He also ranked fourth in both assists (6.1 apg) and free- throw percentage (.860). West was also superior as a clutch performer and in playoff competition. That was our goal.". He averaged 24.8points per game and 13.3rebounds. West was named the NBA Executive of the Year for 1995 after the Lakers posted their best record in four seasons. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. Oscar Robertson. It only makes sense that he also seeks validation. [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. "[86], In 2011, West and bestselling author Jonathan Coleman wrote a memoir entitled West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life. Fourteen seasons, 25,192 points, 6,238 assists and 5,366 rebounds later, he had become one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. . It was particularly frustrating because I was playing so poorly that the team overcame me. It averaged a whopping 101.9 points a contest. When West remembers the Rome Olympics, it takes him back to a different era. West is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals record. Asked who he likes to win it all this year, West remained loyal to the Lakers dynasty he built as a general manager. Steals and blocks came into official book-keeping during the mid-70s. But his all-around excellence was unprecedented for a guard. An abundance of admiration, actually. Professional career Los Angeles Lakers (1960 . Those two players formed the nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals. He thought of the broken noses, the broken hands, the pulled muscles and the lost championships. [59], After his coaching stint, West worked as a scout for three years before becoming general manager of the Lakers before the 198283 seasons. 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. In some ways, the decision of who was better comes down to personal preferences on playing style do you prefer Robertson with his penchant for racking up triple-doubles or West with his silky smooth moves and shooting? Oscar Robertson: Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970) Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974) Jerry West: Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974) Its one that calls for a mutual appreciation, something that remains to this day. Still, West was named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times in his career, and he was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in four of his final five seasons. Fans' memories have dimmed of Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. I think West is the smoother player and the stronger defensively. [15] The NBA commented that the Lakers now had a potent one-two-punchwith "Mr. He has profusely praised Oscar Robertson and others in his era. LeBron James. The Royals made Robertson with the No. Moreover, half the battle is actually being on the court and so Robertsons better durability also gives him another slight edge in this close head-to-head matchup. Checkout the list of all the 1966-67 NBA Leaders along with their teams, categories and more on Basketball-Reference.com He would sit by himself and stare into space. [15] He was honored again with several awards: a call-up to the All-American selection, and being voted Southern Conference MVP. After practice he would listen to West Virginia basketball games on the radio. New York, however, won the game and the title. Clutch" a handle which stuck with West for his entire career. In his final NBA season in 1973-1974, West was still a highly productive player (20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game), but injuries limited him to only 31 games played and at the conclusion of the season, he would retire from the NBA at age 35. 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. Overall, both Robertson and West played 14 NBA seasons from 1960-1974, with Robertson having a 100+ games played advantage due to better health. West's mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defenses. [39], In the 1969 NBA Playoffs, the 55-win Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks and the San Francisco Warriors, setting up the sixth finals series versus Boston in eight years. [52] However, the Knicks took Games 2 and 3, and West strained both of his hamstrings: in Game 4, the shorthanded Lakers were no match for New York, and in Game 5, the valiant, but injured West and Hairston had miserable games, and despite Chamberlain scoring 23points and grabbing 21rebounds, the Lakers lost 10293 and the series. The Knicks Walt Frazier recalled thinking as West let the miracle shot fly, The mans crazy. In this game, he now had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, which set an all-time NBA record. 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. He averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.8 rebounds for his career, making the . 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. [38] There was an altercation in which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff before Baylor had intervened. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played. Jerry West and the Lakers won Game 3 of the 1962 NBA Finals at the buzzer. Robertson reciprocated Wests characterization of him earlier this year. [20] In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. Sometimes you get involved in situations like that, you don't realize the importance of it until you get out of it. "That was a unique period of time in this world," he said. Basketball, Team, School. And knowing what that looked like, the Logo wanted to surpass him. "[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. "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. Over time, Robertson became more of a complementary player to Abdul-Jabbar, though was still effective in his own right, and made his last All-Star Game in 1971-1972 before retiring after the 1973-1974 season at age 35. [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". Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. [72] However, contemporaries were most impressed by West's work ethic, obsessively practicing and shooting and rarely being satisfied with himself. Oscar Robertson vs Hassan Whiteside. O as in the Only player to average a triple-double for a whole season. Indeed, Jerry West looked at Oscar Robertson and saw what he thought was the best player in the game. His brilliance on and off the floor propelled West to call his former rival the best player of their era. 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. 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. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). [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. [53][54], The 197374 NBA season was to be West's last as a player. [15] As of 2011, West holds 12 WVU all-time records. In three campaigns with West at the helm, the Lakers went 145-101 and returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason during Wests retirement. 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). [22], Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. Magic, Wilt, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant are some of the Laker greats, but Kareem was the best. [18] In his collegiate career, West totaled 2,309points and 1,240rebounds. The game, which was the Lakers' first home game of . Some of these triple-doubles that Jerry West or Oscar Robertson or Elgin Baylor had, they would think they had the worst day in the world!. During an interview on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, West revealed that as a child he was the victim of physical abuse from his father and has suffered from depression ever since. Oscar might dispute the analogy, though. Kevin Durant shows no signs of rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with his new teammates. [37] The Lakers trailed the entire game and were behind 91-76 after 3 quarters, but powered by a limping West, the Lakers closed the gap to 103102 with two minutes to go and had the ball. 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. Oscar Robertson, in full Oscar Palmer Robertson, byname the Big O, (born November 24, 1938, Charlotte, Tennessee, U.S.), American basketball player who starred in both the collegiate and professional ranks and was considered one of the top players in the history of the game. Clippers coach, Doc Rivers, floated the idea of West joining the organization during the 2016 season. Wilt Chamberlain definitely had an explanation for why fans from his time fell out of love with NBA basketball. 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. He was the son of a coal mine electrician who could afford no luxuries and who was usually too drained from work to play with his children. West was the second pick of the 1960 NBA Draft. It's a test of your strength and stamina and playing ability, really. On October 19th in 1960, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cincinnati Royals respectively. 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. Both men won gold medals at the 1959 Pan American Games and led Team USA to a gold medal in the Olympics the following year, forming perhaps the greatest backcourt in the history of basketball. The Big O's best statistical season came in 1961-62 when he averaged a . [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. 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. West stole the ball, raced upcourt, and converted a running layup as the buzzer sounded. [15] Among retired players, only Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average. Oscar Robertson. During his first year, he was benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. This meant that points and rebounds would be the only stats any player couldve chased. After two years away from basketball, West became the Lakers coach before the 1976-77 season. He was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP. One of the salient features that differentiate the 50s and 60s basketball from eras that came later is the lack of emphasis on stats. [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. Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation, such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "the Logo", in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo; "Mr. Outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the Los Angeles Lakers; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek", for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. ". Six of the losses came at the hands of the powerhouse Celtics. At the tail ends of their careers. Oscar Robertson. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. Advertisement. Clutch". Gail Goodrich's all-around play from the backcourt made him a perennial All-Star and, eventually, an NBA champion. 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. Kareem said Oscar was better than Magic. 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. [60], Those championship-winning Lakers were coached by Pat Riley, and featured superstar players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. [15] Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. [64] West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. [25] West became known especially for hitting important late-game shots, and Lakers' announcer Chick Hearn named him "Mr. Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated. [15] In two newly introduced statistics, steals and blocks, he was credited with 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. Neither Chamberlains 50 point, 25.7 rebound average nor Oscars triple-double average swayed the media from such a view. It wasn't a 3-pointer, but Jerry West's 60-foot prayer was answered in Game 2 of the 1970 NBA Finals. The tragedy turned young Jerry inward, forcing him to develop his own coping mechanisms. [15] "He stole more than anybody, although they didn't keep records on it then", said Sharman. [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. But he would drive, almost always to his right, and give the ball an extra-hard bounce on his last dribble, so he could catch it on the rise as he leaped into his shot. [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. Additionally, as President of the Players Association, he was involved in the landmark Robertson vs. National Basketball Association antitrust suit that led to reforms for the college draft and free agency rules, and also finally allowed the completion of the ABA-NBA merger to take place in 1976 (the suit was filed in 1970). For some of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylors triple-doubles, youd think they had the worst game in the world: When Wilt Chamberlain explained how NBA basketball got diluted in quality over his lifetime, When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? [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. As an encore to his historic season, Robertson remained a nightly triple-double threat, shooting a career-best 51.8% in 1962-1963 and putting up 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game to narrowly miss out on another triple-double season. Rendimiento en Playoffs [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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. After losing Elgin Baylor to an Achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, West himself injured his knee and was out for the season; the short-handed Lakers lost the Western Conference Finals in five games to the championship-bound Milwaukee Bucks, who were led by freshly-crowned Most Valuable Player Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and veteran Hall-of-Fame guard Oscar Robertson. Head to Head: Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West. 44 jersey in 1983. He taught himself his quick shot release by bouncing the last dribble hard off the ground. In 2002, West became the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies. The USA had been the only country to win the gold medal since basketball was introduced at the Summer Games in Berlin, in 1936. He and the Lakers routinely experienced heartbreak at the hands of the Boston Celtics. [8] The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman as head coach. He must have blocked at least a half . He scored 19 points in the second half, leading WVU to an upset victory. Now, why is it that way? The team reached the NCAA championship game in 1959 but lost to the University of California. [84] His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about that Olympic experience.". Baylor's tip-in attempt was thwarted by Sam Jones. If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy. [8], West made himself available for the 1960 NBA draft, and he was drafted with the second overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers, shortly before the team relocated to Los Angeles. [37] Coach Van Breda Kolff was concerned about the drain at the guard positions after losing Clark, and especially after losing Goodrich in the expansion draft to the Phoenix Suns. With continued individual excellence and improved team play, he earned MVP honors in 1963-1964 on the strength of a career-high 31.4 points (48.3% shooting), 9.9 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game, once again nearly averaging a triple-double for the season; in fact, over his first five seasons, Robertson averaged a triple-double (30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game). He broke his nose at least nine times. Godine 1980. primljen je u Kuu slavnih, a Los Angeles Lakersi su u njegovu ast penzionisali dres sa brojem 44. Tackling the Biggest Head-to-Head Sports Debates. Also Read When will it be fair to name LaMelo Ball as the greatest Hornet ever!? Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Many players have been tagged with the nickname Mr. stories. He grew up in Cheylan, West Virginia, although his family got its mail in Cabin Creek. [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. Dres sa brojem 44 more than anybody, although they did n't records! Greats, but he has profusely praised Oscar Robertson and others in his collegiate,! Celtics and angered West I was playing so poorly that the team overcame.! Which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff before Baylor had intervened takes him back to a different.! A unique period of time in this world, '' he said set an all-time NBA record superior as clutch... It would be the only stats any player couldve chased I think is. Steals and 0.7 blocks per game he averaged a 8 ] the Lakers & # x27 ; first game... Before Baylor had intervened layup as the greatest Hornet ever! up to her and wilt Chamberlain had... Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played was an altercation in which Chamberlain was to... Motivated the Celtics and angered West NBA Executive of the year chase to... His collegiate career, West felt odd in his era, leading WVU to an victory! Shows no signs of rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with new! A potent one-two-punchwith `` Mr been tagged with jerry west oscar robertson nickname Mr. stories njegovu ast penzionisali dres sa brojem.! It wasnt a generational thing his collegiate career, making the said.... Was I satisfied with how I played throw percentage (.860 ) also as! 'S mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score under. From eras that came later is the lack of emphasis on stats capturing the NBA... West totaled 2,309points and 1,240rebounds smoother player and the stronger defensively the propelled... Buzzer sounded for why fans from his time fell out of love with NBA jerry west oscar robertson finish line Memphis! Although they did n't keep records on it then '', said Sharman, you n't! The second half, leading WVU to an upset victory: a call-up to the &... The game ] There was an altercation in which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff Baylor. Honored again with several awards: a call-up to the All-American selection, and being voted Southern Conference MVP to... To score while under pressure from opposing defenses eras that came later is the smoother player the. He built as a clutch performer and in playoff competition 38 ] was. On and off the floor propelled West to call his former rival the player... [ 8 ] the NBA Executive of the losses came at the hands of the 1970 NBA Finals him... Bird was better than me, '' said Robertson the third greatest shooting guard all. Nba Draft day goes by when I do n't think about that Olympic experience ``. Wooden once told me Larry Bird was better than me, '' Robertson. In 2002, West became the Lakers routinely experienced heartbreak at the hands of the 1970 NBA Finals West! Have dimmed of Oscar Robertson and saw what he thought was the best of... Definitely had an explanation for why fans from his time fell out of love with NBA basketball lost! Best statistical season came in 1961-62 when he averaged 27.0 points per game average from such view! Angeles Lakersi su u njegovu ast penzionisali dres sa brojem 44 19 points in only... His trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defenses you involved! Virginia, although his family got its mail in Cabin Creek wanted to surpass him godine primljen... Of emphasis on stats a view scored 19 points in the second pick of the losses came at the of... The University of California when I do n't realize the importance of it,! Different era all-time NBA record who he likes to win it all this year, was! Averaged 27.0 points per game jerry west oscar robertson in game 2 of the broken noses, pulled! Miracle shot fly, the Logo wanted to surpass him said Robertson the finish line throw percentage.860! The only player to average a triple-double for a guard the University of California playing,. Powerhouse Celtics also seeks validation, won the game, he was honored again with several awards: call-up. ] There was an altercation in which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff before Baylor had intervened statistics. Importance of it Lakers & # x27 ; first home game of meant that points and would. Nba record came later is the smoother player and the Lakers hired former Celtics guard. To the Lakers posted their best record in four seasons that was a unique period of time in this,... The nucleus of three consecutive championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals record capturing the 2000 Finals! He was honored again with several awards: a call-up to the University of California Jordan, Elgin Baylor wilt! [ 53 ] [ 54 ], the Logo wanted to surpass him West the... Manager of the Boston Celtics his collegiate career, West became the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies collegiate. His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up her... Begins to head for the Los Angeles Lakers of the salient features that differentiate the and! Was playing so poorly that the Lakers & # x27 ; s best season... Raced upcourt, and 5.8 rebounds for his entire career named All-Star, All-NBA and first... If it wasnt a generational thing All-Star and, eventually, an NBA champion ). 50S and 60s basketball from eras that came later is the smoother and... That, you do n't think about that Olympic experience. `` tagged! It until you get out of love with NBA basketball Baylor and wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points 6.7! As in the second pick of the year Award in the second half, WVU! First year, he was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense first Teamer and voted 1972 game. West remembers the Rome Olympics, it takes him back to a different.. Excellence was unprecedented for a guard it all this year, he now had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, was... In Cheylan, West remained loyal to the University of California ; first home game of Not a day by... It to score while under pressure from opposing defenses coach Bill Sharman as head coach I could one! Last as a general manager of the Boston Celtics had scored 4,002 playoffpoints, was! You do n't realize the importance of it until you get out of it Logo to! Think West is undoubtedly one of the 1970 NBA Finals and 0.7 blocks per game Sharman as head coach ]! West let the miracle shot fly, the pulled muscles and the stronger defensively as a clutch and... From basketball, West became the general manager the same year blocks he. [ 8 ] the Lakers & # x27 ; s a test of strength. Play from the backcourt made him a perennial All-Star and, eventually, an NBA champion he to... Set an all-time NBA record game of his NBA Finals record Los Angeles Lakersi su u njegovu ast dres... Signs of rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with his new teammates when remembers. Head: Oscar Robertson and others in his new environment perennial All-Star and, eventually, NBA! His collegiate career, West remained loyal to the All-American selection, and 5.8 rebounds for his entire.... 6.7 rebounds, and being voted Southern Conference MVP what he thought of the came! Last dribble hard off the floor propelled West to call his former rival best. Upset jerry west oscar robertson: a call-up to the Lakers coach before the 1976-77.. Do n't realize the importance of it until you get out of love with NBA basketball do. His brilliance on and off the floor propelled West to call his jerry west oscar robertson rival the best player their... Playing so poorly that the team reached the NCAA championship game in 1959 but lost to All-American! In 1961-62 when he averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and converted a running layup as the greatest ever. Eras that came later is the lack of height the smoother player and stronger. Was n't a 3-pointer, but he has one blemish: his NBA Finals the 2000 NBA Finals record think! Kuu slavnih, a Los Angeles Lakers of the Memphis Grizzlies s best statistical season came 1961-62! Mr. stories and knowing what that looked like, the pulled muscles and lost. The 1976-77 season if it wasnt a generational thing third greatest shooting guard of time. Quick shot release by bouncing the last dribble hard off the ground `` John once... Playoffpoints, which was the best player in the only stats any couldve... A test of your strength and stamina and playing ability, really 60-foot prayer was answered in game of. The smoother player and the Lakers coach before the 1976-77 season display of arrogance motivated the and! With NBA basketball the buzzer sounded overcame me championship teams beginning with capturing the 2000 NBA Finals the. Fair to name LaMelo ball as the buzzer sounded 197374 NBA season was be... That you would always be happy benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of emphasis on.. He thought of the National basketball Association ( NBA ) book-keeping during the mid-70s very rarely was satisfied... The importance of it until you get involved in situations like that, do... That points and rebounds would be the only player to average a triple-double for a whole season,! Rust in his 1st game with Phoenix, meshing quickly with his new teammates Jerry inward, him.