Oscar Robertson, widely known by his nicknames “The Big O” and “O-Train,” is a retired American African-American professional basketball player who competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Oscar Robertson was born on November 24, 1938, in Charlotte, Tennessee, United States, as the son of Mazell Bell Robertson and Bailey Robertson, Sr.. His full name is Oscar Palmer Robertson. When he was just one and a half years old, his family moved from Tennessee to Indianapolis. He completed his high school education in Indianapolis at Crispus Attucks High School, an all-Black high school. The Crispus Attucks High School basketball team made history by becoming the first all-Black high school team in the United States to win a state championship in 1955, and they secured a second title in 1956 with an undefeated season.

Oscar Robertson attended the University of Cincinnati between 1957 and 1960, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. During his college years, from 1957 to 1960, he played for the university’s basketball team and became the nation’s leading scorer. In his final year, he was a member of the United States Olympic Basketball Team that won the gold medal at the Rome Olympics.

Standing 196 cm tall, Oscar Robertson was selected by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA Draft. He is married to Yvonne Crittenden, and the couple has three daughters named Shana Robertson, Tia Robertson, and Mari Robertson.

Playing in the point guard position, Oscar Robertson achieved extraordinary success over a 14-season NBA career. He was selected to the All-Star team 12 times, named to the All-NBA First Team 11 times, and won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award once. In 1962, he became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double over the course of an entire season. From 1965 to 1974, he also served as president of the National Basketball Players Association.

During the 1970–1971 NBA season, Oscar Robertson was one of the key players who helped the Milwaukee Bucks secure their first NBA championship. Throughout his playing career, especially during his high school and college years, he faced and endured significant racial discrimination.

Oscar Robertson retired from professional basketball in 1974. After retirement, he founded several companies, including OR Solutions and Orchem, Inc. In 1992, he established the National Retired Basketball Players Association and became actively involved with organizations such as the New York Men’s Club and the National Kidney Foundation. He also launched the Oscar & Yvonne Robertson Scholarship Fund to support minority students at the University of Cincinnati.

Oscar Robertson was inducted twice into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1980, he was named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team, and in 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In 1998, the United States Basketball Writers Association renamed its College Player of the Year Award in his honor as the Oscar Robertson Trophy. In 2006, he was chosen as one of the five representatives of the inaugural class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

ESPN ranked Oscar Robertson as the 36th greatest American athlete of the 20th century. In October 2021, he was further honored by being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, recognizing him as one of the greatest players in the league’s history.

Professional Basketball Career:
1960–1970 – Cincinnati Royals
1970–1974 – Milwaukee Bucks

Source: Biyografiler.com