, 2020, it was reported that West and the LA Clippers were under investigation by the NBA following a lawsuit filed by John Wilkes against the LA Clippers over the recruitment of Kawhi Leonard to the team. [36] In Game 1, West only hit seven of 24 shots, and the Lakers lost 107101, but L.A. evened out the series at two games each. [27], In the following 196364 NBA season, West became the Lakers' scoring leader for the first time. Sure did," said Jerry West. 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. [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. 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. Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. The Big O appeared on the Knuckleheads podcast to discuss his favorite players in league history. Co-captains West and Robertson, and also Jerry Lucas, had legendary professional careers. It's a test of your strength and stamina and playing ability, really. [23], The Lakers won 54 regular-season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a decade of dominance. The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFLs All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years. This site contains affiliate links to products. Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. I could've played another very good year. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. "[56] At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. As players on a perennial bridesmaid team, West and Baylor were frequently eclipsed by Chamberlain, Robertson and Bill Russell, who collectively won virtually every MVP during Wests and Baylors most productive years. Lillard was the only one to accomplish . Kevin Durant shows no signs of rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with his new teammates. [8][10] He was so small, frail, and weak that he needed many vitamin injections from his doctor and was kept apart from children's sports, to prevent him from getting seriously injured. The Celtics' Sam Jones inbounded the ball at half-court with three seconds left. 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. He played West as a guard, in contrast to West's college days as a forward. 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