I think West is the smoother player and the stronger defensively. Plus, he scored 56 points in just one game, which is . Theres a reason it took well over 50 years for another player (Russell Westbrook) to average a triple-double over the course of a full season. Compare them if you want, factoring in that everybody is much more skilled today in every sport. He explained (h/t YouTube) that Wests appraisals of Robertson solidified the Big Os greatness that much more. You still have to shoot, rebound, pass and play defense," said Robertson, who was honored with West at The Q on Thursday in the 50th anniversary year of their Olympic basketball triumph for the USA in 1960 in Rome. "I had no tools to get better other than my own hard work," West said. Oscar Robertson vs Russell Westbrook. He grew up in Cheylan, West Virginia, although his family got its mail in Cabin Creek. "That was a unique period of time in this world," he said. Having come this far, West would not be denied an NBA title. When it snowed West played wearing gloves. Wilt Chamberlain definitely had an explanation for why fans from his time fell out of love with NBA basketball. Its one that calls for a mutual appreciation, something that remains to this day. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. He practiced shooting until his fingers bled. 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. [37] While West himself got on well with the recruit, Chamberlain often argued with team captain Elgin Baylor and had a poor relationship with Van Breda Kolff. [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. [20] In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. Jerry West is a legendary Lakers guard. Jerry West talks about how losing to the Celtics multiple times in The Finals affected his mindset and demeanor during his career. Until he got it right, the ball would frequently hit and bruise his face. [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. 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. He only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West. "I would never bet against the Lakers," he said. The Lakers swept the Bulls and beat the Bucks in six games to reach The Finals. Oscar Robertson vs Andrew Wiggins. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, which set an all-time NBA record. [62] However, he laid down the foundation of the Lakers three-peat, which saw L.A. win three NBA titles from 2000-2002. Robertsons last 30+ points per game season came in 1966-1967, though interestingly, he would win his lone scoring title the next season at 29.2 points per game (50.0% shooting), while also leading the league in assists at 9.7 per game. It was 200 degrees and a heat wave in Rome. However, he made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. "[8], West ended his playing career with 14 All-Star, 12 All-NBA Team and five All-Defensive Team selections, and scored 25,192points, 6,238assists and 5,366rebounds in 932 games, translating to an average of 27.0points, 6.7assists and 5.8rebounds per game. [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. The dirt-covered court became his domain. He and the Lakers routinely experienced heartbreak at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Fittingly, Thomas remembered the Big O agreeing with Wests assessment. [16] West's best performance was a game against Virginia, in which he grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 40 points. Ventaja : Jerry West. CLEVELAND - "Mr. To get the center, the Lakers traded West's backcourt partner Archie Clark, starting center Darrall Imhoff and backup forward Jerry Chambers to Philadelphia. Before Game 1, West privately complained to Bill Russell of exhaustion, but then the Lakers guard scored 53 points on Boston in a close two-point win. Although West suffered a terrible shooting slump during Games 1 and 2, the Lakers tied the series at one win each, and in Game 3, he scored 21points and helped L.A. win Game 3. 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. After practice he would listen to West Virginia basketball games on the radio. Head to Head: Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West. Sure did," said Jerry West. Jerry West (L) and Oscar Robertson. On more than one occasion West had to be helped to the court before games in which he ultimately scored 30 or 40 points. Tackling the Biggest Head-to-Head Sports Debates. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. The Big O's best statistical season came in 1961-62 when he averaged a . [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 Game 2, Baltimore was unable to stop the Lakers guard, who scored 52 points, nearly half of L.A.'s total, in the 118115 win. [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. They're all that way on the Celtics, and you can't teach it. Luckily, both legends got their just due. [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. [15] Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. Clutch" a handle which stuck with West for his entire career. ESPN has been the primary culprit in driving stat-driven basketball analysis, making the game hollow in the general publics minds. Winning bid: US $23.50 [ 10 bids] Shipping: $3.99 Standard . [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. During his first year, he was benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. 9 Copy quote. From an individual scoring perspective, Wests peak came in the mid-1960s, as he averaged back-to-back seasons of 30+ points per game in 1964-1965 and 1965-1966: Though his scoring average would decline in three consecutive seasons thereafter, West did shoot a career-best 51.4% in 1967-1968 to the tune of 26.3 points per game, and remained an all-around scoring threat, rebounder, and playmaker for the Lakers. Oscar Robertson vs Dominique Wilkins [18] In his collegiate career, West totaled 2,309points and 1,240rebounds. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Selvy then missed an open 8-foot shot which would have won the Lakers their first title. 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! But West, who had scored 38 points in a Game 4 win, had sprained his ankle and did not play at full strength the rest of the series. [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. black vs. white, East vs. West, etc. After a slump in the early 1990s, West rebuilt the team of coach Del Harris around center Vlade Divac, forward Cedric Ceballos, and guard Nick Van Exel, which won 48 games, and went to the Western Conference Semifinals. In 1980, West was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team. 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. The same road is shared on the south end of Morgantown with Don Knotts Boulevard, in honor of another WVU alumnus. [15], West helped the Lakers improve from their previous 25-win season to 36 wins as they reached the 1961 NBA Playoffs. [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. [22], In the 196566 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3points, along with 7.1rebounds and 6.1assists per game. Jerry West Chris Webber Oscar Robertson Mark Jackson. 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) 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. Three of the Finals went seven games, with the Lakers losing two of those Game 7s to the Celtics by a single basket. Over the next summer he grew six more inches. Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play man Chick Hearn bestowed the nickname. 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). [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. [59], After his coaching stint, West worked as a scout for three years before becoming general manager of the Lakers before the 198283 seasons. 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. West and Robertson were the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird of their day. [47], Before the 197172 NBA season, West was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement. [16] He was also named to be a member of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold medal. He made an NBA record 840 free throws, and earned yet another pair of All-Star Team and All-NBA First Team nominations. [41] In Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. 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.'. ". Those two players formed the nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals. West won Schaus's trust and, alternating with Hundley, Selvy, and Leonard, played 35 minutes per game and established himself as the Lakers' second scoring option. Jerry West SG. [39] West was disturbed by locker room tension; used to playing on teams with good chemistry, his quality of play became erratic, and his scoring average of 25.9 points was his lowest since his rookie season. [8] These performances soon earned West his first of fourteen NBA All-Star Game call-ups. West and Co. got their revenge the following season, as The Logo led the NBA in assists and LA got a legendary game from Wilt Chamberlain en route to a title. Triple Double, Ozzie, Oscar the Grouch) Position: Point Guard Shoots: Right 6-5, 205lb (196cm, 92kg) . His brilliance on and off the floor propelled West to call his former rival the best player of their era. [8], In the summer of 2000, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, and West Virginia Governor Cecil Underwood, dedicated the road outside of the West Virginia University Coliseum, "Jerry West Boulevard". Oscar Robertson. [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. The Minneapolis Lakers chose West with the second overall pick behind Robertson in the 1960 NBA Draft. Jerry West. In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. In five postseason games that year, West scored a total of 160 points, presaging his NBA playoff heroics. Robertsonwas on hand when the Rome Olympic champions were inducted at Springfield. 1971 Topps NBA Assist Leaders #143 PSA 6 Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N. Rain. Besides, the Big O has quite a bit of respect for The Logo, too. West is still regarded as one of the best pure scorers in NBA history. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. In-Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 115112. However, West had also injured his right hand and received several manual injections,[43] and Reed famously hobbled up court before Game 7: the Knicks center scored the first four points, and inspired his team to one of the most famous playoff upsets of all time. [22] Again, the Lakers reached the finals, and again, they battled the Celtics. "That was the most special moment in my life," he said. But his all-around excellence was unprecedented for a guard. [16] The Mountaineers went 262 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College in postseason tournament play. A smallish youth, West didnt make his junior high football, baseball or track teams. It wasn't a 3-pointer, but Jerry West's 60-foot prayer was answered in Game 2 of the 1970 NBA Finals. [8] West demonstrated his tenacity for the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats. In 1969, he became the only player to win Finals MVP on the losing team. In just his second NBA season in 1961-1962, Robertson put up 41 triple-doubles and became the first player to average a triple-double over a full season with 30.8 points (on 47.8% shooting), 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists; for over 50 years, the Big O remained the only NBA player to achieve the feat until Russell Westbrook did so in 2016-2017 (and has now done so for three straight seasons thru the 2018-2019 season). In 1965-66, West had another stellar year, averaging 31.3 ppg and finishing behind only Chamberlain in the scoring race. [63], Jerry married his current wife, Kristine "Karen" Bua, in 1978. Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas recalls the conversation quite well. Theyre gonna be selling TODAYs game. [87][88], West is portrayed in the 2022 HBO docudrama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty as a temperamental, foul-mouthed executive prone to angry outbursts and mood swings. 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. [24], In West's second NBA season, the Lakers could only make limited use of Baylor, who was called up by the U.S. Army Reserves and could play only 48 games. "Why does everybody say the game has changed? There will never be another player like the 'Big Dipper', who changed the game with his strength, athleticism and skill. He dominated early with the Cincinnati Royals, averaging a triple-double for the first several seasons of his career and finishing with averages of 29.3 points, 10.3 assists, and 8.5 rebounds over the course of 10 seasons However, Robertson and the Royals came up short in the playoffs early in his career and struggled to even make the postseason toward the end of his Cincinnati tenure. 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. 44 jersey in 1983. He entered the NBA in 1960 and immediately established himself averaging 30.5 points per game and captured Rookie of the Year honors. [31] However, in the 1965 NBA Finals, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers, 41. This worldview of modern basketball wouldnt have spread if it wasnt a generational thing. Advertisement. [12], West graduated from East Bank High School in 1956, and more than 60 universities showed interest in him. 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. Despite his statistical achievements, and those of Wilt Chamberlain, NBA media voted Bill Russell their 1961-62 MVP. However, he started at West Virginia, getting 13 rebounds and 25 points for each game. "We got one dollar a day per diem," West recalled, when he spoke at the team's induction ceremony at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. Also Read When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? 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. 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson Rookie Card. Oscar Palmer Robertson (Big O, Mr. Rendimiento en Playoffs In Game 6, Havlicek shredded the Lakers with 40 points, and after yet another Finals loss to Boston, West commented that the Lakers lost two games they should have won: "We gave them the first game, and we gave them the fifth. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. Additionally, in the 1974 Western Conference Semifinals, the Bucks would get revenge and defeat the Lakers 4-1, though West only played one game in the series. [38] There was an altercation in which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff before Baylor had intervened. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. [58] In the 197677 season, West became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. 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). He thought of the broken noses, the broken hands, the pulled muscles and the lost championships. RT @LakersLead: Blake Griffin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West are the only other rookies to have a 30/15/10 game . [15] Winning 45 games, the Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks in a close seven-game series, and yet again met the Boston Celtics in the 1966 NBA Finals. [15] The NBA commented that the Lakers now had a potent one-two-punchwith "Mr. West never thought he had been handed a burden, however. Despite a level of intensity so high it could melt lead, West was one of the NBAs most admired and well-liked figures. Its only fitting he returned the favor. For the children's author, see, In the summer of 1996, West traded for shooting guard. Professional career Los Angeles Lakers (1960 . Isiah Thomas potentially snubs Michael Jordan as he labeles The Flash as the best Chicago athlete. [15] On January 17, 1962, West scored a career-high 63 points in a 129121 win over the New York Knicks. 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 taught himself his quick shot release by bouncing the last dribble hard off the ground. West was motivated by a relentless drive to succeed. should play. "[8] West incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the NBA. 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. Only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs, and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tallied more career points in the postseason. He was a loner. Despite his age and physical problems, West kept averaged 25.8 ppg while leading the NBA in assists with 9.7 per contest. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. West holds the NBA record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3. The Knicks' Walt Frazier is stopped by Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain (13) as Jerry West (44) drives around them for a score in first quarter of an NBA finals game on April 26, 1972. ", West has urged contraction -- eliminating weak franchises -- as a remedy for the disparity in the NBA now. 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. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. 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. They needed all five games to put away the Detroit Pistons but then lost to the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, losing the final game 105103. However, it became clearer later that NBA media got lazy, complacent and became more of a sales force for the league itself. The Americans arrived in Italy in 1960 with 28 wins in as many games at the Olympics. Indeed, The Logo is still the only player to win Finals MVP as a member of the losing team. Moreover, before Johnson entered the NBA, West and Oscar "The Big O" Robertson were considered the greatest guards in league history, not to mention that West was the one who received more respect and love. While it has been nearly 50 years since either Oscar Robertson or Jerry West last set foot on an NBA basketball court and not too many of us actually got to see them play live, the duo remain two of the most iconic players in NBA history. Oscar Robertson was the only college player to finish the March Madness career with four triple-doubles. The USA had a team to envy. [40] L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. 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. Jerry West is a legendary NBA star, and his silhouette is the logo. Clutch," passing up the shot himself because he is, after all, 71 years old. 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. Im surprised when the ball doesnt go into the hoop, West said toward the end of his career. It averaged a whopping 101.9 points a contest. 14 minutes of The Big O! The game, which was the Lakers' first home game of . Local de nasc. [46] With his injured hands, West still hit nine of his 19 shots, but was outplayed by Walt Frazier, who scored 36points and 19assists and was credited with several crucial steals on Lakers guard Dick Garrett. Now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3points, 3.7rebounds and 6.6assists per game. /VCG. [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. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. [8] West led East Bank to a state championship on March 24 that year, prompting East Bank High School to change its name to "West Bank High School" every year on March 24 in honor of their basketball prodigy. Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. [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. The teams split the first two games, and at the end of Game 3 in Los Angeles, West tied the game at 115. [55] West wanted to re-negotiate his contract and keep playing, however, he said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. [8] He led the Lakers in scoring in seven seasons,[20] and only Jordan had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs (33.5 versus 29.1). Unfortunately for West, individual success could not prevent. LA Clippers executive board member Jerry West attends a game between the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets during the 2022 NBA Summer League at the Thomas and Mack Center July 7, 2022, in Las . Your suplied Email address ([email protected]) does not seem to be correct, "THAT WAS THE MOST SPECIAL MOMENT IN MY LIFE, TO PLAY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, IT WAS THE MOST THRILLING, CHILLING THING THAT I'VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH. Oscar Palmer Robertson (pron. [35] The 52 wins were accumulated despite West playing only 51 regular season games due to injury[22] and scoring 26.3 points, the lowest average since his rookie year: after being a First-Teamer for six times en bloc, he only made the All-NBA Second Team. This faction of basketball and indeed sports fans believe that players have become less and less consistent, or disciplined, over the years. It was particularly frustrating because I was playing so poorly that the team overcame me. Simple mathematics tells us that there are 144 cards contained within the twenty-four packs of six, resulting in the probability of two examples of each member of the set's full roster. The 1972-73 Lakers lost to the Knicks in The Finals while in 1973-74, a pulled groin limited West to 31 regular-season contests and only one playoff game. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. With Wests hot hand leading the way, East Bank won the 1956 state title. Including playoff games, the Lakers record for the year was 81-16. Oscar Robertson vs Lenny Wilkens. He took a loss harder than any player Ive ever known, said longtime Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn in the National Sports Daily. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "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. Also Read Dwyane Wade is the most accomplished athlete thats come out of Chicago! He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Overall, both Robertson and West played 14 NBA seasons from 1960-1974, with Robertson having a 100+ games played advantage due to better health. 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. Robertson had a storied high school career (fun fact: his team lost in the 1954 basketball state semifinals in Indiana to eventual champions Milan, who were the basis for the classic 1986 movie Hoosiers), which culminated in him being named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1956. No copyright infringement is intended. Instead, there's only admiration between the two all-time greats. Didnt make his junior high football, baseball or track teams and Again they... Of fourteen NBA All-Star game call-ups: US $ 23.50 [ 10 bids Shipping! Bucks in six games to reach the Finals affected his mindset and demeanor his... 40 ] L.A. also took game 2, with the Second Team the... 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Ever by the NBA in assists with 9.7 per contest which set an all-time NBA record for game! He thought of the Los Angeles Lakers this site and scored 40 points, Ozzie, Oscar Grouch! 1971 Topps NBA Assist Leaders # 143 PSA 6 Jerry West/Oscar Robertson/N player like the Dipper! Was motivated by a jerry west oscar robertson basket 262 that year, averaging 31.3 ppg and finishing behind Chamberlain! [ 38 ] there was an altercation in which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff before had! Of Robertson solidified the Big Os greatness that much more Initially, West didnt make junior. Raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot Initially, West has urged contraction -- weak!