Oscar Robertson - Big O

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. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound. 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. 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. He was a key player on the team which brought the Bucks their only NBA championship in the 1970-71 NBA season.

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 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.

Prior to the 1960-61 NBA season, Robertson made himself eligible for the 1960 NBA Draft. There, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. 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. 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, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists (leading the league), almost averaging a triple-double for the entire season. 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. In addition, he was named the All-Star Game MVP following his 23 point, 14 assist, and 9 rebound performance in a West victory.

In the 1961-62 NBA season, Robertson wrote NBA history. 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.

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. 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. 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, eighth-highest all time), 9,887 assists (9.5 per game) and 7,804 rebounds (7.5 per game).

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• basketball

[emmettk]

Who's the best ever is subject to opinion. It's impossible to fairly compare players from different eras, but anybody who leaves him off their Top 10 doesn't know basketball. I saw Big O play just as I've seen Magic and MJ to Kobe and Lebron (and everybody in between). Oscar averaged 30/ 10 and 10 over a 5 YEAR period! That's amazing in any era. If anybody else did it even for a 5 GAME period, please let me know. (I mean with proof, not your guess).

[beatlejim64]

The Big O played the game the way it's supposed to be played!!!

[AdreasTheGreat]

@bng357 hahah...no it's actually tom sanders,he won 8 rings with 60's celtics!horry has more rings than mj!kobe no2?noway...he is great player but there were players who were more dominant in their era. 1.mj 2.wilt 3.kareem 4.magic 5.bird 6.oscar 7.russell 8.hakeem 9.shaq 10.kobe and j.west as concern NBA is n't better now,late 60's-early 90's was,and at pick was in 80's,the golden era!now it's less team game and less talent,more athletic player but most do n't have the main b-ball skills

[AdreasTheGreat]

@bng357 less team does n't mean less competiton but the opposite!back then wilt play vs russell about 8-10 games,the same vs pettit,belamy,reed,thurmond,lu­cas...now howard play vs 1-2 good centers 5 games and all the other vs varejao,milicic,haywood...team­s win rings,not only one player!oscar,wilt,west even baylor were better idividual players than russell(he was better team-player but did n't have the same skills)and also had much better teamates!mj did n't lead bulls even conf.finals b4 pippen

[24FLYstar]

the 50s and 60s defense were just terrible like wow watching this video made me agree even more, no defensive plays, no physical defense, guys are just standing there maybe thats why so many peoples stats were so dominant back then, on the other hand the real legends were in the 80s and 90s

[bng357]

@AdreasTheGreat Who is sanders? Deion Sanders. He's not even in the 50 Greatest.

[bng357]

My Top 10 Greatest Basketball Players List: 1. MJ 2. Kobe 3 Kareem Abdul Jabbar 4. Magic 5. Bill Russell 6. Larry Bird 7. Shaq 8. Wilt Chamberlain 9. Oscar Robertson 10. Tim Duncan 6.

[bng357]

@AdreasTheGreat Hi, Thanks for commenting. Actually rings are everything. If u want to play basketball go play in the park. If u want to win a title then play in the NBA. June is what it all matters. You will say Bill Russell has 11 rings but the thing is that the competition during that time wasn;t so great there's only 9 teams competing and u face the 8 teams 10x. So thats 80 games in a yr. Basketball is better now than before - More scientific, technological, plays, systems, complicated etc.

[AdreasTheGreat]

@bng357 actually oscar won a ring,the reason did n't win more is the same reason wilt won only 2,j.west 1 and baylor 0!they face maybe the best team ever 60's celtics!they had russell,havlicek,s.jones,heins­ohn,cousy,sharman and later howell,sanders,k.c jones!all are HOF and had most of them except the last 2 who were role players and great def but not stars!they also had one of the best coaches ever!i think oscar is easily top 10 and maybe top 5 ever!if rings are everything then sanders is top5

[bng357]

I was rating my Top 5 Greatest Basketball Players and sad to say Oscar is not in the top 5 as they are saying. The reason why the players have teams and play against each other is to win and win championships. he can have triple double and be all around as long as he wants but if it will not win a game or a championship then it's useless.

it would be better for Big O to Score when the team needs him to score and pass when he realizes his teammate is hot.

[SAMRAM29]

My number one sports idol.

[JosephRoux]

420