West thought of his playing career as intertwined with that of Oscar Robertson. Although their anticipated mano a mano didn’t come about at the 1959 NCAA Final Four, soon thereafter they served as co-captains of the 1960 US men’s Olympic basketball team. Both had played forward in college, but switched to guard in the NBA.
The Cincinnati Royals made Robertson the No. 1 overall pick in the 1960 NBA draft, and the Minneapolis Lakers followed up, selecting West with the No. 2 overall pick. West considered “The Big O” the far more advanced player right out of college, and Robertson proved his brilliance by becoming the only player to ever average a triple-double – double digits in points, rebounds, and assists – over a season, and in only his second season, at that.
Despite their individual greatness, though, West and Robertson only played on one championship team apiece. Robertson got his ring in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
