Oscar Robertson biography
Oscar Robertson, in full Oscar Palmer Robertson, byname the Big O, (born November 24, 1938, Charlotte, Tennessee, U.S.), American basketball participant who starred in each the collegiate {and professional} ranks and was thought of one of many high gamers within the historical past of the sport. As a participant with the Cincinnati (Ohio) Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1961–62, he averaged double figures in factors (30.8), rebounds (12.5), and assists (11.4) per recreation, a feat unmatched by every other participant till Russell Westbrook did so in 2016–17.
Robertson grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, the place he led Crispus Attucks High School to 2 state championships. In 1956 he acquired an athletic scholarship to the University of Cincinnati and have become the primary African American to play basketball there. In three seasons of collegiate basketball, he averaged 33.8 factors per recreation and helped the Cincinnati Bearcats twice attain the Final Four of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball event. He set 14 NCAA data throughout his school days. In 1960 he gained a gold medal in Rome as a member of the U.S. Olympic crew.
Robertson was the primary number of the 1960 NBA draft and earned Rookie of the Year honours that season with the Cincinnati Royals. Measuring 6 ft 5 inches (1.96 metres) and weighing greater than 200 kilos (91 kg), Robertson was bigger than most guards. He was in a position to make use of his dimension to achieve place for scoring and rebounding. He was additionally a superior ball handler, main the league in assists six instances. He was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 1963–64 season, wherein he averaged 31.4 factors, 9.9 rebounds, and 11 assists per recreation.
Robertson was traded in 1970 to the Milwaukee Bucks, the place he teamed with Lew Alcindor (later often called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and gained the NBA title that season. Robertson retired from the NBA in 1974 with 26,710 profession factors (25.7 per recreation), 7,804 rebounds (7.5 common), and 9,887 assists (an NBA report on the time). He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.