In the finale Dave Cowens delivered 28 points and 14 rebounds, leading Boston to a 15-point victory. Here are some of the records Oscar Robertson set in college and where he ranks on all-time statistical lists: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club. Under new coach Jack McMahon, Robertson flourished. Full Name:Oscar Palmer Robertson Nickname:The Big O Date of Birth:November 24, 1938 Age:84 years old Place of Birth:Charlotte, Tennessee, USA Nationality:American Zodiac Sign:Sagittarius Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Weight: 93 kg (205 lb) Education High School:Crispus Attucks High School College:University of Cincinnati Robertson had another great year the following season (28.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 9.5 apg, 51.8 field goal percentage). His love for basketball made him improvise when his parents couldnt afford to buy him a basketball. This article was most recently revised and updated by, The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oscar-Robertson, The HistoryMakers - Biography of Oscar Robertson, Oscar Robertson - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). It's a test of your strength and stamina and playing ability, really. His playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism. [25] Six years after the suit was filed, the NBA finally reached a settlement, the ABANBA merger took place, and the Oscar Robertson suit encouraged signing of more free agents and eventually led to higher salaries for all players. He was one of five people, along with John Wooden, Bill Russell, Dean Smith, and James Naismith, selected to represent the inaugural class. 1. Robertson was a starting forward along with Purdue's Terry Dischinger, but played point guard as well. As a player with the Cincinnati (Ohio) Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 196162, he averaged double figures in points (30.8), rebounds (12.5), and assists (11.4) per game, a feat unmatched by any other player until Russell Westbrook did so in 201617. I called my wife. A host of former NBA players - current and former - including Oscar Robertson himself, congratulated Russell Westbrook on passing the all-time . He is Sports Persons (Basketball Player) by profession. 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. The case led to the amendment of the free agency and college draft clauses. Robertson was trained by his high school coach, whose emphasis on a fundamentally sound game had a positive effect on the star's style of play. As Robertson was the president of the Players Association, the case bore his name. Basketball player Oscar Robertson was born on November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee to Mazell Bell Robertson and Bailey Robertson, Sr. During World War II, Robertson and his family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he played on the basketball team at Crispus Attucks High School. Robertson owns a chemical company, named, Orchem, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The league was full of stars at the time, including West, Chamberlain, Russell, Elgin Baylor, Willis Reed and John Havlicek. His best year there was the championship season, when he averaged 19.4 points, 8.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds per . If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. On June 9, 2007, Oscar received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati for both his philanthropic and entrepreneurial efforts. He led the league in assists six times and in free throw percentage twice. That year was a historic year for basketball and Robertson who was the NBA Player Association president. "[10], In his senior season, Robertson scored 24.0 points per game and was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1956. The team became the first all-black high school team to win a state championship in the United States in . This is just one of these examples. The Royals gave Robertson a $33,000 signing bonus. In August 2018, Robertson auctioned off his 1971 championship ring, Hall of Fame ring, and one of his Milwaukee Bucks game jerseys. Oscar Robertson's high school team in Indianapolis was the first all-black basketball team in the nation to win a state title. He remained a harsh critic of social policies that adversely affect minorities, particularly African-Americans. After he graduated from high school, Robertson's impressive basketball skills got him admission to the University of Cincinnati, where he first met Yvonne. [43], Robertson is the son of Mazell and Bailey Robertson. [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. [33] The initiative sought exclusive grow rights for the group members while prohibiting all other cultivation except small amounts for personal use. Prior to Russel Westbrook 2016/17 triple-double basketball season, he said he was sceptical anyone could do it. Oscar Robertson is honored along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Bill Russell in the basketball category. Breaking down the Golden State-Los Angeles matchup with 3 things to watch, 1 X-factor and a series prediction. Give him two feet and you know what he wants? 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. In 86 playoff games Robertson averaged 22.2 points, 8.9 assists and 6.7 rebounds. 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). But city leaders were uneasy about how the teams celebration might take shape. He is also famous from other names as The Big O. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Robertson exploded onto the NBA scene, finishing third in the league in scoring (30.5 ppg) and winning Rookie of the Year honors for 1960-61. It would only take until Robertsons second year for him to achieve true stardom. According to The History Makers, before the age of two, Robertson's parents, Mazell Bell Robertson and Bailey Robertson, Sr., packed up their family and moved from the south to Indianapolis, Indiana.The Robertson family moved into a segregated housing project once they reached Indianapolis. Robertson stated: "[Officials] thought the blacks were going to tear the town up, and they thought the whites wouldn't like it. He remembers a tough childhood, plagued by poverty and racism. 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. He has been married for a . At the Bucks, he formed a very formidable partnership with Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Theories attempting to explain the trade abounded. [2] In addition, he worked as a color commentator with Brent Musburger on games televised by CBS during the 197475 NBA season. Just how good was he? . [25] In his eighties, he still follows basketball on TV and attends most home games for the University of Cincinnati, his alma mater. 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? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Oscar Robertson, in full Oscar Palmer Robertson, byname the Big O, (born November 24, 1938, Charlotte, Tennessee, U.S.), American basketball player who starred in both the collegiate and professional ranks and was considered one of the top players in the history of the game. Robertson was also an integral part of Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n of 1970. He was the second highest ranked point guard on the list again behind only Johnson. 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. [27] His trademark expressions were, "Oh, my!" 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. Aside from the racism his family endured, they also battled with poverty. 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. [2] After his graduation that year, Robertson enrolled at the University of Cincinnati. [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. Oscar Robertson was born in Charlotte, Tennessee, and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has just a few children, all of whom bear his family. [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. In the late 1950s road trips through the Midwest were awkward, to say the least. This encouraged the signing of more free agents and eventually led to higher salaries for all players. There is no more complete player than Oscar.. He won the All-Star and regular-season MVP Awards and led the Royals to a 55-25 record, good enough for second place in the Eastern Division. On October 30, 1980, Robertson was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team. The Bucks cruised past the Bullets and their strong frontcourt of Wes Unseld and Gus Johnson in four games, the first Finals sweep in 12 years. At the University of Cincinnati Robertson recorded amazing performance. The name Oscar Robertson has become a household name over the years. He was nothing short of incredible as a collegian, scoring 33.8 points per game with a one-handed style that made his shots virtually unblockable. 9 Copy quote. [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. [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. He wasn't angry about his. 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 111107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. $8.00. In June 2007, the University of Cincinnati awarded him Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters as an acknowledgement of his entrepreneurial and philanthropic activities. 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. In 1960, Oscar Robertson got married to his wife, Yvonne Crittenden. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. There, Robertson had the chance to end his stellar career with a second ring. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. I'll be honest, it really makes me reflect. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about not available Oscar Robertson on ESPN. 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. Last Updated: April 2023. Robertson was the son of Mazell Bell Robertson and Bailey Robertson, Sr. [2] He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2009. The father-of-three was disappointed with his team and the coach's behavior, but the trade was very lucrative. [29], Starting in 2000, Robertson served as a director for Countrywide Financial Corporation, until the company's sale to Bank of America in 2008. As a result of his accomplishment and performance in his senior year he was named the 1956 Mr. Basketball. [4] Robertson attends many of the games there, viewing the Bearcats from a chair at courtside. West went to the Lakers, who were moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, as the first overall selection of the regular draft. He is American by nationality. We lived in a shotgun-type house, it was very cold; a little pot-bellied stove in the wintertime. Oscar Robertson, a three-time All-Star MVP and NBA MVP in 1963-64, led the Bucks to the title in 1971. . It was a feat that would not be repeated until Russell Westbrook managed to achieve it during the 201617 season. In the next round against the Boston Celtics, Robertsons heroics forced a Game 7, but the Royals fell to the eventual world champions. In addition, teams were no longer required to provide compensation when signing a free-agent player. In his first NBA finals game, Robertson recorded 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Bucks. He shot 48.5% from the field and 83.8% from the line. When we won back in '71, it was a big deal. In the 1964 NBA playoffs, the Royals defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, but then were dominated by the Celtics 4 games to 1. [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 124115 win over the Philadelphia Warriors. [2], Robertson also set yardsticks in versatility. In 1963-64, Robertson cemented his status as one of the leagues dominant players. Here are some biography quick facts that you need to know about the American basketball legend. Robertson went to the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. Measuring 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 metres) and weighing more than 200 pounds (91 kg), Robertson was larger than most guards. [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. In 1970, much to everyone's surprise, Oscar Robertson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. But it was hap-, those are happy days. At age 31 and still searching for a championship, Robertson joined second-year center Abdul-Jabbar (then called Lew Alcindor) in the Bucks lineup. 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.
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