| Oscar Robertson | |
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| Position(s): Point guard |
Jersey #(s): 14, 1 |
| Height: 6 ft 5 in (1. The three basketball positions normally employed by organized Basketball teams are guard forward and center Point guard ( PG) also called the one or " the ball-handler " is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game In team Sports the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, or uniform number is the Number 96 m) |
Weight: 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Born: November 24, 1938 Charlotte, Tennessee |
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| Career information | |
| Year(s): 1960–1974 | |
| NBA Draft: 1960 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | |
| College: Cincinnati | |
| Professional teams | |
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| Career stats | |
| Points | 26,710 |
| Rebounds | 7,804 |
| Assists | 9,887 |
| Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Medal record | |||
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Competitor for  United States |
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| Men's Basketball | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Gold | 1960 Rome | Team Competition | |
Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee), nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks. Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charlotte is a town in Dickson County, Tennessee, United States. In an organised Sports league, a season is the portion of one Year in which regulated Games of the sport are in session The NBA Draft is an annual North American event in which the National Basketball Association 's (NBA thirty teams (29 in the United States and one in The 1960 NBA Draft consisted of 3 rounds with 24 players selected This is a List of Athletic Conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA The University of Cincinnati is a Coeducational public Research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional Basketball team based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Points in Basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. In Basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's College basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association. The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the The 1971 NBA Finals was the played at the conclusion of the NBA's Silver Anniversary season of 1970-71. The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basketball has been played consistently at the Summer Olympic Games since 1936 with demonstration events in 1904 and 1924 The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event held in Rome, Italy Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charlotte is a town in Dickson County, Tennessee, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional Basketball team based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. [1] The 6-foot-5, 220-pound [2] Robertson played the guard position, and was a twelve-time All-Star, eleven-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in fourteen professional seasons. Point guard ( PG) also called the one or " the ball-handler " is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, and he is regarded as one of the best and most versatile NBA players of all time. A triple-double is a Basketball term defined as an individual performance in a game in which a player accumulates double-digit totals (i [3] He was a key player on the team which brought the Bucks their only NBA championship in the 1970-71 NBA season. The 1970–71 NBA season was the 25th season of the National Basketball Association. However, his playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism. [3]
For his outstanding achievements, Robertson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, and was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen [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. United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of jounalists who cover college basketball The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's College basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association. The College Basketball Experience featuring the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is a fan interactive facility located in Kansas City Missouri. [5]
Robertson was also an integral part of the Oscar Robertson suit of 1970. The landmark NBA antitrust suit, named after the then-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. A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, and Australia to allocate certain players to Sports teams [3]
Contents |
Early years
Robertson was born in poverty and grew up in a segregated housing project in Indianapolis. The men's Division I collegiate basketball players who have reached both 2000 points and 1000 rebounds in their respective careers Numbers in italicized bold In contrast to many other boys who preferred to play baseball, he was drawn to basketball because it was "a poor kids' game. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each " Because his family could not afford a basketball, he learned how to shoot by tossing tennis balls and rags bound with rubber bands into a peach basket behind his family's home. [3] In 1954, Robertson attended Crispus Attucks High School, a segregated all-black school. Crispus Attucks High School of Indianapolis Public Schools in Indianapolis Indiana is named for Crispus Attucks (c As a sophomore that year, he starred on an Attucks team that lost in the semi-state finals (state quarterfinals) to eventual state champions Milan, whose story would later be the basis of the 1986 movie classic Hoosiers. This page is about the movie "Hoosiers" Hoosiers is also the nickname of Indiana University athletic teams see Indiana Hoosiers.
At Crispus Attucks, Robertson’s coach was Ray Crowe, whose emphasis on a fundamentally sound game had a positive effect on Robertson’s style of play. With Robertson leading the team, Crispus Attucks proceeded to dominate its opposition, going 31-1 in 1955 and winning the first state championship for any all-black school in the nation. The following year the team finished with a perfect 31-0 record and won a second straight state title, becoming the first team in Indiana to secure a perfect season along the way to a state-record 45 straight victories. The state championships won by the all-black school were the first-ever for Indianapolis. However, the celebrations were cut short by the city’s leaders. The players were driven outside of town to hold their party because, said Robertson in the Indianapolis Star, "They said the blacks are gonna tear up downtown. The Indianapolis Star is a daily Newspaper which began publishing on June 6, 1903. " Robertson was also named Indiana "Mr. Basketball" in 1955, after scoring 24. The Indiana Mr Basketball honor recognizes the top high school basketball player in the state of Indiana. 0 points per game during his senior season. [3] After his graduation that year, Robertson enrolled at the University of Cincinnati. The University of Cincinnati is a Coeducational public Research university in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Robertson continued to dominate his opponents while at Cincinnati, recording an incredible 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. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations [4] Robertson’s stellar play led the Bearcats to a 79-9 overall record during his three varsity seasons, including two Final Four appearances. The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination Tournament held each spring featuring 65 College basketball teams in the However, a championship eluded Robertson, a phenomenon which would become a repeated occurrence in his later 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. Peter Press Maravich (June 22 1947 &ndash January 5 1988 was an American Basketball player known for his dazzling ballhandling, incredible shooting [3]
Despite his success on the court, Robertson’s college career was soured by racism. He was Cincinnati's fifth black player, preceded by Chester Smith (1932), London Gant (1936), Willard Stargel (1942), and Tom Overton (1951). Road trips to segregated cities were especially difficult, with Robertson often sleeping in college dorms instead of hotels. "I'll never forgive them," he told the Indianapolis Star years later. [3] Decades after his college days, Robertson’s stellar NCAA career was rewarded by the United States Basketball Writers Association when, in 1998, they renamed the trophy awarded to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year the Oscar Robertson Trophy. The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's College basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association. This honor brought the award full circle for Robertson since he had won the first two awards ever presented. [6]
1960 Olympics
After college, Robertson co-captained the United States basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics with Jerry West. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event held in Rome, Italy Jerry Alan West (born May 28 1938 is a retired American Basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National The team, described as the greatest assemblage of amateur basketball talent ever, went undefeated during the competition to win the gold medal. Gold Medal is an Album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004 (see 2004 in music) Robertson was the team's starting forward, but played point guard as well. The three basketball positions normally employed by organized Basketball teams are guard forward and center Point guard ( PG) also called the one or " the ball-handler " is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game He was the co-leading scorer with fellow NBA legend Jerry Lucas, as the United States team won its nine games by a dominating margin of 42. Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30 1940 was a Basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s and is now a memory education expert 4 points per game. Ten of the twelve college players on the American squad later played professionally in the NBA, including future Hall-of-Famers West, Lucas, and Walt Bellamy. Walter Jones Bellamy (born July 24 1939 in New Bern North Carolina) is a retired American professional Basketball player [7]
Professional career
Cincinnati Royals
Prior to the 1960-61 NBA season, Robertson made himself eligible for the 1960 NBA Draft. The 1960–61 NBA season was the 15th season of the National Basketball Association. The 1960 NBA Draft consisted of 3 rounds with 24 players selected There, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. The Royals also gave Robertson a $33,000 signing bonus, a far cry from his childhood days when he was too poor to afford a basketball. [3] Robertson soon proved worthy of their trust, continuing to dominate his opposition on the professional level. In his rookie season, Robertson finished with incredible all-around stats of 30. 5 points, 10. Points in Basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game 1 rebounds and 9. A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. 7 assists (leading the league), almost averaging a triple-double for the entire season. In Basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" A triple-double is a Basketball term defined as an individual performance in a game in which a player accumulates double-digit totals (i For his spectacular performance, 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 years – and made the first of 12 All-Star Game appearances. The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. [1] In addition, he was named the All-Star Game MVP following his 23 point, 14 assist, and 9 rebound performance in a West victory. However, the Royals finished with a dismal 33-46 record and stayed in the cellar of the Western Division.
In the 1961-62 NBA season, Robertson wrote NBA history. The 1961–62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association. In that season, he became the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the entire season, averaging 30. 8 points, 11. 4 assists and 12. 5 rebounds per game. [1] He also convincingly broke the assists record by Bob Cousy, who had recorded 715 regular season assists two seasons earlier, by logging 899 of them. Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9 1928 in New York City) is a former French - American professional Basketball player The Royals earned a playoff berth; however, they were eliminated in the first round by the Detroit Pistons. The 1962 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1961-1962 season. The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area [8] In the following 1962-63 NBA season, Robertson further established himself as one of the greatest players of his generation, averaging an impressive 28. The 1962–63 NBA season was the 17th season of the National Basketball Association. 3 points, 10. 4 rebounds and 9. 5 assists, narrowly missing out on another triple-double season. [1] The Royals would charge into the Eastern Division Finals, but then succumb in a grueling seven games series against a great Boston Celtics team led by Bill Russell. William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana) is a retired American professional Basketball [9]
In the 1963-64 NBA season, the Royals achieved an impressive 55-25 record,[10] which meant second place in the Eastern Division. The 1963–64 NBA season was the 18th season of the National Basketball Association. Under new coach Jack McMahon, Robertson flourished, and for the first time in his career, he had a decent supporting cast: second scoring option Jack Twyman was now supplemented by blossoming frontcourt players Jerry Lucas and Wayne Embry, and fellow guard Adrian Smith helped Robertson in the backcourt. John Joseph (Jack McMahon ( December 3 1928 &ndash June 11 1989) was a professional Basketball player and coach John Kennedy "Jack" Twyman (born May 11, 1934 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is a former professional Basketball player Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30 1940 was a Basketball player from the 1950s to the 1970s and is now a memory education expert Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26 1937 in Springfield Ohio) is a retired American Basketball player a center/forward whose 11 year career Adrian Howard (Odie Smith (born October 5, 1936, in Farmington, Kentucky) is an American former Northeast Mississippi Community College Robertson had another magnificent season, leading the NBA in free-throw percentage, scoring a career-high 31. 4 points per game, and averaging 9. 9 rebounds and 11. 0 assists per game — just missing another triple-double season. [1] For his feats, he won the NBA MVP Award and became the only player other than legendary centers Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain to win this title from 1960 to 1968. William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana) is a retired American professional Basketball Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards [3] 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 postseason, the Royals defeated the Philadelphia 76ers led by Wilt Chamberlain, but then were dominated by the Celtics losing four games to one. The 1964 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1963-1964 season. The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short are a professional Basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [3]
From a win-loss perspective, however, this season would be Robertson’s last successful Royals season. From the 1964-65 NBA season on, things began to turn sour for the franchise. The 1964–65 NBA Season was the 19th season of the National Basketball Association. Despite Robertson’s stellar play, never failing to record averages of at least 24. 7 points, 6. 0 rebounds and 8. 1 assists in the six following years,[1] the Royals were eliminated in the first round three times in a row from 1965 to 1967, and then even missed the playoffs three consecutive seasons from 1968 to 1970. In the 1969-70 NBA season, the sixth disappointing season in a row, fan support was waning. The 1969–70 NBA Season was the 24th season of the National Basketball Association. To attract the public, 41-year old head coach Bob Cousy even made a short-lived comeback. Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9 1928 in New York City) is a former French - American professional Basketball player For seven games, the legendary Celtics point guard partnered Robertson in the Royals’ backcourt, but they still missed the playoffs. Point guard ( PG) also called the one or " the ball-handler " is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game [3]
Milwaukee Bucks and the "Oscar Robertson suit”
Prior to the 1970-71 season, the Royals stunned the basketball world by trading Robertson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk. The 1970–71 NBA season was the 25th season of the National Basketball Association. The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional Basketball team based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Flynn James Robinson (born April 28, 1941 in Elgin Illinois) is an American former professional Basketball player Officially, no reasons were named, but many pundits suspected head coach Bob Cousy was jealous of all the attention Robertson was getting. [3] Robertson himself said: "I think he [Cousy] was wrong and I will never forget it. ”[3]
However, the trade proved highly beneficial for the veteran Robertson. After being stuck with an under-performing team for the last six years, he now was paired with the young Lew Alcindor, who would become the all-time NBA scoring leader under the name of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr; April 16 1947 is an American athlete and retired professional Basketball player widely considered 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 playoffs, and crowned their season with the NBA title by routing the Baltimore Bullets 4-0 in the 1971 NBA Finals. This is a list of the longest regular season winning streaks in National Basketball Association history The 1971 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1970-1971 season. The 1971 NBA Finals was the played at the conclusion of the NBA's Silver Anniversary season of 1970-71. For the first time in his career, Robertson had won a championship on the NCAA or NBA level. [3]
From a historical perspective however, Robertson’s most important contribution was made not on the court, but rather in court. A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its It was the year of the landmark Oscar Robertson suit, an antitrust suit filed by the NBA's Players Association against the league. The Oscar Robertson suit, Robertson v National Basketball Association, 556 F As Robertson was the president of the Players Association, the case bore his name. In this suit, the proposed merger between the NBA and the ABA was stalled, and the college draft as well as the free agency clauses were reformed. The American Basketball Association ( ABA) was a professional Basketball league founded in 1967, and eventually merged in part with the National [3] 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 back then. [11] Six years after the suit was filed, the NBA finally reached a settlement, the leagues merged, and the Oscar Robertson suit encouraged signing of more free agents and eventually led to higher salaries for all players. [3]
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. The 1971–72 NBA season was the 26th season of the National Basketball Association. The 1972–73 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association. 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. Series Summary Game 1 Before the series started Bucks point guard Lucius Allen would be lost for the series with a knee injury There, Robertson had the chance to end his stellar career with a second ring. The Bucks were matched up against the Boston Celtics, but powered by an inspired Dave Cowens, the Bucks lost in seven games. David William Cowens (born October 25 1948 in Newport Kentucky) is a retired American professional Basketball player and NBA head coach [3] 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. [12]
Post-NBA career
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. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa [3] In addition, he worked as a color commentator with Brent Musburger on games televised by CBS during the 1974-75 NBA season. Brent Woody Musburger (born May 26, 1939, in Portland Oregon) is an American Sportscaster for the ABC and ESPN CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The 1974–75 NBA season was the 29th season of the National Basketball Association. [13] After his retirement, the Kansas City Kings (the Royals moved there while Robertson was with the Bucks) retired his number 14 jersey; the retirement continues to be honored by the Kings in their current home of Sacramento. The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. The Bucks also retired the number 1 jersey he wore in Milwaukee. Since 1994, a nine-foot bronze statue honors Robertson outside the Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center, the current home of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball. Fifth Third Arena is a 13176-seat multi-purpose Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, named for Fifth Third Bank [4]Robertson attends many of the games there, viewing the Bearcats from a chair at courtside. After many years outside the spotlight, on November 17, 2006, Robertson was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The College Basketball Experience featuring the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is a fan interactive facility located in Kansas City Missouri. He was one of five, along with John Wooden, Bill Russell, Dean Smith and Dr. James Naismith, selected to represent the inaugural class. John Robert Wooden (born October 14 1910) is a retired American Basketball coach William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana) is a retired American professional Basketball Dean Edwards Smith (born February 28 1931 is a retired head coach of men’s college Basketball. James A Naismith (November 6 [14]
Legacy
Robertson is universally 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. This list exhibits the National Basketball Association 's top rookie single-season scoring averages [1] Only two 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. [3] Furthermore, Robertson is the only guard in NBA history to ever average more than 10 rebounds per game, doing so three times. 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 has the all-time highest scoring average in the All-Star Game for players participating in four or more games (the league standard for the record) at 20. 5 points per game. 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]
Robertson also set yardsticks in versatility. If his first five seasons are strung together, Robertson averaged a triple-double over these 400+ games, averaging an incredible 30. 3 points, 10. 4 rebounds and 10. 6 assists. [15] For his career, Robertson had 181 triple-doubles, a record that has never been approached. [16] These numbers are even more astonishing if it is taken into account that the three-point shot did not exist when he played, which was introduced by the NBA in the 1979-80 season and benefits sharpshooting backcourt players. The 1979–80 NBA season was the 34th season of the National Basketball Association. In 1967-68, Robertson also 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). The 1967–68 NBA Season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association. Nathaniel "Tiny" Archibald (born September 2 1948 New York City is a retired American professional Basketball player The official scoring and assist titles went to other players that season, however, because the NBA based the titles on point and assist totals (not averages) prior to the 1969-70 season. The 1969–70 NBA Season was the 24th season of the National Basketball Association. Robertson did, however, win a total of six NBA assist titles during his career. 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]
Robertson is recognized by the NBA as the first legitimate "big guard”, paving the way for other over-sized backcourt players like Magic Johnson. [3] Furthermore, he is also credited to have invented the head fake and the fadeaway jump shot, a shot which Michael Jordan later became famous for. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman [17] For the Cincinnati Royals, now relocated and named the Sacramento Kings, he scored 22,009 points and 7,731 assists, and is all-time leader in both statistics for the combined Royals / Kings teams. The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. [3]
Robertson was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 28, 1980. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) He received the "Player of the Century" award by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2000 and was ranked #3 on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players in 2003, behind fellow NBA legends Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC headquartered in Kansas City Missouri was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the University of Kansas Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards 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 Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. [15]
In 1959, the Player of the Year Award was established to recognize the best college basketball player of the year by the United States Basketball Writers Association. United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of jounalists who cover college basketball 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 honor of the player who won the first two awards because of his outstanding career and his continuing efforts to promote the game of basketball. The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's College basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association. In 2004, an 18” bronze statue of Robertson was sculpted by world-renowned sculptor Harry Weber. Harry Weber (born August 3, 1976 in Berlin) is an advertising and street Photographer. [6]
Personal life
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. [18] Due to his troubled childhood, Robertson was known to be sullen and prone to violent outbreaks. However after winning the Olympic gold medal, then signing his first big contract with the Royals and marrying his sweetheart Yvonne Crittinden within several months, he blossomed into a calm, content young man. His U. S. Olympic teammate Jerry West remarked amicably how much Robertson had "grown up" in that year. [17] In the following years, Robertson fathered daughters Shane Yvonne (b. 1962) and Tia Elaine (b. 1964), and led a private life without scandal; 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"[17] However, Robertson proved his character strength in 1997 when his daughter Tia suffered lupus-related kidney failure, and Robertson donated one of his own kidneys. Systemic lupus erythematosus ( SLE or lupus,) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can be fatal though with recent medical advances fatalities are becoming Renal failure or kidney [17] He has been an honorary spokesman for the National Kidney Foundation ever since. The National Kidney Foundation Inc ( NKF) is a major voluntary health organization in the United States. In 2003, he published his own biography, The Big O, after his own nickname.
Regarding basketball, Robertson has stated that legendary Harlem Globetrotters players Marques Haynes and "clown prince" Goose Tatum were his idols. The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism and Comedy. Marques Haynes (born October 3, 1926) is an American former professional Basketball player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters, Reece "Goose" Tatum ( May 31, 1921 – January 18, 1967) was an African American multi-sport [11] Now in his sixties, he refrains from playing basketball, although he still follows it on TV, and now lists woodworking as his prime hobby. [11] 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. He is also rumored to be highly annoyed by autograph seekers, snarling and being quite rude to them. [11]
On June 9, 2007, Oscar received an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from the University of Cincinnati for both his philanthropic and entrepreneurial efforts. [19]
Oscar owns Orchem based out Cincinnati, Ohio.
Books
- Robertson, Oscar The Art of Basketball: A Guide to Self-Improvement in the Fundamentals of the Game (1998) ISBN 978-0-966-24830-2
- Robertson, Oscar The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game (2003) ISBN 1-57954-764-8 autobiography
- Grace, Kevin. "Cincinnati Hoops. " Chicago, IL: Arcadia, 2003.
- Grace, Kevin; Hand, Greg; Hathaway, Tom; and Hoffman, Carey. "Bearcats! The Story of Basketball at the University of Cincinnati. " Louisville, KY: Harmony House, 1998.
- Robertson Oscar, Damian Aromando. "Parquet Cronicles" (2000)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i basketball-reference. com. Oscar Robertson stats. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ NBA. com, Oscar Robertson summary, accessed May 1, 2007. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u nba. com. Oscar Robertson nba.com summary. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ a b c hoophall. com. Oscar Robertson NBA Hall of Fame summary. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ abc. com. Wooden, Russell lead founding class into Collegiate Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ a b usbwa. com. Oscar Robertson Trophy. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ usabasketball. com. Games of the XVIIth Olympiad -- 1960. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ basketball-reference. com. 1962 Cincinnati Royals. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ basketball-reference. com. 1963 Cincinnati Royals. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ basketball-reference. com. 1964 Cincinnati Royals. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ a b c d thebigo. com. Oscar Robertson FAQ. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ basketball-reference. com. 1975 Milwaukee Bucks. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ thebigo. com. Oscar Robertson Company Information. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ abc. com. Wooden, Russell lead founding class into Collegiate Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ a b espn. com. Daily Dime: Special Edition – The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever. Retrieved on 2007-01-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate
- ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian. Making triple trouble. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ a b c d Flatter, Ron. ESPN Classic – Oscar defined the triple-double. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ thebigo. com. Oscar Robertson Company Information. Retrieved on 2007-01-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes
- ^ UC Legend Oscar Robertson to be Honored at Spring Commencement
External links
- Oscar Robertson’s official homepage
- nba.com summary
- NBA Hall of Fame summary
- Career Statistics
- Oscar Robertson Trophy
- Information on Robertson's collegiate career
| Preceded by Bob Boozer |
NBA first overall draft pick 1960 NBA Draft |
Succeeded by Walt Bellamy |
| Preceded by Wilt Chamberlain |
NBA Rookie of the Year 1961 |
Succeeded by Walt Bellamy |
| Preceded by Wilt Chamberlain |
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 1961 |
Succeeded by Bob Pettit |
| Preceded by Bill Russell |
NBA Most Valuable Player 1963-64 |
Succeeded by Bill Russell |
| Preceded by Bill Russell |
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 1964 |
Succeeded by Jerry Lucas |
| Preceded by Hal Greer |
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 1969 |
Succeeded by Willis Reed |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Oscar Palmer Robertson |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Big O |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | NBA player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 24 November 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Charlotte, Tennessee |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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