On This Date in Sports January 17, 1961: Big O Steals the Show
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The Western Division beats the East 153-131 in the NBA’s 11th All-Star Game in Syracuse. The West got off to a fast start, outscoring the East 47-19 in the first quarter and never looked back. Leading the way for the West is Rookie Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals, who narrowly missed a triple-double with 23 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds. At the time, Robertson was the youngest NBA All-Star MVP at the age of 22.
The NBA was in a period of transition as the 1960s began. The league was growing, and smaller markets were disappearing. The Syracuse Nationals were the last of the small market teams. In 1961, they played host to the NBA All-Star Game at the Onondaga County War Memorial Coliseum. The Eastern Division All-Stars were coached by Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics, while Paul Seymour of the St. Louis Hawks led the team from the West. The East dominated the first decade of NBA All-Star Games, winning seven of the first ten.
The brightest stars in the NBA belonged to the East at the time, with Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics and Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors sharing the marquee and the center position. Fans of the Nationals could cheer on players like Dolph Schayes, Hal Greer and Larry Costello. The Western Division team was highlighted by Bob Pettitt of the St. Louis Hawks, who had won the All-Star Game MVP three times while new stars like Jerry West and Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Lakers were starting to catch the attention of fans on the west coast.
All of these stars would, however, take a backseat to Cincinnati Royals rookie Oscar Robertson. The “Big O” was born on November 24, 1938, in Charlotte, Tennessee, and raised in Indianapolis. His high school Crispus Attucks famously lost to Milan in 1954. Milan would later become the inspiration for the movie “Hoosiers.” After being named “Mr. Basketball” in 1956, Oscar Robertson attended Cincinnati, where he won the player of the year as a senior in 1960. Oscar Robertson would continue his career with the Cincinnati Royals in the NBA as the team held his territorial rights.
Oscar Robertson was in the midst of a tremendous rookie season when he was selected to play in the All-Star Game. Well, on his way to winning Rookie of the Year with 30.5 ppg, 10.1 rebounds, and league-best 9.7 assists per game. Robertson would have 14 assists in the All-Star Game, as Pettitt was the game’s leading scorer with 29 points. For the East, Bill Russell led the way with 24 points as the West’s big first quarter ultimately was the deciding factor.
Oscar Robertson would win the All-Star MVP again in 1964 and 1969. Only five other players have won the All-Star MVP three times; they are Bob Pettitt and Kobe Bryant, who each won it four times, along with Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James. The 1961 All-Star Game would be the only one played in Syracuse as the Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers just two years later.