Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu. [44] 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". Basketball watchers marveled at his hardworking style of play. In the late 1950s road trips through the Midwest were awkward, to say the least. The couple has three children. When he was approximately 18 months old, his parents moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he grew up in a segregated housing project. The father-of-three was disappointed with his team and the coach's behavior, but the trade was very lucrative. Early Oscar Robertson highlights | NBA.com At SportyTell.com, we strive for fairness and accuracy. Oscar Robertson - Age, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays He is also famous from other names as The Big O. (The system allowed a team to claim a local college player in exchange for giving up its first-round pick.) Robertson finished first in the league in both assists (11.0 apg) and free throw percentage (85.3) and ranked second in scoring (31.4 ppg). Robertson went on to attend an all black high school, Crispus Attucks High School, where he excelled marvelously. In 2003, he published his own autobiography, The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game. "[2], The relationship between Oscar and the Royals had soured to the point that Cincinnati had also approached the Lakers and Knicks about deals involving their star player; the Knicks players who were discussed in those scenarios are unknown, but Los Angeles stated publicly that the Royals asked about Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, with the Lakers saying they would not consider trading either star. [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. and "Oh, Brent, did you see that!" After being stuck with an under-performing team the last six years, he now was paired with the young Lew Alcindor, who would years later become the all-time NBA scoring leader as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. [39] In 1997, Robertson donated one of his kidneys to his daughter Tia, who suffered lupus-related kidney failure. He shot 48.5% from the field and 83.8% from the line. Each item sold between $50,000 and $91,000. Oscar Robertson NBA Hall of Famer Jul 20, 2021 Dear Bucks fans and players, It's been 50 years coming. Donald Robertson was buried at Holten Canadian War Cemetery Vii. 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. His college career was marred by racism. Gertrude Elliott - Wikipedia Oscar Robertson, a three-time All-Star MVP and NBA MVP in 1963-64, led the Bucks to the title in 1971. . After he graduated from high school, Robertson's impressive basketball skills got him admission to the University of Cincinnati, where he first met Yvonne. Most Popular #23600 84 Year Old First Name Oscar November 24 Basketball Player [25] In his eighties, he still follows basketball on TV and attends most home games for the University of Cincinnati, his alma mater. In 1997, Robertson performed the assist of a lifetime when he donated a kidney to his daughter Tia, who was suffering from lupus. [5] In January 2011, Robertson joined a class action lawsuit against the NCAA, O'Bannon v. NCAA, challenging the organization's use of the images of its former student athletes. [2] Robertson took Cincinnati to national prominence during his time there, but the university's greatest success in basketball took place immediately after his departure, when the team won national titles in 1961 and 1962, missing a third consecutive title in 1963 by just two points. He made use of tennis balls and rags tied with rubber bands as his basketball and a peach basketball as a hoop. "[2] Decades after his college days, Robertson's stellar NCAA career was rewarded by the United States Basketball Writers Association when they renamed the trophy awarded to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. Robertson attended Crispus Attucks High School, an all-Black school that had no gym and one that white schools refused to play until Robertson arrived. In 2006, the statue was relocated to the entrance of the Richard E. Lindner Athletics Center at the University of Cincinnati. Robertson smoothly combined his street smarts with Crowes fundamentals. 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. When Robertson was a junior, Crispus Attucks dominated its opposition, going 311, and winning the 1955 state championship, the first for any all-black school in the nation. ESPN Classic - Oscar defined the triple-double Dandridge and Robertson were teammates on the Milwaukee . Barred from hotels until his junior year, Robertson often had to stay in college dorms. Oscar Robertson Stats, News, Bio | ESPN Oscar was born in an impoverished family in Charlotte, Tennessee. Twitter reactions: NBA family congratulates Russell Westbrook for Oscar Robertson Biography Quick Facts, Age. In the finale Dave Cowens delivered 28 points and 14 rebounds, leading Boston to a 15-point victory. [2] 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 3844 record in spite of the continued presence of Abdul-Jabbar.[26]. [28], After his retirement, the Kansas City Kings (the Royals moved there while Robertson was with the Bucks) retired his No. Debbie and Family, When I think of Oscar my mind goes . [2] Furthermore, he is also credited with having invented the head fake and the fadeaway jump shot, a shot which Michael Jordan later became famous for. A player with a very eccentric personality, Robertson is seen as a hero in not just basketball but in sports in general as he is one of the stars who rose above the domineering force of racism. Robertson went to the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. He managed to play three more seasons, however, helping the Bucks to division titles in each of those years. Oscar Robertson Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed " The Big O ", is an American retired basketball player with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA. The 1964/65 season was the beginning of a downward path for the Cincinnati Royals, as their performance saw them defeated in the playoffs in the 1965 to 1967 seasons. Any greatest of all time discussion in the NBA must include Oscar Robertson He is American by nationality. Oscar Robertson real name is Oscar Palmer Robertson. Just how good was he? Oscar Robertson Jr. Obituary (2015) - Zachary, LA - The Advocate Oscar Robertson's Biography - The HistoryMakers This honor brought the award full circle for Robertson, as he had won the first two awards ever presented. At the University of Cincinnati Robertson recorded amazing performance. As a result of his accomplishment and performance in his senior year he was named the 1956 Mr. Basketball. Remembering the Life of the Late Basketball Star, Ron Howard Feels 'Lucky' to Have Met Future Wife at School & Says 'There Was Never Anybody Else' for 51 Years, Hugh Jackman Met 13-Year Older Wife When She Definitely Avoided Men Under 30 - They Are Married for 25 Years, Who Is Bronny James Dating? [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. Although basketball has changed drastically in the 60 years since Robertson first took the court, he and James have . The case led to the amendment of the free agency and college draft clauses. Oscar Robertson, the Big O, is the player against whom all others labeled versatile are judged, and he may remain the standard forever. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Oscar Robertson was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. It was a feat that would not be repeated until Russell Westbrook managed to achieve it during the 201617 season. For seven games, the former Celtics point guard partnered with Robertson in the Royals' backcourt, but they missed the playoffs. [27] His trademark expressions were, "Oh, my!" After his successful high school career, he went on to play for the University of Cincinnati. Oscar Robertson Height, Weight & Measurements At 84 years old, Oscar Robertson height is 6' 4" (1.95 m) .