Event 1966

1966 NBA ALL STAR GAME CINCINNATI:
WEST 94 – EAST 137

[alc_event_scoreboard event=”3908″]

[event_details 3908]

  • Local player Adrian ‘Odie’ Smith, a late selection by the coaches along Chet Walker, surprised everybody with a great performance that helped his team to win clearly 137-94. Probably he has been the least known MVP in the history of the NBA All Star Games.
  • The game’s MVP was to be awarded a brand-new Ford Galaxie 500 convertible. Since the game have no competition, encouraged by his teammates and the fans, an inspired Smith was force-fed the ball for the entire second half. His mate in Cincinnati Royals, Oscar Robertson, made 17 points 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
  • The difference in the score (43 points) is the biggest difference in the NBA All Star history.
  • Adrian Smith was the third consecutive Cincinnati Royal player to win the MVP, after Oscar Robertson in 1964 and Jerry Lucas in 1965.
  • Robertson also won the award in 1961 and 1969, leaving Cincinnati dominating the 60’s MVP with a great 5 out of 10 total MVPs.
  • Smith also became the only player in the NBA All-Star Game history who was able to win the MVP trophy in his sole participation, not bad for a guy drafted out of Cincinnati in the 15th round whose first All-Star shot was an airball.
  • Up to this day, Adrian Smith still has the car and sporadically drives it if it’s not raining. He has refused all the offers received for the car, it has an inestimable emotional value.

  • Red Auerbach (Eastern team coach) decided to include Wilt Chamberlain on the starting five instead of Bill Russell. Both players were unanimous choices by the sportswriters.
  • The day before the game, Auerbach joked about flipping a coin before the game to determine which of the superstars would be in the starting line-up… who knows? Maybe he did it.
  • MVP: Adrian ‘Odie’ Smith (East)

[event_performance 3908]

[alc_player_stats player_id=”2431″ style_type=”style_2″ title=”MVP”]
[alc_staff_bio_card staff_id=”1912″ title=”Coach West”]
[alc_staff_bio_card staff_id=”1870″ title=”Coach East”]

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