The 1964–65 season was the Royals' 19th season in the NBA and eighth in Cincinnati . By the end of the season, Oscar Robertson's career statistics for the first five years of his career averaged out to a triple double: 30.3 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game, and 10.6 assists per game.[ 1]
The season began with high hopes as the Royals had played well the previous season against Boston and were improving as a team. In addition to Robertson, second-year big man Jerry Lucas rose to superstar status this season. He averaged 21 points and 20 rebounds over 66 games played. He joined Robertson on the All-NBA First Team named at the season's conclusion.
Injuries, though, were a big factor this season. Key guard Arlen Bockhorn was lost to a career-ending injury in November. The other four opening-day starters, Robertson, Lucas, Jack Twyman and Wayne Embry, were each lost for several games or more also.
Lucas was named MVP of the 1965 NBA All-Star Game . But the same day's events saw superstar Wilt Chamberlain traded to the rival Philadelphia 76ers. Now Cincinnati had two strong title contenders to deal with in their own division. Philadelphia later defeated the Royals in the 1965 playoffs .
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
G
21
Arnette, Jay
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
Texas
G
11
Bockhorn, Arlen
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
Dayton
C
15
Embry, Wayne
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
240 lb (109 kg)
Miami (OH)
F
22
Hairston, Happy
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
NYU
F
20
Hawkins, Tom
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Notre Dame
F/C
16
Lucas, Jerry
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
Ohio State
F
34
Olsen, Bud
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
Louisville
PG
14
Robertson, Oscar
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
Cincinnati
G
10
Smith, Adrian
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
Kentucky
G
25
Thacker, Tom
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
Cincinnati
F
27
Twyman, Jack
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
Cincinnati
C
17
Wilson, George
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
Cincinnati
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Record vs. opponents
edit
1964-65 NBA Records
Team
BAL
BOS
CIN
DET
LAL
NYK
PHI
SFW
STL
Baltimore
—
3–7
6–4
6–4
4–6
2–8
4–6
7–3
5–5
Boston
7–3
—
8–2
10–0
7–3
7–3
5–5
9–1
9–1
Cincinnati
4–6
2–8
—
6–4
6–4
8–2
6–4
8–2
8–2
Detroit
4–6
0–10
4–6
—
3–7
5–5
4–6
8–2
3–7
Los Angeles
6–4
3–7
4–6
7–3
—
10–0
7–3
8–2
4–6
New York
8–2
3–7
2–8
5–5
0–10
—
5–5
7–3
1–9
Philadelphia
6–4
5–5
4–6
6–4
3–7
5–5
—
6–4
5–5
San Francisco
3–7
1–9
2–8
2–8
2–8
3–7
4–6
—
0–10
St. Louis
5–5
1–9
2–8
7–3
6–4
9–1
5–5
10–0
—
1964–65 game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 17
@ St. Louis
91–94
Oscar Robertson (27)
0–1
2
October 18
San Francisco
108–117
Jack Twyman (31)
1–1
3
October 20
Los Angeles
113–121
Oscar Robertson (31)
2–1
4
October 25
Philadelphia
107–109
Jerry Lucas (32)
3–1
5
October 30
St. Louis
118–119
Oscar Robertson (39)
4–1
6
October 31
@ Boston
94–122
Oscar Robertson (24)
4–2
7
November 1
Detroit
101–114
Oscar Robertson (22)
5–2
8
November 6
Baltimore
111–106
Adrian Smith (26)
5–3
9
November 7
@ Philadelphia
103–105
Jerry Lucas (21)
5–4
10
November 8
Boston
106–103
Jerry Lucas (37)
5–5
11
November 11
@ St. Louis
118–116
Jerry Lucas (26)
6–5
12
November 13
St. Louis
106–123
Jerry Lucas (30)
7–5
13
November 14
@ New York
111–110
Oscar Robertson (27)
8–5
14
November 15
San Francisco
122–106
Oscar Robertson (22)
8–6
15
November 17
@ San Francisco
114–108
Oscar Robertson (33)
9–6
16
November 18
@ Los Angeles
92–90
Oscar Robertson (32)
10–6
17
November 20
@ Los Angeles
121–131
Oscar Robertson (32)
10–7
18
November 21
@ San Francisco
111–104
Jerry Lucas (29)
11–7
19
November 25
@ Baltimore
116–125
Oscar Robertson (40)
11–8
20
November 27
Philadelphia
112–133
Oscar Robertson (27)
12–8
21
November 28
@ Boston
98–129
Oscar Robertson (23)
12–9
22
November 29
New York
95–105
Robertson, Smith (20)
13–9
23
December 1
N Detroit
107–129
Oscar Robertson (25)
14–9
24
December 2
@ Detroit
115–125
Jerry Lucas (31)
14–10
25
December 4
Los Angeles
90–104
Oscar Robertson (33)
15–10
26
December 6
N Baltimore
124–113
Oscar Robertson (32)
16–10
27
December 9
@ Detroit
122–114
Oscar Robertson (32)
17–10
28
December 10
Boston
116–101
Oscar Robertson (31)
17–11
29
December 12
@ St. Louis
115–109
Oscar Robertson (22)
18–11
30
December 18
Los Angeles
107–111
Oscar Robertson (56)
19–11
31
December 19
@ New York
133–105
Oscar Robertson (30)
20–11
32
December 25
St. Louis
125–130 (OT)
Oscar Robertson (38)
21–11
33
December 26
@ Philadelphia
135–125
Oscar Robertson (38)
22–11
34
December 27
@ Baltimore
119–126
Oscar Robertson (48)
22–12
35
December 28
San Francisco
108–113
Oscar Robertson (35)
23–12
36
January 1
N Baltimore
140–124
Oscar Robertson (39)
24–12
37
January 3
Boston
89–85
Oscar Robertson (35)
24–13
38
January 5
@ New York
125–116 (OT)
Oscar Robertson (37)
25–13
39
January 6
New York
102–116
Oscar Robertson (28)
26–13
40
January 8
N Philadelphia
107–114
Oscar Robertson (26)
27–13
41
January 9
@ Baltimore
128–119
Oscar Robertson (42)
28–13
42
January 10
Detroit
114–140
Lucas, Twyman (24)
29–13
43
January 15
Los Angeles
106–124
Jerry Lucas (29)
30–13
44
January 17
@ Boston
98–101
Lucas, Robertson (23)
30–14
45
January 19
St. Louis
99–103
Oscar Robertson (40)
31–14
46
January 20
@ Detroit
102–90
Jack Twyman (21)
32–14
47
January 23
Detroit
105–102
Oscar Robertson (35)
32–15
48
January 24
San Francisco
103–124
Robertson, Twyman (24)
33–15
49
January 26
@ San Francisco
115–107
Adrian Smith (32)
34–15
50
January 27
@ Los Angeles
112–119
Oscar Robertson (34)
34–16
51
January 28
@ San Francisco
90–105
Jerry Lucas (27)
34–17
52
January 29
@ Los Angeles
133–137 (2OT)
Oscar Robertson (36)
34–18
53
January 31
@ Philadelphia
122–127
Oscar Robertson (35)
34–19
54
February 3
Los Angeles
99–130
Oscar Robertson (44)
35–19
55
February 5
@ Boston
113–114
Oscar Robertson (38)
35–20
56
February 6
N Philadelphia
127–122
Oscar Robertson (50)
35–21
57
February 9
Boston
121–134
Oscar Robertson (42)
36–21
58
February 10
N New York
115–112 (OT)
Oscar Robertson (37)
36–22
59
February 11
N Detroit
109–130
Oscar Robertson (28)
37–22
60
February 13
Philadelphia
106–108
Oscar Robertson (37)
38–22
61
February 14
@ St. Louis
99–92
Oscar Robertson (30)
39–22
62
February 16
St. Louis
103–111
Oscar Robertson (35)
40–22
63
February 17
@ Baltimore
114–125
Oscar Robertson (35)
40–23
64
February 21
@ New York
104–109
Oscar Robertson (40)
40–24
65
February 23
N Baltimore
127–131
Oscar Robertson (39)
40–25
66
February 27
@ Detroit
115–117
Oscar Robertson (35)
40–26
67
February 28
N New York
117–126
Adrian Smith (32)
41–26
68
March 1
N Detroit
130–110
Lucas, Robertson (20)
41–27
69
March 2
San Francisco
105–121
Oscar Robertson (28)
42–27
70
March 3
@ Baltimore
108–151
Lucas, Robertson (20)
42–28
71
March 5
Philadelphia
110–109
Oscar Robertson (36)
42–29
72
March 6
@ San Francisco
97–93
Robertson, Smith (26)
43–29
73
March 7
@ Los Angeles
104–106
Adrian Smith (25)
43–30
74
March 10
@ St. Louis
113–137
Jerry Lucas (25)
43–31
75
March 12
Boston
108–118
Oscar Robertson (37)
44–31
76
March 14
@ New York
113–103
Oscar Robertson (24)
45–31
77
March 16
New York
102–111
Lucas, Robertson (30)
46–31
78
March 18
Baltimore
110–113
Oscar Robertson (30)
47–31
79
March 20
@ Philadelphia
125–122
Jerry Lucas (34)
48–31
80
March 21
@ Boston
99–116
Jerry Lucas (26)
48–32
1965 playoff game log
Division semifinals: 1–3 (home: 0–2; road: 1–1)
1965 schedule
Oscar Robertson, All-NBA First Team
Jerry Lucas, All-NBA First Team