In 1961-62, the season he averaged a triple-double, Robertson led the Royals to the first of six straight trips to the playoffs. [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. Oscar Robertson's high school team in Indianapolis was the first all-black basketball team in the nation to win a state title. Founding Editor (1994-2013) and Senior Writer (2014-2022) for the ACC Sports Journal, a popular magazine that has covered Atlantic Coast Conference sports for more than 35 years, and its partner . 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. On October 30, 1980, Robertson was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team. 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. In the 1960 NBA Draft, Oscar Robertson was selected by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. Grace, Kevin; Hand, Greg; Hathaway, Tom; Hoffman, Carey (1998). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The first player to average a triple-double for an entire season, Oscar Robertson was a versatile player who led the Bucks to the 1971 title. Exhibition Label. [20], In the 196364 season, the Royals achieved a 5525 record,[21] which put them second place in the Eastern Division. Oscar Robertson Stats, News, Bio | ESPN UPDATES Long after his exit from the basketball scene, Robertson still serves as an inspiration for young budding basketball players. Oscar Robertson biography, married, wife, stats, injury, salary Shipwrecked by whales: The Robertson family survival story Years later, he told The Indianapolis Star: "I'll never forgive them. Oscar Robertson 1919-1965 - Ancestry Stymied in the playoffs in 1972 and again in 1973, the Bucks reached The Finals in Robertsons final year and were favored to win the title in 1974 against the Celtics. When we won back in '71, it was a big deal. The first call, however, and one of the most meaningful came from one of the greatest players ever to pick up a basketball, Oscar Robertson. Oscar Robertson and LeBron James share a surprising number of similarities. hen news broke of his selection for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Bob Dandridge began receiving calls from friends, family and those from his past. Robertson donated one of his kidneys to his daughter, Tia, in 1997, as a result of kidney failure related to lupus. He preferred to play basketball over baseball, which was more popular in the neighborhood because it was "a poor kids' game". But his father, Bailey, lacked money to acquire farm machinery, so he moved his wife, Mazell, and three children, Bailey Jr., Henry and Oscar, to Naptown, Indiana. The Big O made his first of 12 consecutive trips to the All-Star Game, winning the MVP award after scoring 23 points and setting a record with 14 assists, one better than Bob Cousys previous mark. 1938-American basketball player. Early Oscar Robertson highlights | NBA.com The team, however, remained in the Western Division cellar. Barack Obama Was Not Worried about His Daughters Dating Their Current Boyfriends, Rich Businessman Kicks Son out, Not Knowing the Boy Would Take over as Boss One Day Story of the Day, Doug from 'The King of Queens' Is 58 & Bald after Losing 80 Pounds He Met Wife on Blind Date & Has 4 Kids, Did Sofia Richie Get Plastic Surgery? At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Robertson was the first big guard. . Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team, United States Basketball Writers Association, National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, National Association of Basketball Coaches, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes 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 scoring 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 leaders, "NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team | Basketball-Reference.com", "Oscar Robertson Basketball Hall of Fame summary", "Wooden, Russell lead founding class into Collegiate Hall of Fame", "Top N. American athletes of the century", "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Hall of Famers", "2010-11 Men's basketball Media Supplement", "1960 Olympic Games: Tournament for Men", "Los Angeles Lakers at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, October 19, 1960", "Philadelphia Warriors at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, November 15, 1960", "St. Louis Hawks at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, February 10, 1962", "Players with the height of 6'5 or smaller sorted by descending total rebounds", "Los Angeles Lakers at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, December 18, 1964", "Royals Trade Robertson to Bucks for Robinson and Paulk, Rookie in Army", "Baltimore Bullets at Milwaukee Bucks Box Score, April 21, 1971", "CBS, TBS OFFER DRIBBLE-TO-DRIVEL COVERAGE OF PLAYOFFS - the Washington Post", "Varsity Village Hits a Home Run On University Campus", "Hall of Famer will serve until Huggins returns", "What you need to know about Issue 3 -- Ohio's marijuana legalization measure", "Ohio marijuana legalization measure fails", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever", "ESPN Classic Oscar defined the triple-double", "NBA 75: At No. He remembers a tough childhood, plagued by poverty and racism. TOP 25 QUOTES BY OSCAR ROBERTSON | A-Z Quotes Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. I played on an all-black high school team and we didn't want people saying that we were clowns. From his sophomore year down to his senior year he claimed the College Player of the Year award and topped the scoring chart. During the wedding ceremony, which occurred at the Carmel Presbyterian Church in front of family and friends, Oscar wore a black morning coat while Yvonne looked as beautiful as always. Basketball as a senior. The rivalries made for classic matchups between Robertson, the Celtics Cousy and the 76ers Hal Greer. With Alcindor in the low post and Robertson running the backcourt, the Bucks charged to a league-best 6616 record, including a then-record 20-game win streak, a dominating 122 record in the 1971 NBA playoffs, and crowned their season with the NBA title by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets 40 in the 1971 NBA Finals. His family was unable to afford a basketball, so he practiced using tennis balls, rags bound with. His love for basketball made him improvise when his parents couldnt afford to buy him a basketball. And for me, especially, because it took over 10 years in the league to get to that moment. Oscar Robertson's Lawsuit Against the NBA Changed the Way Players Get Paid Robertson stayed with the Bucks from 1970 to 1974, before retiring at 35 years old. Oscar Robertson Net Worth In 1997, Robertson performed the assist of a lifetime when he donated a kidney to his daughter Tia, who was suffering from lupus. Robertson, Oscar Palmer | Encyclopedia.com The sharpshooting Robertson also finished fourth in field goal percentage (47.8), and his average of 12.5 rebounds per game was a career high. Donald Oscar Robertson (1924 - 1946) - Biography and Family Tree [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. Like Oscar Robertson and other Indianapolis basketball greats, he cut his teeth at the court at . Robertson was born into poverty in Charlotte, Tennessee. After he graduated from high school, Robertson's impressive basketball skills got him admission to the University of Cincinnati, where he first met Yvonne. She Once Posed for Photos with a Plastic Surgeon, Who Was Adreian Payne? 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. Robertson also averaged 7.5 rebounds for his career and led his team in rebounding once, a rare feat for a guard. Oscar Robertson is honored along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Bill Russell in the basketball category. A Letter to My Bucks Family by Oscar Robertson - The Players' Tribune [2], From a historical perspective, Robertson's most important contribution was made not on a basketball court but in a court of law. Thats right, man, a layup. Red Auerbach joked that after telling his players to stretch out their fingers extra wide while defending Robertson, Oscar shot the ball through their fingers!. Oscar Robertson Birthday, Real Name, Age, Weight, Height, Family, Facts In addition to his 1964 regular-season MVP award, Robertson won three All-Star Game MVPs in his career (in 1961, 1964, and 1969). Oscar Robertson - Age, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays Co-captains on the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball team, Robertson and Jerry West entered the NBA one after the other in the 1960 NBA Draft. He was the second highest ranked point guard on the list again behind only Johnson. [1], Standing 6ft 5in (1.96m), 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. Oscar Robertson, nicknamed the "Big O," is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. Interview with Oscar Robertson
