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Oscar Robertson

Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] Robertson played point guard and was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in 14 seasons. In 1962, he became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season (the only player in history besides Russell Westbrook).[2] In the 1970–71 NBA season, he was a key player on the team that brought the Bucks their first NBA title. His playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism.[2]

Oscar Robertson
Robertson with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971
Personal information
Born (1938-11-24) November 24, 1938 (age 85)
Charlotte, Tennessee, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolCrispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Indiana)
CollegeCincinnati (1957–1960)
NBA draft1960: territorial pick
Selected by the Cincinnati Royals
Playing career1960–1974
PositionPoint guard
Number14, 1
Career history
19601970Cincinnati Royals
19701974Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points26,710 (25.7 ppg)
Rebounds7,804 (7.5 rpg)
Assists9,887 (9.5 apg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006
Medals

Robertson is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted in 1980 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team and president of the National Basketball Players Association. Also in 1980, Robertson was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team.[3] He was again voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.[4] The United States Basketball Writers Association renamed their College Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998, and he was one of five people chosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class in 2006.[5] He was ranked as the 36th best American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN.[6][7] In October 2021, Robertson was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[8]

Robertson was also an integral part of Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n of 1970.[9] The landmark NBA antitrust suit, which was filed when Robertson was the president of the NBA Players' Association, led to an extensive reform of the league's strict free agency and draft rules and, subsequently, to higher salaries for all players.[2] He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2009.

Early life edit

Robertson was born into poverty in Charlotte, Tennessee, on November 24, 1938. When he was approximately 18 months old, his parents moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he grew up in a segregated housing project. He preferred to play basketball over baseball, which was more popular in the neighborhood because it was "a poor kids' game". He learned how to shoot by using tennis balls and rags wrapped with rubber bands and tossing them into a peach basket in the back of his family's home.[2]

High school career edit

Robertson attended Crispus Attucks High School, an all-black high school, where he was coached by Ray Crowe, whose emphasis on a fundamentally sound game had a positive effect on his style of play. As a sophomore in 1954, he starred on an Attucks team that lost in the semi-state finals (state quarterfinals) to eventual state champions Milan, a story that would later be the basis of the 1986 movie Hoosiers. When Robertson was a junior, Crispus Attucks dominated its opposition, going 31–1, and winning the 1955 state championship, the first for any all-black school in the nation. It was also the first state championship won by an Indianapolis team in the Hoosier tournament. In 1956, the team finished with a 31–0 record and won a second straight IHSAA Men's Basketball Championship, becoming the first team in Indiana to secure a perfect season and compiling a state-record 45 straight victories. After their championship game wins, the team was paraded through town in a regular tradition, but they were then taken to a park outside downtown to continue their celebration, unlike other teams. Robertson stated: "[Officials] thought the blacks were going to tear the town up, and they thought the whites wouldn't like it."[10]

In his senior season, Robertson scored 24.0 points per game and was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1956.[2] After his graduation that year, Robertson enrolled at the University of Cincinnati.[4]

College career edit

 
Robertson as a senior at Cincinnati

Robertson continued to excel while playing for the Cincinnati Bearcats, recording a scoring average of 33.8 points per game, the third-highest in college history. In each of his three years, he won the national scoring title, was named an All-American, and was chosen College Player of the Year, while setting 14 NCAA and 19 school records.[4]

Robertson's stellar play led the Bearcats to a 79–9 overall record during his three varsity seasons, including two Final Four appearances; however, a championship eluded Robertson, something that would become a repeated occurrence until late in his professional career. When Robertson left college, he was the all-time leading NCAA scorer until fellow Hall-of-Fame player Pete Maravich topped him in 1970.[2] Robertson took Cincinnati to national prominence during his time there, but the university's greatest success in basketball took place immediately after his departure, when the team won national titles in 1961 and 1962, missing a third consecutive title in 1963 by just two points. He continues to stand atop the Bearcats' record book and the many records he still holds include points in one game at 62 (one of his six games of 50 points or more), career triple-doubles at 10, career rebounds per game at 15.2, and career points at 2,973.[11]

Robertson had many outstanding individual game performances, including 10 triple-doubles. His personal best may have been his line of 45 points, 23 rebounds, and 10 assists against Indiana State in 1959. Despite his success on the court, Robertson's college career was soured by racism. In those days, Southern university programs such as Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina did not recruit black athletes, and road trips to segregated cities were especially difficult, with Robertson often sleeping in college dorms instead of hotels. Years later, he told The Indianapolis Star: "I'll never forgive them."[2] Decades after his college days, Robertson's stellar NCAA career was rewarded by the United States Basketball Writers Association when they renamed the trophy awarded to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998. This honor brought the award full circle for Robertson, as he had won the first two awards ever presented.[12]

1960 Olympics edit

After college, Robertson and Jerry West co-captained the 1960 U.S. basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics. The team, described as the greatest assemblage of basketball talent ever at that point, steamrolled the competition to win the gold medal. Robertson was a starting forward along with Purdue's Terry Dischinger, but played point guard as well. He was the leading scorer of the team,[13] as the U.S. team won its nine games by an average margin of 42.4 points. Ten of the twelve college players on the American squad later played in the NBA, including Robertson as well as future Basketball Hall-of-Famers West, Jerry Lucas, and Walt Bellamy.[14]

Professional career edit

Cincinnati Royals (1960–1970) edit

 
Robertson during his days with the Cincinnati Royals

Prior to the 1960–61 NBA season, Robertson made himself eligible for the 1960 NBA draft. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. The Royals gave Robertson a $33,000 signing bonus.[2] In his NBA debut, Robertson recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 140–123 win over the visiting Lakers.[15] On November 15, 1960, Robertson recorded a then-career-high of 44 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a 124–115 win over the Philadelphia Warriors.[16] In his rookie season, Robertson averaged 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists (leading the league), almost averaging a triple-double for the entire season. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year, was elected into the All-NBA First Team—which would happen in each of Robertson's first nine seasons—and made the first of 12 consecutive All-Star Game appearances.[1] In addition, he was named the 1961 NBA All-Star Game MVP following his 23-point, 14-assist, 9-rebound performance in a West victory; however, the Royals finished with a 33–46 record and stayed in the cellar of the Western Division. On February 10, 1962, Robertson recorded 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 16 assists in a 134–118 win over the Hawks.[17]

In the 1961–62 season, Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists.[1] Robertson also set a then-NBA record for the most triple-doubles during the regular season with 41 triple-doubles; the record would stand for over half a century until 2016–17, when Russell Westbrook recorded 42 and joined Robertson as the only other player to average a triple-double for an entire season. He broke the assists record by Bob Cousy, who had recorded 715 assists two seasons earlier, by logging 899, and joined Johnny Green and Elgin Baylor as the only players in NBA history with the height of 6'5 or smaller to have grabbed 900+ rebounds in a season.[18] The Royals earned a berth to the 1962 NBA playoffs; however, they were eliminated in the first round by the Detroit Pistons.[19] In the 1962–63 season, Robertson further established himself as one of the greatest players of his generation, averaging 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 9.5 assists, narrowly missing out on another triple-double season.[1] The Royals advanced to the Eastern Division Finals, but succumbed in a seven-game series against a Boston Celtics team led by Bill Russell.[20]

 
Robertson in 1966

In the 1963–64 season, the Royals achieved a 55–25 record,[21] which put them second place in the Eastern Division. Under new coach Jack McMahon, Robertson flourished. Robertson led the NBA in free-throw percentage, scored a career-high 31.4 points per game, and averaged 9.9 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game.[1] The averages for his first five NBA seasons are a triple-double: 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.6 assists per game. He won the NBA MVP award and became the only player other than Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to win it from 1960 to 1968.[2] Robertson also won his second All-Star Game MVP award that year after scoring 26 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and dishing off 8 assists in an East victory. In the 1964 NBA playoffs, the Royals defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, but then were dominated by the Celtics 4 games to 1.[2]

Robertson averaged a triple-double over his first five seasons in the NBA with the Royals, recording averages of 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game in 451 contest. On December 18, 1964, Robertson recorded a career-high 56 points on 17-for-33 shooting from the field, to go along with 9 rebounds and 12 assists in a 111–107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[22] From the 1964–65 season on, things began to turn sour for the franchise. Despite Robertson recording averages of at least 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.1 assists in the six following seasons,[1] the Royals were eliminated in the first round from 1965 to 1967, then missed the playoffs from 1968 to 1970. In the 1969–70 season, the sixth disappointing season in a row, fan support was waning. To help attract the public, 41-year-old head coach Bob Cousy made a short comeback as a player. For seven games, the former Celtics point guard partnered with Robertson in the Royals' backcourt, but they missed the playoffs.[2]

Milwaukee Bucks (1970–1974) edit

 
Robertson as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks

Prior to the 1970–71 season, the Royals stunned the basketball world by trading Robertson to the Bucks for Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk.[23] No reasons were officially given, but many pundits suspected head coach Bob Cousy was jealous of all the attention Robertson was getting.[2] Robertson himself said: "I think he was wrong and I will never forget it."[2]

The relationship between Oscar and the Royals had soured to the point that Cincinnati had also approached the Lakers and Knicks about deals involving their star player; the Knicks players who were discussed in those scenarios are unknown, but Los Angeles stated publicly that the Royals asked about Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, with the Lakers saying they would not consider trading either star. The trade proved highly beneficial for Robertson. After being stuck with an under-performing team the last six years, he now was paired with the young Lew Alcindor, who would years later become the all-time NBA scoring leader as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. With Alcindor in the low post and Robertson running the backcourt, the Bucks charged to a league-best 66–16 record, including a then-record 20-game win streak, a dominating 12–2 record in the 1971 NBA playoffs, and crowned their season with the NBA title by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets 4–0 in the 1971 NBA Finals. In his first NBA finals game, Robertson recorded 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Bucks.[24] For the first time in his career, Robertson had won an NBA championship.[2]

From a historical perspective, Robertson's most important contribution was made not on a basketball court but in a court of law. It was the year of the landmark Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n, an antitrust suit filed by the NBA's Players Association against the league. As Robertson was the president of the Players Association, the case bore his name. In this suit, the proposed merger between the NBA and American Basketball Association was delayed until 1976, and the college draft, as well as the free agency clauses, were reformed.[2] Robertson himself stated that the main reason was that clubs basically owned their players: players were forbidden to talk to other clubs once their contract was up, because free agency did not exist until 1988.[25] Six years after the suit was filed, the NBA finally reached a settlement, the ABA–NBA merger took place, and the Oscar Robertson suit encouraged signing of more free agents and eventually led to higher salaries for all players.[2]

On the hardwood, the veteran Robertson still proved he was a valuable player. Paired with Abdul-Jabbar, two more division titles with the Bucks followed in the 1971–72 and 1972–73 season. In Robertson's last season, he helped lead Milwaukee to a league-best 59–23 record and helped them to reach the 1974 NBA Finals. There, Robertson had the chance to end his stellar career with a second ring. The Bucks were matched up against a Boston Celtics team powered by an inspired Dave Cowens, and the Bucks lost in seven games.[2] As a testament to Robertson's importance to the Bucks, in the season following his retirement the Bucks fell to last place in their division with a 38–44 record in spite of the continued presence of Abdul-Jabbar.[26]

In 1995, Robertson was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.

Post-playing career edit

 
Robertson in 2010

After he retired as an active player, Robertson stayed involved in efforts to improve living conditions in his native Indianapolis, especially concerning fellow African-Americans.[2] In addition, he worked as a color commentator with Brent Musburger on games televised by CBS during the 1974–75 NBA season.[27] His trademark expressions were, "Oh, my!" and "Oh, Brent, did you see that!" in reaction to flashy or spectacular situations such as fast breaks, slam dunks, player collisions, etc. He also returned to the booth for the 1988–89 season calling games on TBS with Hot Rod Hundley.[28]

After his retirement, the Kansas City Kings (the Royals moved there while Robertson was with the Bucks) retired his No. 14; the retirement continues to be honored by the Kings in their current home of Sacramento. The Bucks also retired the No. 1 he wore in Milwaukee. In 1994, a nine-foot bronze statue of Robertson was erected outside the Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center, the current home of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball.[4] Robertson attends many of the games there, viewing the Bearcats from a chair at courtside. In 2006, the statue was relocated to the entrance of the Richard E. Lindner Athletics Center at the University of Cincinnati.[29]

Starting in 2000, Robertson served as a director for Countrywide Financial Corporation, until the company's sale to Bank of America in 2008.[30] In July 2004, Robertson was named interim head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team for approximately a month while head coach Bob Huggins served a suspension stemming from a drunk-driving conviction.[31]

After many years out of the spotlight, Robertson was recognized on November 17, 2006, for his impact on college basketball when he was chosen to be a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was one of five people, along with John Wooden, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, and James Naismith, selected to represent the inaugural class.[5] In January 2011, Robertson joined a class action lawsuit against the NCAA, O'Bannon v. NCAA, challenging the organization's use of the images of its former student athletes.[32]

In 2015, Robertson was among a group of investors that placed a marijuana legalization initiative on the Ohio ballot.[33] The initiative sought exclusive grow rights for the group members while prohibiting all other cultivation except small amounts for personal use.[34] Robertson appeared in a television advertisement advocating for passage of the initiative,[35] but it was ultimately defeated.[36] Second efforts by groups in Ohio succeeded in 2023.

Legacy edit

Robertson is regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, a triple threat who could score inside, outside and also was a stellar playmaker. His rookie scoring average of 30.5 points per game is the third-highest of any rookie in NBA history, and Robertson averaged more than 30 points per game in six of his first seven seasons.[1] Only three other players in the NBA have had more 30+-point-per-game seasons in their career. Robertson was the first player to average more than 10 assists per game, doing so at a time when the criteria for assists were more stringent than today.[2] Robertson is also the first guard in NBA history to ever average more than 10 rebounds per game, doing so three times. It was a feat that would not be repeated until Russell Westbrook managed to achieve it during the 2016–17 season. In addition to his 1964 regular-season MVP award, Robertson won three All-Star Game MVPs in his career (in 1961, 1964, and 1969). He ended his career with 26,710 points (25.7 per game, ninth-highest all time), 9,887 assists (9.5 per game), and 7,804 rebounds (7.5 per game).[1] He led the league in assists six times; at the time of his retirement, he was the NBA's all-time leader in career assists and free throws made, and was the second all-time leading scorer behind Wilt Chamberlain.[2]

Robertson also set yardsticks in versatility. If his first five NBA seasons are strung together, Robertson averaged a triple-double over those, averaging 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists.[37] For his career, Robertson had 181 triple-doubles, a record that had never been approached for decades until by Westbrook in the 2020-21 season.[38] These numbers are even more astonishing if it is taken into account that the three-point shot, which benefits sharpshooting backcourt players, did not exist when he played. In the 1967–68 season, Robertson became the first of only two players in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring average and assists per game in the same season (also achieved by Nate Archibald).[citation needed] The official scoring and assist titles went to other players that season because the NBA based the titles on point and assist totals (not averages) prior to the 1969–70 season.[citation needed] During his career, Robertson won a total of six NBA assist titles, and was the first to reach the 7,000, 8,000, and 9,000 career assist milestones.[citation needed] For his career, Robertson shot a high .485 field goal average and led the league in free-throw percentage twice—in the 1963–64 and 1967–68 seasons.[1]

Standing 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), Robertson is recognized by the NBA as the first legitimate "big guard", paving the way for other oversized backcourt players like Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson.[2] Furthermore, he is also credited with having invented the head fake and the fadeaway jump shot, a shot which Michael Jordan later became famous for.[39] For the Cincinnati Royals, now relocated and named the Sacramento Kings, he scored 22,009 points and 7,731 assists, and is the all-time leader in both statistics for the combined Royals/Kings teams.[2]

 
Robertson at the ceremony announcing inclusion in the Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

Robertson was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 28, 1980. On October 30, 1980, Robertson was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team.[3] In 1996, Robertson was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team.[40] He received the "Player of the Century" award by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2000 and was ranked third on SLAM's "Top 75 NBA Players" in 2003, behind fellow NBA legends Jordan and Chamberlain. Furthermore, in 2006, ESPN named Robertson the second greatest point guard of all time, praising him as the best post-up guard of all time and placing him only behind Johnson.[37] In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Robertson as the 12th greatest player in NBA history. He was the second highest ranked point guard on the list again behind only Johnson.[41] In 2017, it was announced that a life-sized bronze sculpture of Robertson would be featured alongside other Indiana sports stars at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions, located in the museum's sports park opening in 2018.[42] In October 2021, Robertson was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[8]

In 1959, the Player of the Year Award was established to recognize the best college basketball player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Five nominees are presented and the individual with the most votes receives the award during the NCAA Final Four. In 1998, it was renamed the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor, as the player that won the first two awards, because of his outstanding career and his continuing efforts to promote the game of basketball. In 2004, an 18" bronze statue of Robertson was sculpted by world-renowned sculptor Harry Weber.[12] In 2022, the NBA renamed its Western Conference championship trophy after Robertson.[43]

NBA career statistics edit

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship  *  Led the league

Regular season edit

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1960–61 Cincinnati 71 42.7 .473 .822 10.1 9.7* 30.5
1961–62 Cincinnati 79 44.3 .478 .803 12.5 11.4* 30.8
1962–63 Cincinnati 80* 44.0 .518 .810 10.4 9.5 28.3
1963–64 Cincinnati 79 45.1 .483 .853* 9.9 11.0* 31.4
1964–65 Cincinnati 75 45.6* .480 .839 9.0 11.5* 30.4
1965–66 Cincinnati 76 46.0 .475 .842 7.7 11.1* 31.3
1966–67 Cincinnati 79 43.9 .493 .873 6.2 10.7 30.5
1967–68 Cincinnati 65 42.5 .500 .873* 6.0 9.7* 29.2*
1968–69 Cincinnati 79 43.8 .486 .838 6.4 9.8* 24.7
1969–70 Cincinnati 69 41.5 .511 .809 6.1 8.1 25.3
1970–71 Milwaukee 81 39.4 .496 .850 5.7 8.2 19.4
1971–72 Milwaukee 64 37.3 .472 .836 5.0 7.7 17.4
1972–73 Milwaukee 73 37.5 .454 .847 4.9 7.5 15.5
1973–74 Milwaukee 70 35.4 .438 .835 4.0 6.4 1.1 .1 12.7
Career 1,040 42.2 .485 .838 7.5 9.5 1.1 .1 25.7
All-Star 12 10 31.7 .512 .714 5.8 6.8 20.5

Playoffs edit

Year Team GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1962 Cincinnati 4 46.3 .519 .795 11.0 11.0 28.8
1963 Cincinnati 12 47.5 .470 .864 13.0 9.0 31.8
1964 Cincinnati 10 47.1 .455 .858 8.9 8.4 29.3
1965 Cincinnati 4 48.8 .427 .923 4.8 12.0 28.0
1966 Cincinnati 5 44.8 .408 .897 7.6 7.8 31.8
1967 Cincinnati 4 45.8 .516 .892 4.0 11.3 24.8
1971 Milwaukee 14 37.1 .486 .754 5.0 8.9 18.3
1972 Milwaukee 11 34.5 .407 .833 5.8 7.5 13.1
1973 Milwaukee 6 42.7 .500 .912 4.7 7.5 21.2
1974 Milwaukee 16 43.1 .450 .846 3.4 9.3 .9 .3 14.0
Career 86 42.7 .460 .855 6.7 8.9 .9 .3 22.2

Personal life edit

Robertson is the son of Mazell and Bailey Robertson. He has two brothers, Bailey Jr. and Henry. He remembers a tough childhood, plagued by poverty and racism.[44] When a biography was going to be written about him in the 1990s, Robertson joked that his life had been "dull" and that he had been "married to the same woman for a long time".[39] In 1997, Robertson donated one of his kidneys to his daughter Tia, who suffered lupus-related kidney failure.[39] He has been an honorary spokesman for the National Kidney Foundation ever since. In 2003, he published his own autobiography, The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game. Robertson also owns the chemical company Orchem, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.[45]

Regarding basketball, Robertson has stated that legendary Harlem Globetrotters players Marques Haynes and "clown prince" Goose Tatum were his idols.[25] In his eighties, he still follows basketball on TV and attends most home games for the University of Cincinnati, his alma mater. He lists woodworking as his prime hobby.[25] Robertson adds that he still could average a triple-double season in today's basketball and that he is highly skeptical that anyone else could do it; it was later done by Russell Westbrook, whose first of four seasons doing so was the 2016–17 season. On June 9, 2007, Oscar received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati for both his philanthropic and entrepreneurial efforts.[46] He is also a member of the Beta Eta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

In August 2018, Robertson auctioned off his 1971 championship ring, Hall of Fame ring, and one of his Milwaukee Bucks game jerseys. Each item sold between $50,000 and $91,000.[47] On July 20, 2021, on the eve of the Bucks winning their second championship and first since his tenure, Robertson wrote a piece in The Players' Tribune voicing his support for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.[48]

See also edit

References edit

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  29. ^ Harris, Gregory. . LandscapeOnline.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
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  38. ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian (November 19, 2006). "Making triple trouble". from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  39. ^ a b c Flatter, Ron. "ESPN Classic – Oscar defined the triple-double". from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  40. ^ "NBA at 50: Top 50 Players". NBA.com. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  41. ^ "NBA 75: At No. 12, Oscar Robertson was more than a triple-double legend; he was a visionary leader".
  42. ^ "Children's Museum unveils 'sports legends' for new outdoor exhibit". Indiana Business Journal. September 12, 2017. from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  43. ^ "NBA redesigns Finals trophy, adds awards named after Magic Johnson, Larry Bird". Washington Post. May 12, 2022. To complete the postseason collection, the NBA updated its conference championship trophies, first created in 2001, and renamed them after Hall of Famers Bob Cousy (for the East) and Oscar Robertson (for the West)
  44. ^ Robertson, Oscar (2003). . Rodale. ISBN 9781579547646. Archived from the original on May 31, 2006. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  45. ^ "Orchem Corporation". Orchemcorp.com. from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2008.
  46. ^ "UC Legend Oscar Robertson to be Honored at Spring Commencement". Uc.edu. October 4, 2007. from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  47. ^ "Oscar Robertson's 1971 NBA championship ring sells for $91,000". Associated Press. August 18, 2018. from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  48. ^ "A Letter to My Bucks Family | by Oscar Robertson". July 20, 2021. from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.

Further reading edit

  • Aromando, Damian; Robertson, Oscar (2000). Parquet Chronicles.
  • Bradsher, Bethany (2011). The Classic: How Everett Case and His Tournament Brought Big-Time Basketball to the South. Houston, Texas: Whitecaps Media. ISBN 978-0-9836825-2-3.
  • Bradsher, Bethany (2011). Oscar Robertson Goes to Dixie (E-book ed.). Houston, Texas: Whitecaps Media. ISBN 978-0-9836825-3-0.
  • Grace, Kevin; Hand, Greg; Hathaway, Tom; Hoffman, Carey (1998). Bearcats! The Story of Basketball at the University of Cincinnati. Louisville, Kentucky: Harmony House.
  • Grace, Kevin (2003). Cincinnati Hoops. Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia.
  • Roberts, Randy (1999). But They Can't Beat Us: Oscar Robertson and the Crispus Attucks Tigers. ISBN 1-57167-257-5
  • Robertson, Oscar (1998). The Art of Basketball: A Guide to Self-Improvement in the Fundamentals of the Game. ISBN 978-0-9662483-0-2.
  • Robertson, Oscar (2003) The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game. ISBN 1-57954-764-8. Autobiography.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • Career statistics and player information from NBA.com   and Basketball-Reference.com
  • Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame profile

oscar, robertson, oscar, palmer, robertson, born, november, 1938, nicknamed, american, former, professional, basketball, player, played, cincinnati, royals, milwaukee, bucks, national, basketball, association, robertson, played, point, guard, time, star, time,. Oscar Palmer Robertson born November 24 1938 nicknamed the Big O is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association NBA 1 Robertson played point guard and was a 12 time All Star 11 time member of the All NBA Team and one time winner of the MVP award in 14 seasons In 1962 he became the first player in NBA history to average a triple double for a season the only player in history besides Russell Westbrook 2 In the 1970 71 NBA season he was a key player on the team that brought the Bucks their first NBA title His playing career especially during high school and college was plagued by racism 2 Oscar RobertsonRobertson with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971Personal informationBorn 1938 11 24 November 24 1938 age 85 Charlotte Tennessee U S Listed height6 ft 5 in 1 96 m Listed weight205 lb 93 kg Career informationHigh schoolCrispus Attucks Indianapolis Indiana CollegeCincinnati 1957 1960 NBA draft1960 territorial pickSelected by the Cincinnati RoyalsPlaying career1960 1974PositionPoint guardNumber14 1Career history1960 1970Cincinnati Royals1970 1974Milwaukee BucksCareer highlights and awardsNBA champion 1971 NBA Most Valuable Player 1964 12 NBA All Star 1961 1972 3 NBA All Star Game MVP 1961 1964 1969 9 All NBA First Team 1961 1969 2 All NBA Second Team 1970 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year 1961 6 NBA assists leader 1961 1962 1964 1966 1969 NBA Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 NBA anniversary team 35th 50th 75th No 14 retired by Sacramento Kings No 1 retired by Milwaukee Bucks 2 Helms College Player of the Year 1959 1960 3 UPI College Player of the Year 1958 1960 2 USBWA College Player of the Year 1959 1960 3 Sporting News College Player of the Year 1958 1960 3 Consensus first team All American 1958 1960 3 NCAA season scoring leader 1958 1960 3 First team All MVC 1958 1960 No 12 retired by Cincinnati Bearcats Mr Basketball USA 1956 Career NBA statisticsPoints26 710 25 7 ppg Rebounds7 804 7 5 rpg Assists9 887 9 5 apg Stats at NBA comStats at Basketball Reference comBasketball Hall of Fame as playerFIBA Hall of Fame as playerCollege Basketball Hall of FameInducted in 2006Medals Men s basketballRepresenting the United StatesOlympic Games1960 Rome National TeamPan American Games1959 Chicago National TeamRobertson is a two time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee having been inducted in 1980 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States men s Olympic basketball team and president of the National Basketball Players Association Also in 1980 Robertson was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team 3 He was again voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 4 The United States Basketball Writers Association renamed their College Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998 and he was one of five people chosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class in 2006 5 He was ranked as the 36th best American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN 6 7 In October 2021 Robertson was honored as one of the league s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team 8 Robertson was also an integral part of Robertson v National Basketball Ass n of 1970 9 The landmark NBA antitrust suit which was filed when Robertson was the president of the NBA Players Association led to an extensive reform of the league s strict free agency and draft rules and subsequently to higher salaries for all players 2 He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2009 Contents 1 Early life 2 High school career 3 College career 4 1960 Olympics 5 Professional career 5 1 Cincinnati Royals 1960 1970 5 2 Milwaukee Bucks 1970 1974 5 3 Post playing career 6 Legacy 7 NBA career statistics 7 1 Regular season 7 2 Playoffs 8 Personal life 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External linksEarly life editRobertson was born into poverty in Charlotte Tennessee on November 24 1938 When he was approximately 18 months old his parents moved to Indianapolis Indiana where he grew up in a segregated housing project He preferred to play basketball over baseball which was more popular in the neighborhood because it was a poor kids game He learned how to shoot by using tennis balls and rags wrapped with rubber bands and tossing them into a peach basket in the back of his family s home 2 High school career editRobertson attended Crispus Attucks High School an all black high school where he was coached by Ray Crowe whose emphasis on a fundamentally sound game had a positive effect on his style of play As a sophomore in 1954 he starred on an Attucks team that lost in the semi state finals state quarterfinals to eventual state champions Milan a story that would later be the basis of the 1986 movie Hoosiers When Robertson was a junior Crispus Attucks dominated its opposition going 31 1 and winning the 1955 state championship the first for any all black school in the nation It was also the first state championship won by an Indianapolis team in the Hoosier tournament In 1956 the team finished with a 31 0 record and won a second straight IHSAA Men s Basketball Championship becoming the first team in Indiana to secure a perfect season and compiling a state record 45 straight victories After their championship game wins the team was paraded through town in a regular tradition but they were then taken to a park outside downtown to continue their celebration unlike other teams Robertson stated Officials thought the blacks were going to tear the town up and they thought the whites wouldn t like it 10 In his senior season Robertson scored 24 0 points per game and was named Indiana Mr Basketball in 1956 2 After his graduation that year Robertson enrolled at the University of Cincinnati 4 College career edit nbsp Robertson as a senior at CincinnatiRobertson continued to excel while playing for the Cincinnati Bearcats recording a scoring average of 33 8 points per game the third highest in college history In each of his three years he won the national scoring title was named an All American and was chosen College Player of the Year while setting 14 NCAA and 19 school records 4 Robertson s stellar play led the Bearcats to a 79 9 overall record during his three varsity seasons including two Final Four appearances however a championship eluded Robertson something that would become a repeated occurrence until late in his professional career When Robertson left college he was the all time leading NCAA scorer until fellow Hall of Fame player Pete Maravich topped him in 1970 2 Robertson took Cincinnati to national prominence during his time there but the university s greatest success in basketball took place immediately after his departure when the team won national titles in 1961 and 1962 missing a third consecutive title in 1963 by just two points He continues to stand atop the Bearcats record book and the many records he still holds include points in one game at 62 one of his six games of 50 points or more career triple doubles at 10 career rebounds per game at 15 2 and career points at 2 973 11 Robertson had many outstanding individual game performances including 10 triple doubles His personal best may have been his line of 45 points 23 rebounds and 10 assists against Indiana State in 1959 Despite his success on the court Robertson s college career was soured by racism In those days Southern university programs such as Kentucky Duke and North Carolina did not recruit black athletes and road trips to segregated cities were especially difficult with Robertson often sleeping in college dorms instead of hotels Years later he told The Indianapolis Star I ll never forgive them 2 Decades after his college days Robertson s stellar NCAA career was rewarded by the United States Basketball Writers Association when they renamed the trophy awarded to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998 This honor brought the award full circle for Robertson as he had won the first two awards ever presented 12 1960 Olympics editAfter college Robertson and Jerry West co captained the 1960 U S basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics The team described as the greatest assemblage of basketball talent ever at that point steamrolled the competition to win the gold medal Robertson was a starting forward along with Purdue s Terry Dischinger but played point guard as well He was the leading scorer of the team 13 as the U S team won its nine games by an average margin of 42 4 points Ten of the twelve college players on the American squad later played in the NBA including Robertson as well as future Basketball Hall of Famers West Jerry Lucas and Walt Bellamy 14 Professional career editCincinnati Royals 1960 1970 edit nbsp Robertson during his days with the Cincinnati RoyalsPrior to the 1960 61 NBA season Robertson made himself eligible for the 1960 NBA draft He was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick The Royals gave Robertson a 33 000 signing bonus 2 In his NBA debut Robertson recorded 21 points 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a 140 123 win over the visiting Lakers 15 On November 15 1960 Robertson recorded a then career high of 44 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a 124 115 win over the Philadelphia Warriors 16 In his rookie season Robertson averaged 30 5 points 10 1 rebounds and 9 7 assists leading the league almost averaging a triple double for the entire season He was named NBA Rookie of the Year was elected into the All NBA First Team which would happen in each of Robertson s first nine seasons and made the first of 12 consecutive All Star Game appearances 1 In addition he was named the 1961 NBA All Star Game MVP following his 23 point 14 assist 9 rebound performance in a West victory however the Royals finished with a 33 46 record and stayed in the cellar of the Western Division On February 10 1962 Robertson recorded 32 points 21 rebounds and 16 assists in a 134 118 win over the Hawks 17 In the 1961 62 season Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple double for an entire season with 30 8 points 12 5 rebounds and 11 4 assists 1 Robertson also set a then NBA record for the most triple doubles during the regular season with 41 triple doubles the record would stand for over half a century until 2016 17 when Russell Westbrook recorded 42 and joined Robertson as the only other player to average a triple double for an entire season He broke the assists record by Bob Cousy who had recorded 715 assists two seasons earlier by logging 899 and joined Johnny Green and Elgin Baylor as the only players in NBA history with the height of 6 5 or smaller to have grabbed 900 rebounds in a season 18 The Royals earned a berth to the 1962 NBA playoffs however they were eliminated in the first round by the Detroit Pistons 19 In the 1962 63 season Robertson further established himself as one of the greatest players of his generation averaging 28 3 points 10 4 rebounds and 9 5 assists narrowly missing out on another triple double season 1 The Royals advanced to the Eastern Division Finals but succumbed in a seven game series against a Boston Celtics team led by Bill Russell 20 nbsp Robertson in 1966In the 1963 64 season the Royals achieved a 55 25 record 21 which put them second place in the Eastern Division Under new coach Jack McMahon Robertson flourished Robertson led the NBA in free throw percentage scored a career high 31 4 points per game and averaged 9 9 rebounds and 11 0 assists per game 1 The averages for his first five NBA seasons are a triple double 30 3 points 10 4 rebounds and 10 6 assists per game He won the NBA MVP award and became the only player other than Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to win it from 1960 to 1968 2 Robertson also won his second All Star Game MVP award that year after scoring 26 points grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing off 8 assists in an East victory In the 1964 NBA playoffs the Royals defeated the Philadelphia 76ers but then were dominated by the Celtics 4 games to 1 2 Robertson averaged a triple double over his first five seasons in the NBA with the Royals recording averages of 30 3 points 10 4 rebounds and 10 6 assists per game in 451 contest On December 18 1964 Robertson recorded a career high 56 points on 17 for 33 shooting from the field to go along with 9 rebounds and 12 assists in a 111 107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers 22 From the 1964 65 season on things began to turn sour for the franchise Despite Robertson recording averages of at least 24 7 points 6 0 rebounds and 8 1 assists in the six following seasons 1 the Royals were eliminated in the first round from 1965 to 1967 then missed the playoffs from 1968 to 1970 In the 1969 70 season the sixth disappointing season in a row fan support was waning To help attract the public 41 year old head coach Bob Cousy made a short comeback as a player For seven games the former Celtics point guard partnered with Robertson in the Royals backcourt but they missed the playoffs 2 Milwaukee Bucks 1970 1974 edit nbsp Robertson as a member of the Milwaukee BucksPrior to the 1970 71 season the Royals stunned the basketball world by trading Robertson to the Bucks for Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk 23 No reasons were officially given but many pundits suspected head coach Bob Cousy was jealous of all the attention Robertson was getting 2 Robertson himself said I think he was wrong and I will never forget it 2 The relationship between Oscar and the Royals had soured to the point that Cincinnati had also approached the Lakers and Knicks about deals involving their star player the Knicks players who were discussed in those scenarios are unknown but Los Angeles stated publicly that the Royals asked about Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain with the Lakers saying they would not consider trading either star The trade proved highly beneficial for Robertson After being stuck with an under performing team the last six years he now was paired with the young Lew Alcindor who would years later become the all time NBA scoring leader as Kareem Abdul Jabbar With Alcindor in the low post and Robertson running the backcourt the Bucks charged to a league best 66 16 record including a then record 20 game win streak a dominating 12 2 record in the 1971 NBA playoffs and crowned their season with the NBA title by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets 4 0 in the 1971 NBA Finals In his first NBA finals game Robertson recorded 22 points 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Bucks 24 For the first time in his career Robertson had won an NBA championship 2 From a historical perspective Robertson s most important contribution was made not on a basketball court but in a court of law It was the year of the landmark Robertson v National Basketball Ass n an antitrust suit filed by the NBA s Players Association against the league As Robertson was the president of the Players Association the case bore his name In this suit the proposed merger between the NBA and American Basketball Association was delayed until 1976 and the college draft as well as the free agency clauses were reformed 2 Robertson himself stated that the main reason was that clubs basically owned their players players were forbidden to talk to other clubs once their contract was up because free agency did not exist until 1988 25 Six years after the suit was filed the NBA finally reached a settlement the ABA NBA merger took place and the Oscar Robertson suit encouraged signing of more free agents and eventually led to higher salaries for all players 2 On the hardwood the veteran Robertson still proved he was a valuable player Paired with Abdul Jabbar two more division titles with the Bucks followed in the 1971 72 and 1972 73 season In Robertson s last season he helped lead Milwaukee to a league best 59 23 record and helped them to reach the 1974 NBA Finals There Robertson had the chance to end his stellar career with a second ring The Bucks were matched up against a Boston Celtics team powered by an inspired Dave Cowens and the Bucks lost in seven games 2 As a testament to Robertson s importance to the Bucks in the season following his retirement the Bucks fell to last place in their division with a 38 44 record in spite of the continued presence of Abdul Jabbar 26 In 1995 Robertson was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame Post playing career edit nbsp Robertson in 2010After he retired as an active player Robertson stayed involved in efforts to improve living conditions in his native Indianapolis especially concerning fellow African Americans 2 In addition he worked as a color commentator with Brent Musburger on games televised by CBS during the 1974 75 NBA season 27 His trademark expressions were Oh my and Oh Brent did you see that in reaction to flashy or spectacular situations such as fast breaks slam dunks player collisions etc He also returned to the booth for the 1988 89 season calling games on TBS with Hot Rod Hundley 28 After his retirement the Kansas City Kings the Royals moved there while Robertson was with the Bucks retired his No 14 the retirement continues to be honored by the Kings in their current home of Sacramento The Bucks also retired the No 1 he wore in Milwaukee In 1994 a nine foot bronze statue of Robertson was erected outside the Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center the current home of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball 4 Robertson attends many of the games there viewing the Bearcats from a chair at courtside In 2006 the statue was relocated to the entrance of the Richard E Lindner Athletics Center at the University of Cincinnati 29 Starting in 2000 Robertson served as a director for Countrywide Financial Corporation until the company s sale to Bank of America in 2008 30 In July 2004 Robertson was named interim head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats men s basketball team for approximately a month while head coach Bob Huggins served a suspension stemming from a drunk driving conviction 31 After many years out of the spotlight Robertson was recognized on November 17 2006 for his impact on college basketball when he was chosen to be a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame He was one of five people along with John Wooden Bill Russell Dean Smith and James Naismith selected to represent the inaugural class 5 In January 2011 Robertson joined a class action lawsuit against the NCAA O Bannon v NCAA challenging the organization s use of the images of its former student athletes 32 In 2015 Robertson was among a group of investors that placed a marijuana legalization initiative on the Ohio ballot 33 The initiative sought exclusive grow rights for the group members while prohibiting all other cultivation except small amounts for personal use 34 Robertson appeared in a television advertisement advocating for passage of the initiative 35 but it was ultimately defeated 36 Second efforts by groups in Ohio succeeded in 2023 Legacy editRobertson is regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history a triple threat who could score inside outside and also was a stellar playmaker His rookie scoring average of 30 5 points per game is the third highest of any rookie in NBA history and Robertson averaged more than 30 points per game in six of his first seven seasons 1 Only three other players in the NBA have had more 30 point per game seasons in their career Robertson was the first player to average more than 10 assists per game doing so at a time when the criteria for assists were more stringent than today 2 Robertson is also the first guard in NBA history to ever average more than 10 rebounds per game doing so three times It was a feat that would not be repeated until Russell Westbrook managed to achieve it during the 2016 17 season In addition to his 1964 regular season MVP award Robertson won three All Star Game MVPs in his career in 1961 1964 and 1969 He ended his career with 26 710 points 25 7 per game ninth highest all time 9 887 assists 9 5 per game and 7 804 rebounds 7 5 per game 1 He led the league in assists six times at the time of his retirement he was the NBA s all time leader in career assists and free throws made and was the second all time leading scorer behind Wilt Chamberlain 2 Robertson also set yardsticks in versatility If his first five NBA seasons are strung together Robertson averaged a triple double over those averaging 30 3 points 10 4 rebounds and 10 6 assists 37 For his career Robertson had 181 triple doubles a record that had never been approached for decades until by Westbrook in the 2020 21 season 38 These numbers are even more astonishing if it is taken into account that the three point shot which benefits sharpshooting backcourt players did not exist when he played In the 1967 68 season Robertson became the first of only two players in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring average and assists per game in the same season also achieved by Nate Archibald citation needed The official scoring and assist titles went to other players that season because the NBA based the titles on point and assist totals not averages prior to the 1969 70 season citation needed During his career Robertson won a total of six NBA assist titles and was the first to reach the 7 000 8 000 and 9 000 career assist milestones citation needed For his career Robertson shot a high 485 field goal average and led the league in free throw percentage twice in the 1963 64 and 1967 68 seasons 1 Standing 6 ft 5 in 1 96 m Robertson is recognized by the NBA as the first legitimate big guard paving the way for other oversized backcourt players like Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson 2 Furthermore he is also credited with having invented the head fake and the fadeaway jump shot a shot which Michael Jordan later became famous for 39 For the Cincinnati Royals now relocated and named the Sacramento Kings he scored 22 009 points and 7 731 assists and is the all time leader in both statistics for the combined Royals Kings teams 2 nbsp Robertson at the ceremony announcing inclusion in the Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions at The Children s Museum of IndianapolisRobertson was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 28 1980 On October 30 1980 Robertson was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team 3 In 1996 Robertson was honored as one of the league s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team 40 He received the Player of the Century award by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2000 and was ranked third on SLAM s Top 75 NBA Players in 2003 behind fellow NBA legends Jordan and Chamberlain Furthermore in 2006 ESPN named Robertson the second greatest point guard of all time praising him as the best post up guard of all time and placing him only behind Johnson 37 In 2022 to commemorate the NBA s 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time and named Robertson as the 12th greatest player in NBA history He was the second highest ranked point guard on the list again behind only Johnson 41 In 2017 it was announced that a life sized bronze sculpture of Robertson would be featured alongside other Indiana sports stars at The Children s Museum of Indianapolis Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions located in the museum s sports park opening in 2018 42 In October 2021 Robertson was honored as one of the league s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team 8 In 1959 the Player of the Year Award was established to recognize the best college basketball player of the year by the U S Basketball Writers Association Five nominees are presented and the individual with the most votes receives the award during the NCAA Final Four In 1998 it was renamed the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor as the player that won the first two awards because of his outstanding career and his continuing efforts to promote the game of basketball In 2004 an 18 bronze statue of Robertson was sculpted by world renowned sculptor Harry Weber 12 In 2022 the NBA renamed its Western Conference championship trophy after Robertson 43 NBA career statistics editLegend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG Field goal percentage 3P 3 point field goal percentage FT Free throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high Won an NBA championship Led the leagueRegular season edit Year Team GP GS MPG FG FT RPG APG SPG BPG PPG1960 61 Cincinnati 71 42 7 473 822 10 1 9 7 30 51961 62 Cincinnati 79 44 3 478 803 12 5 11 4 30 81962 63 Cincinnati 80 44 0 518 810 10 4 9 5 28 31963 64 Cincinnati 79 45 1 483 853 9 9 11 0 31 41964 65 Cincinnati 75 45 6 480 839 9 0 11 5 30 41965 66 Cincinnati 76 46 0 475 842 7 7 11 1 31 31966 67 Cincinnati 79 43 9 493 873 6 2 10 7 30 51967 68 Cincinnati 65 42 5 500 873 6 0 9 7 29 2 1968 69 Cincinnati 79 43 8 486 838 6 4 9 8 24 71969 70 Cincinnati 69 41 5 511 809 6 1 8 1 25 31970 71 Milwaukee 81 39 4 496 850 5 7 8 2 19 41971 72 Milwaukee 64 37 3 472 836 5 0 7 7 17 41972 73 Milwaukee 73 37 5 454 847 4 9 7 5 15 51973 74 Milwaukee 70 35 4 438 835 4 0 6 4 1 1 1 12 7Career 1 040 42 2 485 838 7 5 9 5 1 1 1 25 7All Star 12 10 31 7 512 714 5 8 6 8 20 5Playoffs edit Year Team GP MPG FG FT RPG APG SPG BPG PPG1962 Cincinnati 4 46 3 519 795 11 0 11 0 28 81963 Cincinnati 12 47 5 470 864 13 0 9 0 31 81964 Cincinnati 10 47 1 455 858 8 9 8 4 29 31965 Cincinnati 4 48 8 427 923 4 8 12 0 28 01966 Cincinnati 5 44 8 408 897 7 6 7 8 31 81967 Cincinnati 4 45 8 516 892 4 0 11 3 24 81971 Milwaukee 14 37 1 486 754 5 0 8 9 18 31972 Milwaukee 11 34 5 407 833 5 8 7 5 13 11973 Milwaukee 6 42 7 500 912 4 7 7 5 21 21974 Milwaukee 16 43 1 450 846 3 4 9 3 9 3 14 0Career 86 42 7 460 855 6 7 8 9 9 3 22 2Personal life editRobertson is the son of Mazell and Bailey Robertson He has two brothers Bailey Jr and Henry He remembers a tough childhood plagued by poverty and racism 44 When a biography was going to be written about him in the 1990s Robertson joked that his life had been dull and that he had been married to the same woman for a long time 39 In 1997 Robertson donated one of his kidneys to his daughter Tia who suffered lupus related kidney failure 39 He has been an honorary spokesman for the National Kidney Foundation ever since In 2003 he published his own autobiography The Big O My Life My Times My Game Robertson also owns the chemical company Orchem based in Cincinnati Ohio 45 Regarding basketball Robertson has stated that legendary Harlem Globetrotters players Marques Haynes and clown prince Goose Tatum were his idols 25 In his eighties he still follows basketball on TV and attends most home games for the University of Cincinnati his alma mater He lists woodworking as his prime hobby 25 Robertson adds that he still could average a triple double season in today s basketball and that he is highly skeptical that anyone else could do it it was later done by Russell Westbrook whose first of four seasons doing so was the 2016 17 season On June 9 2007 Oscar received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati for both his philanthropic and entrepreneurial efforts 46 He is also a member of the Beta Eta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity In August 2018 Robertson auctioned off his 1971 championship ring Hall of Fame ring and one of his Milwaukee Bucks game jerseys Each item sold between 50 000 and 91 000 47 On July 20 2021 on the eve of the Bucks winning their second championship and first since his tenure Robertson wrote a piece in The Players Tribune voicing his support for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks 48 See also editList of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders List of National Basketball Association career triple double leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff triple double leaders List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game List of National Basketball Association top rookie scoring averages List of NCAA Division I men s basketball career free throw scoring leaders List of NCAA Division I men s basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds List of NCAA Division I men s basketball players with 60 or more points in a game List of NCAA Division I men s basketball season scoring leadersReferences edit a b c d e f g h i Oscar Robertson stats Basketball reference com Archived from the original on May 12 2013 Retrieved January 25 2007 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Oscar Robertson Bio NBA com Archived from the original on February 18 2018 Retrieved January 25 2007 a b NBA 35th Anniversary All Time Team Basketball Reference com Archived from the original on May 15 2021 Retrieved January 4 2022 a b c d Oscar Robertson Basketball Hall of Fame summary Hoophall com Archived from the original on January 21 2007 Retrieved January 25 2007 a b Wooden Russell lead founding class into Collegiate Hall of Fame Abc com Archived from the original on April 22 2009 Retrieved January 25 2007 Top N American athletes of the century ESPN Archived from the original on April 28 2012 Retrieved May 8 2015 The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Hall of Famers Hoophall com Archived from the original on February 15 2011 Retrieved May 8 2015 a b NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced NBA com October 21 2021 Retrieved March 16 2022 Oscar defined the triple double ESPN Archived from the original on October 27 2011 Retrieved May 8 2015 Dorsey Patrick February 27 2009 Attucks win helped race relations ESPN com Archived from the original on January 5 2016 Retrieved December 13 2020 2010 11 Men s basketball Media Supplement PDF Grfx cstv com Archived PDF from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved May 8 2015 a b Oscar Robertson Trophy Usbwa com Archived from the original on February 13 2007 Retrieved January 25 2007 1960 Olympic Games Tournament for Men Archived from the original on August 26 2019 Retrieved August 26 2019 Games of the XVIIth Olympiad 1960 Usabasketball com Archived from the original on December 31 2006 Retrieved January 31 2007 Los Angeles Lakers at Cincinnati Royals Box Score October 19 1960 Basketball Reference Archived from the original on October 31 2019 Retrieved October 31 2019 Philadelphia Warriors at Cincinnati Royals Box Score November 15 1960 Basketball Reference Archived from the original on October 31 2019 Retrieved October 31 2019 St Louis Hawks at Cincinnati Royals Box Score February 10 1962 Basketball Reference Archived from the original on October 31 2019 Retrieved October 31 2019 Players with the height of 6 5 or smaller sorted by descending total rebounds Basketball Reference Archived from the original on November 7 2021 Retrieved October 31 2019 1962 Cincinnati Royals Basketball reference com Archived from the original on August 9 2011 Retrieved January 31 2007 1963 Cincinnati Royals Basketball reference com Archived from the original on February 24 2007 Retrieved January 31 2007 1964 Cincinnati Royals Basketball reference com Archived from the original on January 22 2007 Retrieved January 31 2007 Los Angeles Lakers at Cincinnati Royals Box Score December 18 1964 Basketball Reference Archived from the original on October 31 2019 Retrieved October 31 2019 Royals Trade Robertson to Bucks for Robinson and Paulk Rookie in Army The New York Times April 22 1970 Archived from the original on June 24 2021 Retrieved June 20 2021 Baltimore Bullets at Milwaukee Bucks Box Score April 21 1971 Basketball Reference Archived from the original on August 7 2020 Retrieved March 10 2020 a b c Oscar Robertson FAQ Archived from the original on April 30 2007 Retrieved January 31 2007 1975 Milwaukee Bucks Basketball reference com Retrieved January 31 2007 dead link Oscar Robertson Company Information Archived from the original on May 1 2007 Retrieved January 31 2007 CBS TBS OFFER DRIBBLE TO DRIVEL COVERAGE OF PLAYOFFS the Washington Post The Washington Post Archived from the original on November 7 2021 Retrieved October 6 2020 Harris Gregory Varsity Village Hits a Home Run On University Campus LandscapeOnline com Archived from the original on April 25 2012 Retrieved November 26 2011 Definitive Notice amp Proxy Statement Sec gov Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved May 8 2015 Hall of Famer will serve until Huggins returns Sports espn go com July 21 2004 Archived from the original on October 17 2015 Retrieved May 8 2015 Wetzel Dan January 26 2011 Robertson joins suit vs NCAA Yahoo Sports Archived from the original on March 3 2016 The Big O backs pot legalization ESPN Associated Press January 31 2015 Archived from the original on June 4 2016 Retrieved May 26 2016 Borchardt Jackie September 21 2015 What you need to know about Issue 3 Ohio s marijuana legalization measure Northeast Ohio Media Group Archived from the original on May 13 2016 Retrieved May 26 2016 Saker Anne October 27 2015 Deters Big O star in pro Issue 3 ads The Cincinnati Enquirer Archived from the original on July 13 2021 Retrieved May 26 2016 Borchardt Jackie November 3 2015 Ohio marijuana legalization measure fails cleveland com Archived from the original on March 24 2016 Retrieved May 26 2016 a b Daily Dime Special Edition The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever Archived from the original on January 24 2016 Retrieved January 25 2007 Wojnarowski Adrian November 19 2006 Making triple trouble Archived from the original on August 5 2011 Retrieved January 31 2007 a b c Flatter Ron ESPN Classic Oscar defined the triple double Archived from the original on June 6 2011 Retrieved January 31 2007 NBA at 50 Top 50 Players NBA com Retrieved February 28 2022 NBA 75 At No 12 Oscar Robertson was more than a triple double legend he was a visionary leader Children s Museum unveils sports legends for new outdoor exhibit Indiana Business Journal September 12 2017 Archived from the original on January 26 2019 Retrieved September 13 2017 NBA redesigns Finals trophy adds awards named after Magic Johnson Larry Bird Washington Post May 12 2022 To complete the postseason collection the NBA updated its conference championship trophies first created in 2001 and renamed them after Hall of Famers Bob Cousy for the East and Oscar Robertson for the West Robertson Oscar 2003 The Big O My Life My Times My Game Rodale ISBN 9781579547646 Archived from the original on May 31 2006 Retrieved July 9 2020 Orchem Corporation Orchemcorp com Archived from the original on January 8 2012 Retrieved July 20 2008 UC Legend Oscar Robertson to be Honored at Spring Commencement Uc edu October 4 2007 Archived from the original on May 31 2008 Retrieved May 8 2015 Oscar Robertson s 1971 NBA championship ring sells for 91 000 Associated Press August 18 2018 Archived from the original on October 21 2020 Retrieved July 9 2020 A Letter to My Bucks Family by Oscar Robertson July 20 2021 Archived from the original on October 26 2021 Retrieved October 26 2021 Further reading editAromando Damian Robertson Oscar 2000 Parquet Chronicles Bradsher Bethany 2011 The Classic How Everett Case and His Tournament Brought Big Time Basketball to the South Houston Texas Whitecaps Media ISBN 978 0 9836825 2 3 Bradsher Bethany 2011 Oscar Robertson Goes to Dixie E book ed Houston Texas Whitecaps Media ISBN 978 0 9836825 3 0 Grace Kevin Hand Greg Hathaway Tom Hoffman Carey 1998 Bearcats The Story of Basketball at the University of Cincinnati Louisville Kentucky Harmony House Grace Kevin 2003 Cincinnati Hoops Chicago Illinois Arcadia Roberts Randy 1999 But They Can t Beat Us Oscar Robertson and the Crispus Attucks Tigers ISBN 1 57167 257 5 Robertson Oscar 1998 The Art of Basketball A Guide to Self Improvement in the Fundamentals of the Game ISBN 978 0 9662483 0 2 Robertson Oscar 2003 The Big O My Life My Times My Game ISBN 1 57954 764 8 Autobiography External links editOscar Robertson at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons nbsp Data from Wikidata Official websiteCareer statistics and player information from NBA com nbsp and Basketball Reference com Basketball Hall of Fame bio Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame profile Portals nbsp Basketball nbsp Biography nbsp Sports Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Oscar Robertson amp oldid 1205617946, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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