Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson, nicknamed "The Big O", is an American retired National Basketball Association player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. The 6 ft 5 in, 220 lb Robertson played at 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 professional seasons. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. He was a key player on the team which brought...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth24 November 1938
CountryUnited States of America
I'd like to think that the nature of the two teams - Boston being a championship team over the years and the Lakers, same thing - was a lot bigger than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
I played on an all-black high school team and we didn't want people saying that we were clowns.
The Olympics were great, because you had to make the team, and then go to the games. Now, I don't know, these guys today don't want to do anything like that.
When I came into the league, once a team drafted you, they owned you forever. If they didn't like the clothes you wore, or the car you drove, they could blackball you.
We're all Americans trying to compete. Magic was competing for his team and Larry for his team.
People will think there are no other great ballplayers. Look at Garnett. Look at Duncan, Shaq, Kobe. Look at the players with Sacramento. The have a really good basketball team.
Basketball wasn't what it is today, ... Being brought up in the ghetto, my parents were told, long before I came along, that education was the way out.
Pete Newell was the Olympic coach and was a fine person. It was a great honor to play on that team, ... Jack McMahon of the Royals was another coach I enjoyed playing for in the NBA and I got the opportunity to play with and against so many great players.
So many kids think that, ... But when you look at the history of players coming out (of college) early, only a handful really make it.
Of course I think with my 14 years in the NBA I never made a million dollars,
There have been a couple of coaches there, through the years, that I didn't always agree with what was going on, ... Today, a lot of these guys at the university have my cell phone number.
I've got a system in place where the university gets a lot of money from me, especially when I die, ... I will still help the basketball program, too.
It's just good to be out here, ... I'm just glad to supply these guys.
It's a sad day for Bob, but what I don't understand is all these people pulling their (financial) support and things like that, ... There are a lot of things at UC I haven't liked over the years, but I still support the university.