During the 1960s, most people’s eyes were on the rivalry between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain . It was a fun rivalry because both players were exceptional at their positions. Bill was a superb defender, while Wilt was stellar on offense.
While most fans were interested in that rivalry, they did not look as much into the brewing rivalry on the guard positions because the Oscar Robertson vs. Jerry West rivalry was the real deal and was also quite exciting to tune into. The fans who watched them going up against each othr considered Robertson vs. West the miniature version of Russell vs. Chamberlain.
“I used to hear Bird against Johnson, but they never guard each other. Robertson and West, we guarded each other,” West said about old-school rivalries compared to the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird rivalry on NBA Vault. “It’s terrible to feel like somebody has an advantage over you in anything that you do. There was no question he had an advantage earlier in my career. After four/five years, there was definitely a rivalry. ”
Oscar and Jerry had immense mutual respect
While Roberson was the superior player early in West’s career, the Big O knew the Lakers guard would be a problem. He had everything you would want in a shooting guard, as he could score from anywhere on the court. West also had playmaking, which was significant for a shooting guard since he could play a well-rounded style similar to Oscar.
Oscar appreciated what Jerry brought to the table because he was an innovative player due to his impeccable the jump shot. Players like Oscar focused on getting into the paint and scoring through layups.
“Jerry was a great basketball player. I was more of an inside player, penetrating. He was a tremendous shot,” Robertson said on the same NBA Vault episode.
On the other hand, West knew he was a fantastic player, but he always conceded that Robertson was the better player. Isiah Thomas was on a panel with Jerry and Oscar when the former praised his rival .
“ I know I’m the logo, but in my era, there was no better basketball player than Oscar Robertson,” Zeke said in a story about the panel. “And Oscar was sitting over there, and Oscar said, ‘You’re right Jerry.’”
Oscar and Jerry were trailblazers for guards
The rivalry between Robertson and West set the tone for future guards. Plenty of guards took notes on being more effective with their jump shots like West, but some used their athleticism to stand out and become dominant from the guard position.
They have become iconic in separate ways, since Oscar was Mr. Triple Double for his all-around impact in points, rebounds, and assists. Jerry was the Logo as he became the man behind the NBA’s branding early on presenting himself as a true two-way menace. While the league never gave him full credit for all his accomplishments, he is synonymous with the league, and people will continue to show interest in Jerry’s game as long as that stays the same.
Related: Jerry West makes the case for Oscar Robertson being the best player of his generation
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