Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-29
Nv MILTON GROSS

North American Newspaper Alliance
NEW YORK. Nov. 20
You've got to understand how
big Jerry Lucas was as col
Iege basketball player at Ohio
State to appreciate the way
he thinks now in his first year
as a pro with the Cincinnati
Royals. Only then can a re-
cent conversation he had with
teammate Arlen Bockhorn come
into proper perspective.
Luke" said Bockhorn, do
you realize how good OF really
Is? Do you know that this guy
can score any time he wants
TOP"
Lucas is not an emotional
young man. At least things do
not show on his composed 90
year-old face, but there was
a near touch of awe in his
voice as he recalled Bockhorn's
words about Oscar Robertson.
1--WE known that OF Is the
greatest I've ever seen. I knew
it when we played together on
the Olympic team, but not until
I began to play with him in
this league did I realize that
he's so much better than I
thought" Lucas said, He does
things I didn't think possible.
There are things on a basket
ball court you'd have to say
can't be done, but he manages
to do them"
Body Control Amazing
Lucas uses a phrase to de-
scribe Robertson which is in
triguing. because Jerry had the
world on a string from his
sophomore year in college
through last year when he was
paid $4,000 for not playing
pro ball by a Cleveland adver-
Using man who tried unsuc-
cessfully to build an MIA
franchise around Lucas.
"Oz plays the game as though
he has the ball on a string, "
Lucas said. His body control
is lust unbelievable. So Is his
control of the ball. He never
loses it. Nobody else has that.
What impresses you 50 much
is that any man can have that
much ability-be able to do
so many things on the court. "
Lucas, Of course, has con-
siderable ability Of his own,
but he is finding out now that
he and Oscar are in separate
classes. They are two differ
ent kinds of ball players and
Lucas is man enough to con-
fess, I'm not entirely satisfied
with myself" He's also OBJ
server enough to admit aloud
the sheer wonder Of Robertson.
1t can't be easy because there
eare some Ohioans who saw
q Jerry as a visitation from
4 Olympus and who still feel
4 that Lucas will become Robert
sons equal once he accustomS
+ himself to the switch to a for
ward position from the pivot
2 post he played at Ohio State.
Fools Own Team
This Is sheer nonsense and
Lucas knows it
II couldn't begin to handle
the ball as OF does" said Jerry.
IT couldn't move like he can.
You watch his taking. with his
reyes, his shoulders, his head.
He fools everybody, not Just
athe opponent, but the players
on our own team as well. You
klook up to the basket. You
think he's taken his shot, but
sthe balls not up there. It's
suncanny."
There was one such play
Robertson completed in the
Royals victory over the War
lriors at Madison Square Gar
den last Tuesday. Robertson
had the ball just beyond the
top Of the key at the right side.
There was a clutch of players
almost completely obscuring
the pivot area as OF went up
in the air. Anybody else. once
having committed himself
would have had to take a
jump shot. However, Robert
son somehow managed to
throw q perfect pass to Bud
Olsen through the mob scene
Nobody laid a hand on the