Top 10 Interesting Facts about Oscar Robertson

Professional basketball player Oscar Robertson’s photo sourced from Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Oscar Robertson

Oscar Palmer Robertson is famously known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Given the accomplishments he was able to make despite playing for a shorter time, his success on the court is astounding. A triple threat who could score from the inside out and outside in addition to being a terrific passer, Robertson is recognized as one of the greatest players in NBA history.

His accomplishment was the result of extreme diligence and dedication. He worked to establish his legacy and solidify his spot among the all-time greats of basketball. We have never seen a player with his flexibility before, as evidenced by his prowess in scoring, grabbing rebounds, and setting up teammates. Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Oscar Robertson.

1. Robertson chose basketball over baseball

Oscar was born in an impoverished family in Charlotte, Tennessee. He was raised in a segregated housing project in Indianapolis, Indiana after his parents relocated there when he was 18 months old. He preferred to play basketball over baseball, which was more popular in the neighbourhood because it was then thought to be a poor kid’s game. Oscar taught himself how to shoot by using rags wrapped with rubber bands and tennis balls and throwing them into a peach basket located in the backyard of their home.

2. He led Crispus Attucks High School to win the 1955 state championship

Professional basketball player Oscar Robertson (with ball) photo sourced from Wikimedia commons

Ray Crowe, Robertson’s coach at Crispus Attucks High School, an all-black high school, stressed the importance of a sound game’s fundamentals, which had a positive impact on Robertson’s playing style. He was a standout player for an Attucks squad that fell to Milan, the eventual state champions, in the state quarterfinals in 1954 as a sophomore.

In 1955, when Robertson was a junior, Crispus Attucks defeated most of its opponents, going 31-1 in the process, and taking home the state championship, the first ever for an all-black school in the country. Additionally, it was the first Hoosier tournament state championship that an Indianapolis club had ever won.

3. Robertson was named Indiana Mr Basketball in 1956

Crispus Attucks High School team achieved a flawless season in 1956, amassing a state-record 45 straight victories, finishing with a 31-0 record and taking home a second consecutive IHSAA Men’s Basketball Championship. After winning the title game, the squad was paraded around town as is customary, but unlike other teams, they were then taken to a park outside of downtown to continue their celebration given the rampant racism at the time.

Robertson won Indiana Mr Basketball in 1956 with a scoring average of 24.0 points per game during his senior year.

4. He was the all-time leading NCAA scorer when he left college

Oscar Robertson as a senior at the University of Cincinnati in the 1959-60 season photo by Unknown University of Cincinnati – Wikimedia commons

In 1957, the year after he graduated from high school, he enrolled at the University of Cincinnati. Robertson kept improving while he was a member of the Cincinnati Bearcats, achieving a 33.8 point per game scoring average that ranks third all-time in college history. He won the national scoring championship, was selected as an All-American, and was awarded College Player of the Year in each of his three seasons, while also setting 14 NCAA and 19 school records.

Throughout Robertson’s three varsity seasons, his outstanding play helped the Bearcats to a 79-9 overall record, including two trips to the Final Four. Before Pete Maravich passed him in 1970, he held the record for most NCAA points scored when he graduated from college.

5. Robertson co-captained the 1960 U.S. basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics

The 1960 U.S. basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics was co-captained by Robertson and Jerry West. The group, which was at that moment hailed as the finest collection of basketball skills ever, dominated the opposition and took home the gold. In addition to playing point guard, Robertson started at forward with Terry Dischinger of Purdue. As the American team won all nine of its games by an average margin of 42.4 points, he was the team’s top scorer.

6. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA draft

Professional basketball player Oscar Robertson photo by Malcolm W. Emmons – Wikimedia commons

Robertson declared himself eligible for the NBA draft in 1960 before the 1960–61 season. His selection as a territorial pick by the Cincinnati Royals saw the Royal offer him $33,000 as a signing bonus. In his first game in the NBA, Robertson led the home team to a 140-123 victory over the visiting Lakers while tallying 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. In a 124-115 victory over the Philadelphia Warriors on November 15, 1960, Robertson scored 44 points, a then-career-high, in addition to 15 rebounds and 11 assists.

7. He was selected NBA Rookie of the year in 1961

Robertson almost averaged a triple-double for the whole season in his rookie year, leading the league with 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game on average. In addition to being voted NBA Rookie of the Year in 1961, Robertson also made the first of 12 consecutive All-Star Game appearances and was chosen for the All-NBA First Team, which would occur in each of his first nine seasons.

Find out :Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Lew Alcindor.

8. He’s the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season

Professional basketball player Oscar Robertson’s photo sourced from Wikimedia commons

With 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1Robertson’sts per game in the 1961–1962 season, Robertson made NBA history by becoming the first player to ever average a triple-double throughout a season. With 41 triple-doubles in the regular season, Robertson also established a record for the NBA at the time. This record stood for more than 50 years until Russell Westbrook’s 42 triple-doubles in 2016–17.

9. Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to win the 1971 NBA Championship

Oscar Robertson with the Bucks in 1971 photo by Walter Iooss Jr. – Wikimedia commons

Before the 1970–71 season, he was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks roared to a league-best 66-16 record, including a then-record 20-game winning streak, a commanding 12-2 record in the 1971 NBA Playoffs, and the NBA Championship by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets 4-0 in the 1971 NBA Finals with Lew Alcindor in the low post and Robertson running the backcourt.

Robertson led the Bucks with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in his first NBA Finals contest. Robertson had achieved a career first by taking home the NBA title.

Check out: Top 10 Facts about the Milwaukee Bucks.

10. Oscar is a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice: once in 1980 for his career and once in 2010 for his roles as president of the National Basketball Players Association and member of the 1960 United States Men’s Olympic basketball team.

Read more: 60 Best College Basketball Players of all times.