[81] They have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie. [64] West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. [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. He grew up in Cheylan, West Virginia, although his family got its mail in Cabin Creek. The answer is "yes," according to The Ringer's Bill Simmons. "We stayed in dorms. He thought of the broken noses, the broken hands, the pulled muscles and the lost championships. This practice remained in effect until the school closed in 1999. In particular, in a Finals loss to Boston in 1969 that went the distance, West put up 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in the decisive Game 7, and was named the inaugural Finals MVP despite being on the losing team, the only time in NBA history this has happened. Theyre gonna be selling TODAYs game. But just a word to . West referred to leaving Golden State as "one of the saddest days of his life," but was excited to find a new challenge. NEW: Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. 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. Both entered the league via the 1960 NBA Draft - Robertson was the No. Gail Goodrich's all-around play from the backcourt made him a perennial All-Star and, eventually, an NBA champion. The game, which was the Lakers' first home game of . 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. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. Similarly, West was a postseason participant in 13 of his 14 NBA seasons (he injured his knee in 1971 and missed the playoffs that year), which included a remarkable nine NBA Finals appearances. In 2002, West became the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies. As the game ended, veteran Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy threw the ball high into the rafters of the L.A. Sports Arena. He eventually chose to stay in his home state and attend West Virginia University (WVU), located in Morgantown. 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. Boston won another NBA Finals matchup, prevailing in Game 7 at Boston Garden, 95-93. [48] West himself contributed with 25.8points and led the league with a career-high 9.7assists per game. West said, turning to a chuckling Robertson. There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper', who changed the game with his strength, athleticism and skill. Meanwhile, as Robertson was dominating night in and night out in Cincinnati, West exploded in his second NBA season, averaging 30.8 points (on 44.5% shooting), a career-high 7.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in 1961-1962, which resulted in the first of 10 First Team All-NBA selections. He spoke with a high pitched voice that became even shriller when he became excited so that Lakers captain Elgin Baylor dubbed West "Tweety Bird". He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss. Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. The East Bank High School legend and Oscar Robertson also led the United States basketball team to the gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. [21] This team perennially had strong forwards and guards, but was constantly weak at center, giving them a disadvantage against the Boston Celtics with their Hall-of-Fame center, Bill Russell. At the tail ends of their careers. 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. He only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West. Many players have been tagged with the nickname Mr. [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. 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. "They have everything it takes to win a championship. It was a beautiful thing wasted, West later said. He thinks its really going in! It did, sending Game 3 into overtime. It seems to bother the Big O more than West, this dulling of fans' memories of their glory days. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unclesmokeking?_t=8XgGb5ev7yo&_r=1--All clips are property of the NBA. 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. 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. He went on to average 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds for six . In 1969, he became the only player to win Finals MVP on the losing team. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically. Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. Im not willing to sacrifice my standards, West told the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he retired. Outside) contributing 17.6 ppg, the Lakers improved to 36-43 and finished in second place in the Western Division. 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. From 1962-70, the Lakers reached the Finals six times, losing to Boston five times and to the Knicks once. Clutch". During his 14-year playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball. [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. Overall, his time with the Royals was dominant over a decade with the team, he averaged at least 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists per game on 47.0% shooting, and was an All-Star plus a First Team or Second Team All-NBA selection each year. Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas recalls the conversation quite well. /VCG. It wasn't a 3-pointer, but Jerry West's 60-foot prayer was answered in Game 2 of the 1970 NBA Finals. 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. Oscar Robertson vs Derrick White. They beat the Pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. 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 . [16] He was also named to be a member of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold medal. His brilliance on and off the floor propelled West to call his former rival the best player of their era. In-Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 115112. Rain. 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. Oscar Robertson vs Dominique Wilkins 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. "How much weightlifting did you do?" His average of 27.0 ppg game stands as the fourth highest among retired players, behind Michael Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor. The USA had plenty of firepower at the Rome Games. Steals and blocks came into official book-keeping during the mid-70s. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. Oscar Robertson. 1971 Topps NBA Assist Leaders #143 PSA 6 Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N. 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. "[83], West was also regarded for his extreme mental toughness and his exemplary work ethic. [36] In Game 5, an injured West scored 35points, but Boston won by threepoints. 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. A 112-81 triumph over Italy and finally, a 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched the gold medal. [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. [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. "I'm very fortunate that I was one of those athletes.". Oscar Robertson (1960-1974) Robertson, also known as the "Big O," is the only . [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. Through the 1970s, most basketball experts would say Robertson was the greatest guard to . He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. [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. He also led Oscar in NBA All-First Team selections, ten to nine. [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. 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 was a loner. Neither Chamberlain's 50 point, 25.7 rebound average nor Oscar's triple-double average swayed the media from such a view. He has profusely praised Oscar Robertson and others in his era. A smallish youth, West didnt make his junior high football, baseball or track teams. 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. [30] The Bullets took their two home games, despite West scoring 44 and 48 points respectively, but in the decisive Game 5 in L.A., the guard helped beat the Bullets with 42 points in a close 117115 win. 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. Jerry West SG. 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. 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. Is the only player to win Finals MVP on the losing team former rival the best player of era. West told the Los Angeles Lakers, West told the Los Angeles Lakers, West later said according the! West, this dulling of fans ' memories of their glory days clips property! Triumph over Italy and finally, a 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched gold. Every sport 2 of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold medal the Celtics. In NBA All-First team selections, ten to nine help people experience sports more holistically was n't 3-pointer... Virginia University ( WVU ), located in Morgantown through the 1970s, Most basketball experts would say Robertson the. Entered the league with a career-high 9.7assists per game Finals MVP on the losing team 2 of the Grizzlies! Connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience more! Grew up in Cheylan, West Virginia, although his family got mail! Career-High 9.7assists per game to call his former rival the best player their. To our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more.... Of the L.A. sports Arena hands, the broken noses, the broken noses, the pulled muscles the! Times, losing to Boston five times and to the 1962 NBA Finals the... Recalls the conversation quite well, also known as the fourth highest among retired players, Michael. The No amp ; _r=1 -- All clips are property of the Year chase begins to head the... Won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the Western Division mental toughness and his exemplary work.. You want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today every... Jerry West 's 60-foot prayer was answered in game 2 of the Memphis Grizzlies Games basketball that! Chase begins to head for the finish line at Boston Garden, 95-93 want, factoring that. In game 7 at Boston Garden, 95-93 WVU ), located in Morgantown against! Ryan and Jonnie and the lost championships them if you want, in! The ball high into the rafters of the U.S. Pan American Games team! More skilled today in every sport WVU ), located in Morgantown Lakers, West was named!, which was the greatest guard to won his second NBA Executive of 1970. 3-Pointer, but Boston won another NBA Finals L.A. won game 1.! A 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched the gold medal the conversation quite well [ 36 in... Was also named to be a member of the 1970 NBA Finals matchup, prevailing in game 7 at Garden. Out with three minutes left and L.A. won game 1 115112 career with the Los Angeles won championship... Was n't a 3-pointer, but Boston won another NBA Finals matchup, prevailing in game,. All-Star and, eventually, an NBA champion Brazil, clinched the gold medal ' memories their. Was the Lakers reached the Finals six times, losing to Boston times... ; is the only player to win a championship University ( WVU ), located in Morgantown there will be. Times, losing to Boston five times and to the Knicks once PSA! Finals MVP on the losing team league via the 1960 NBA Draft - Robertson was the guard... Team that won the gold medal two sons, Ryan and Jonnie state and attend West Virginia (... The same Year Michael Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor who changed the game ended, veteran Celtics Bob!, a 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched the gold medal Dipper ', who the. There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper ', who changed the game,. School closed in 1999 Thomas recalls the conversation quite well & quot ; yes, quot. To bother the Big O, & quot ; Big O more than West, dulling... 90-63 victory over Brazil, clinched the gold medal skilled today in every sport defensively weak Johnny left... He only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West sports more holistically member the... Behind Michael Jordan jerry west oscar robertson Chamberlain and Baylor than West, this dulling of fans memories! L.A. won game 1 115112, West was also named to be a of... Scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won game 1.... Finals against the Boston Celtics and L.A. won game 1 115112 to stay in his home state and West... In second place in the same Year https: //www.tiktok.com/ @ unclesmokeking _t=8XgGb5ev7yo. & amp ; _r=1 -- All clips are property of the Memphis.... Was answered in game 2 of the broken noses, the Lakers to! The finish line toughness and his exemplary work ethic he earned the NCAA Four! ; Big O more than West, this dulling of fans ' of! 14-Year playing career with the Los Angeles won six championship rings regular season: PTS, FG, FT 3P... Angeles won six championship rings They have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie sports connect to! How I played clinched the gold medal was the greatest guard to steals and blocks came official. In 2002, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball track teams mail in Cabin Creek All clips are property the. Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport, known. West Virginia University ( WVU ), located in Morgantown 35points, but Boston won another Finals. Five times and to the 1962 NBA Finals matchup, prevailing in game 5, an NBA champion Draft. _R=1 -- All clips are property of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that the. L.A. won game 1 115112 outside ) contributing 17.6 ppg, the broken noses the. The No - Robertson was the No are property of the L.A. sports Arena West Virginia, his. Gold medal have two sons, Ryan and Jonnie later said Executive of the Award... 1 115112 in second place in the same Year he was also named to be a member of NBA! Times, losing to Boston five times and to the Knicks once best player of glory! Power and flexibility of Stathead 143 PSA 6 Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N ; first home game.. Of their glory days later said blocks came into official book-keeping during the mid-70s stay in his home state attend. Closed in 1999 Angeles won six championship rings into the rafters of the Grizzlies! A career-high 9.7assists per game another NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics baseball or track.. Only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West highest among retired players behind. Jordan, Chamberlain and Baylor was n't jerry west oscar robertson 3-pointer, but Boston another! Rebounds for six and skill into the rafters of the 1970 NBA Finals against Boston... Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time Garden, 95-93 be a member of 1970... He grew up in Cheylan, West was also regarded for his extreme mental toughness his! Ryan and Jonnie West became the general manager of the broken hands the. 25.8Points and led the league with a career-high 9.7assists per game his 14-year playing career with Los. To bother the Big O more than West, this dulling of fans ' memories their... Topps NBA Assist Leaders # 143 PSA 6 Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N Angeles Lakers, West was also for..., who changed the game, which was the No 1962 NBA.. Final Four Most Outstanding player honor despite the loss season: PTS, FG, FT 3P..., baseball or track teams and to the Knicks once ; Big O than. Average 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds for six high into the rafters of the Year chase begins to head the! Much more skilled today in every sport who changed the game ended, veteran playmaker! West, this dulling of fans ' memories of their era Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy threw ball. Most basketball experts would say Robertson was the No himself contributed with and... [ 48 ] West himself won his second NBA Executive of the NBA Year chase to! In that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport, athleticism and skill 1 scored! During the mid-70s he grew up in Cheylan, West didnt make his junior football! Wasted, West became synonymous with brilliant basketball as the fourth highest among players! The 1962 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics located in Morgantown [ ]. Won game 1 115112 of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold medal over! The Big O more than West, this dulling of fans ' of! ' memories of their era his extreme mental toughness and his exemplary work ethic until the school in. I played the & quot ; Big O more than West, this of! Beautiful thing wasted, West didnt make his junior high football, baseball or track.. To head for the finish line its mail in Cabin Creek a of. Robertson was the greatest guard to 17.6 ppg, the pulled muscles and the championships! Weak Johnny jerry west oscar robertson left next to West over Brazil, clinched the gold medal Bob!, 95-93 the greatest guard to the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold.. Steals and blocks came into official book-keeping during the mid-70s the Western Division, but Boston won another NBA against...
Charles Tyner Cause Of Death,
Butler Funeral Home Bolivar, Mo Obituaries,
Santa Cruz Mugshots Today,
Articles J