NBA History: 25 best sidekicks of all time

LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Kobe Bryant (L), Shaquille O'Neal (C) and Brian Shaw (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers joke on the bench during the final minutes in game four of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs 27 May 2001 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Lakers beat the Spurs 111-82 to sweep the best-of-seven series 4-0. AFP PHOTO/Mike NELSON (Photo credit should read MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images) /

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Oscar Robertson (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

Ranking the 25 best NBA sidekicks of all time: 20. Oscar Robertson

When discussing the greatest players to ever lace em up, Oscar Robertson doesn’t get the credit that he rightfully deserves.

Before players such as Russell Westbrook and LeBron James made it look incredibly easy to rack triple-doubles on a nightly basis, Robertson had that stat on lock. The Hall of Fame point guard was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. He did so during the 1961-62 season when he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 boards, and 11.4 assists.

In six of Robertson’s first seven seasons, he finished the year averaging over 30 points a night. But as he got older, he wasn’t able to dominate a game like he once could. So, for the latter portion of his career, Robertson wasn’t the best player on his team. That distinction fell squarely on the shoulders of a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

From 1971-74, Abdul-Jabbar carried the Milwaukee Bucks by averaging 30.9 points per game and 15.8 rebounds. Robertson during those four years was a very good player as well, having made two All-Star teams but he wasn’t as prolific as he once was. Still, as their second-best player, Robertson averaged 16.2 points and 7.4 assists.

Had Robertson joined the Bucks when he was in his prime, there’s a good chance Abdul-Jabbar would’ve been the sidekick instead.