View source for Oscar Robertson

{{short description|American basketball player (born 1938)}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{use American English|date=September 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name            = Oscar Robertson
| image           = Oscar Robertson 2024.jpg
| width           = 
| caption         = Robertson in 2024
| height_ft       = 6
| height_in       = 5
| weight_lb       = 205 <!-- Please DO NOT change, he is officially listed as 205 by basketball-reference.com. See here: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/roberos01.html -->
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1938|11|24}}
| birth_place     = [[Charlotte, Tennessee]], U.S.
| high_school     = [[Crispus Attucks High School|Crispus Attucks]] {{nowrap|([[Indianapolis, Indiana]])}}
| college         = [[Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball|Cincinnati]] (1957–1960)
| draft_year      = 1960
| draft_round     =
| draft_pick      = [[NBA territorial pick|territorial pick]]
| draft_team      = [[Cincinnati Royals]]
| career_number   = 14, 1
| career_position = [[Point guard]]
| career_start    = 1960
| career_end      = 1974
| years1          = {{nbay|1960|start}}–{{nbay|1969|end}}
| team1           = [[Cincinnati Royals]]
| years2          = {{nbay|1970|start}}–{{nbay|1973|end}}
| team2           = [[Milwaukee Bucks]]
| highlights      =
* [[NBA champion]] ({{nbafy|1971}})
* [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|NBA Most Valuable Player]] ({{nbay|1963|end}})
* 12× [[NBA All-Star]] ({{nasg|1961}}–{{nasg|1972}})
* 3× [[NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award|NBA All-Star Game MVP]] (1961, {{nasg|1964}}, {{nasg|1969}})
* 9× [[All-NBA First Team]] (1961–{{nbay|1968|end}})
* 2× [[All-NBA Second Team]] (1970, 1971)
* [[NBA Rookie of the Year Award|NBA Rookie of the Year]] ({{nbay|1960|end}})
* 6× [[List of National Basketball Association annual assists leaders|NBA assists leader]] (1961, 1962, 1964–1966, 1969)
* [[NBA anniversary team]] ([[NBA 35th Anniversary Team|35th]], [[50 Greatest Players in NBA History|50th]], [[NBA 75th Anniversary Team|75th]])
* No. 14 [[Sacramento Kings retired numbers|retired by Sacramento Kings]]
* No. 1 [[Milwaukee Bucks retired numbers|retired by Milwaukee Bucks]]
* 3× [[List of U.S. men's college basketball national player of the year awards|National college player of the year]] (1958–1960)
* 3× Consensus first-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] ([[1958 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1958]]–[[1960 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1960]])
* 3× [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders|NCAA scoring champion]] (1958–1960)
* 3× First-team All-[[Missouri Valley Conference|MVC]] (1958–1960)
* No. 12 [[Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball retired jerseys|retired by Cincinnati Bearcats]]
* [[Mr. Basketball USA]] (1956)
* [[Arthur Ashe Courage Award]] ([[2025 ESPY Awards|2025]])
| stats_league    = NBA
| stat1label      = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value      = 26,710 (25.7 ppg)
| stat2label      = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value      = 7,804 (7.5 rpg)
| stat3label      = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value      = 9,887 (9.5 apg)
| HOF_player      = oscar-robertson
| FIBA_HOF_player = Oscar-Robertson
| CBBASKHOF_year  = 2006
| medal_templates =
{{MedalSport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Rome]]|[[1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Team competition]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Basketball at the Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[Basketball at the 1959 Pan American Games|1959 Chicago]]|Team competition}}
}}
'''Oscar Palmer Robertson''' (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "'''the Big O'''", is an American former professional [[basketball]] player who played for the [[Cincinnati Royals]] and [[Milwaukee Bucks]] in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA).<ref name="orstats">{{cite web |title=Oscar Robertson stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/roberos01.html |publisher=Basketball-reference.com |access-date=January 25, 2007 |archive-date=May 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512215218/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/roberos01.html |url-status=live }}</ref> As a 12-time [[NBA All-Star Game|All-Star]], 11-time member of the [[All-NBA Team]], and winner of the 1964 [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]], Robertson is considered to be one of the greatest [[point guard]]s of all time. In [[1961–62 NBA season|1962]], he became the first player in NBA history to average a [[triple-double]] for a season (the only player in history besides [[Russell Westbrook]] and [[Nikola Jokić]]).<ref name="nbasummary">{{cite web|title=Oscar Robertson Bio|website=NBA.com|url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/robertson_bio.html |access-date=January 25, 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180218222741/http://www.nba.com/history/players/robertson_bio.html|archive-date=February 18, 2018}}</ref> In the [[1970–71 NBA season]], he was a key player on the team that brought the Bucks their first NBA title. His playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by [[Racism in the United States|racism]].<ref name="nbasummary"/>

Robertson is a two-time [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] inductee, having been inducted in 1980 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the [[1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team]] and president of the [[National Basketball Players Association]]. Also in 1980, Robertson was named to the [[NBA 35th Anniversary Team]].<ref name="basketball-reference.com">{{cite web| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/nba_35th_anniversary.html| title = NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team {{!}} Basketball-Reference.com| access-date = January 4, 2022| archive-date = May 15, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210515092025/https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/nba_35th_anniversary.html| url-status = dead}}</ref> He was again voted as one of the [[50 Greatest Players in NBA History]] in 1996.<ref name="hoophall">{{cite web |publisher=Hoophall.com |title=Oscar Robertson Basketball Hall of Fame summary |url=http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Robertson.htm|access-date = January 25, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070121083634/http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Robertson.htm |archive-date = January 21, 2007}}</ref> The [[United States Basketball Writers Association]] (USBWA) 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.<ref name="chof">{{cite web |publisher=Abc.com |title=Wooden, Russell lead founding class into Collegiate Hall of Fame |url=http://nabc.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112106aae.html |access-date=January 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422154621/http://nabc.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/112106aae.html |archive-date=April 22, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was ranked as the 36th best American athlete of the 20th century by [[ESPN]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/athletes.html |title=Top N. American athletes of the century |publisher=ESPN |access-date=May 8, 2015 |archive-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428232905/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/athletes.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/1960-united-states-olympic-team |title=The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame – Hall of Famers |publisher=Hoophall.com |access-date=May 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110215094832/http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/1960-united-states-olympic-team |archive-date=February 15, 2011}}</ref> In October 2021, Robertson was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the [[NBA 75th Anniversary Team]].<ref name="nba.com/75">{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/news/nba-75th-anniversary-team-announced|title=NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced|website=NBA.com|date=October 21, 2021|access-date=March 16, 2022}}</ref>

Robertson was also an integral part of ''[[Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n]]'' of 1970.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00016428.html |title=Oscar defined the triple-double |publisher=ESPN |access-date=May 8, 2015 |archive-date=October 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027091028/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016428.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 agent|free agency]] and [[draft (sports)|draft]] rules and, subsequently, to higher salaries for all players.<ref name="nbasummary"/> He was inducted into the [[FIBA Hall of Fame]] in 2009.

==Early life==
Robertson was born into poverty in [[Charlotte, Tennessee]], on November 24, 1938. When he was approximately 18 months old, his parents moved to [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], where he grew up in the [[Racial segregation|segregated]] [[housing project]] of [[Lockefield Gardens]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Neddenriep |first=Kyle |title=Oscar Robertson to get statue at Attucks: 'Important we continue to honor our heroes.' |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/02/15/nba-pacers-announce-statue-to-honor-oscar-robertson-at-crispus-attucks/72493647007/ |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}</ref> He preferred to play basketball over [[baseball]], which was more popular in the neighborhood because it was "a poor kids' game". 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.<ref name="nbasummary"/>

==High school career==
Robertson attended [[Crispus Attucks High School]], an all-black high school, where he was coached by [[Ray Crowe]], whose emphasis on a fundamentally sound game had a positive effect on his style of play. As a sophomore in 1954, he starred on an Attucks team that lost in the semi-state finals (state quarterfinals) to eventual state champions [[1954 Milan High School basketball team|Milan]], a story that would later be the basis of the 1986 movie ''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]''. When Robertson was a junior, Crispus Attucks dominated its opposition, going 31–1, and winning the 1955 state championship, the first for any all-black school in the nation. It was also the first state championship won by an Indianapolis team in the Hoosier tournament. 

In his senior season, Robertson scored 24.0 points per game and was named [[Indiana Mr. Basketball]] in 1956.<ref name="nbasummary"/> His team finished with a 31–0 record and won a second straight [[IHSAA Men's Basketball Championship]], becoming the first team in Indiana to secure a perfect season and compiling a state-record 45 straight victories. After their championship game wins, the team was paraded through town in a regular tradition, but they were then taken to a park outside downtown to continue their celebration, unlike other teams. Robertson stated: "[Officials] thought the blacks were going to tear the town up, and they thought the whites wouldn't like it."<ref>{{cite web|last=Dorsey|first=Patrick|url=https://www.espn.com/high-school/boys-basketball/story/_/id/3932457/attucks-win-helped-race-relations/|title=Attucks' win helped race relations|website=ESPN.com|date=February 27, 2009|access-date=December 13, 2020|archive-date=January 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105153023/http://espn.go.com/high-school/boys-basketball/story/_/id/3932457/attucks-win-helped-race-relations/|url-status=live}}</ref> 

After his graduation that year, Robertson enrolled at the [[University of Cincinnati]].<ref name="hoophall"/>

In 1983, Robertson was inducted into the [[National High School Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=National High School Hall of Fame |url=https://assets.nfhs.org/umbraco/media/9697/hall-of-fame-30-year-anniversary-book.pdf |access-date=November 20, 2025 |website=nfhs.org}}</ref>

==College career==
[[File:Oscar Robertson UC.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Robertson as a senior at Cincinnati]]
Robertson continued to excel while playing for the [[Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball|Cincinnati Bearcats]], recording a scoring average of 33.8 points per game, the third-highest in college history.<ref name="hoophall"/> In each of his three years, he won the [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders|national scoring title]],<ref name="hoophall"/> was named a consensus first-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Oscar P. Robertson|url=https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/oscar-robertson|publisher=Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame|access-date=April 12, 2025}}</ref> and was chosen [[List of U.S. men's college basketball national player of the year awards|college player of the year]], while setting 14 [[NCAA]] and 19 school records.<ref name="hoophall"/>

Robertson's stellar play led the Bearcats to a 79–9 overall record during his three varsity seasons, including two [[Final Four]] appearances; however, a championship eluded Robertson, something that would become a repeated occurrence until late in his professional career. When Robertson left college, he was the all-time leading NCAA scorer until fellow Hall-of-Fame player [[Pete Maravich]] topped him in 1970.<ref name="nbasummary"/> 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 continues to stand atop the Bearcats' record book and the many records he still holds include points in one game at 62 (one of his six games of 50 points or more), career triple-doubles at 10, career rebounds per game at 15.2, and career points at 2,973.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/cinn/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/1011UCMBKMEDIASUP.pdf |title=2010-11 Men's basketball Media Supplement |publisher=Grfx.cstv.com |access-date=May 8, 2015 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080019/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/cinn/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/1011UCMBKMEDIASUP.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Robertson had many outstanding individual game performances, including 10 triple-doubles. His personal best may have been his line of 45 points, 23 rebounds, and 10 assists against [[Indiana State Sycamores|Indiana State]] in 1959. Despite his success on the court, Robertson's college career was soured by [[racism]]. In those days, Southern university programs such as Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina did not recruit black athletes, and road trips to [[Racial segregation in the United States|segregated]] cities were especially difficult, with Robertson often sleeping in college dorms instead of hotels. Years later, he told ''[[The Indianapolis Star]]'': "I'll never forgive them."<ref name="nbasummary"/> Decades after his college days, Robertson's stellar NCAA career was rewarded by the [[USBWA]] when they renamed the trophy awarded to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year the [[Oscar Robertson Trophy]] in 1998. This honor brought the award full circle for Robertson, as he had won the first two awards ever presented.<ref name="oscarrobertsontrophy">{{cite web |publisher=Usbwa.com |title=Oscar Robertson Trophy |url=http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/awards/robertson/index.html |access-date=January 25, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070213004535/http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/awards/robertson/index.html |archive-date = February 13, 2007}}</ref>

==1960 Olympics==
After college, Robertson and [[Jerry West]] co-captained the [[1960 United States men's Olympic basketball team|1960 U.S. basketball team]] at the [[Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Summer Olympics]]. The team, described as the greatest assemblage of basketball talent ever at that point, steamrolled the competition to win the [[gold medal]]. Robertson was a starting [[forward (basketball)|forward]] along with [[Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball|Purdue]]'s [[Terry Dischinger]], but played [[point guard]] as well. He was the leading scorer of the team,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/team/p/sid/2935/tid/379/_/1960_Olympic_Games_Tournament_for_Men/accumulated-statistics.html |title=1960 Olympic Games : Tournament for Men. |access-date=August 26, 2019 |archive-date=August 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826225806/https://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/team/p/sid/2935/tid/379/_/1960_Olympic_Games_Tournament_for_Men/accumulated-statistics.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> as the U.S. team won its nine games by an average margin of 42.4 points. Ten of the twelve college players on the American squad later played in the NBA, including Robertson as well as future Basketball Hall-of-Famers West, [[Jerry Lucas]], and [[Walt Bellamy]].<ref name="olympics">{{cite web |publisher=Usabasketball.com |title=Games of the XVIIth Olympiad -- 1960 |url=http://www.usabasketball.com/history/moly_1960.html |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061231090025/http://www.usabasketball.com/history/moly_1960.html |archive-date = December 31, 2006}}</ref>

==Professional career==
===Cincinnati Royals (1960–1970)===
[[File:Oscar Robertson 1960s.jpeg|thumb|Robertson during his days with the Cincinnati Royals]]
Prior to the [[1960–61 NBA season]], Robertson made himself eligible for the [[1960 NBA draft]]. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals as a territorial pick. The Royals gave Robertson a $33,000 signing bonus.<ref name="nbasummary"/> In his NBA debut, Robertson recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 140–123 win over the visiting [[1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers season|Lakers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196010190CIN.html|title=Los Angeles Lakers at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, October 19, 1960|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031123628/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196010190CIN.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 15, 1960, Robertson recorded a then-career-high of 44 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a 124–115 win over the Philadelphia Warriors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196011150CIN.html|title=Philadelphia Warriors at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, November 15, 1960|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031043141/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196011150CIN.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In his rookie season, Robertson averaged 30.5 [[Point (basketball)|points]], 10.1 [[rebound (basketball)|rebounds]], and 9.7 [[Assist (basketball)|assists]] (leading the league), almost averaging a [[triple-double]] for the entire season. 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 seasons—and made the first of 12 consecutive [[National Basketball Association All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] appearances.<ref name="orstats"/> In addition, he was named the [[1961 NBA All-Star Game]] MVP following his 23-point, 14-assist, 9-rebound performance in a West victory; however, the Royals finished with a 33–46 record and stayed in the cellar of the Western Division. On February 10, 1962, Robertson recorded 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 16 assists in a 134–118 win over the [[1961–62 St. Louis Hawks season|Hawks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196202100CIN.html|title=St. Louis Hawks at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, February 10, 1962|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031112824/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196202100CIN.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[1961–62 NBA season|1961–62 season]], Robertson became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists.<ref name="orstats"/> Robertson also set a then-NBA record for the most triple-doubles during the regular season with 41 triple-doubles; the record would stand for over half a century until [[2016–17 NBA season|2016–17]], when [[Russell Westbrook]] recorded 42 and joined Robertson as the only other player to average a triple-double for an entire season. He broke the assists record by [[Bob Cousy]], who had recorded 715 assists two seasons earlier, by logging 899, and joined [[Johnny Green (basketball)|Johnny Green]] and [[Elgin Baylor]] as the only players in NBA history with the height of 6'5 or smaller to have grabbed 900+ rebounds in a season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&per_poss_base=100&season_start=1&season_end=-1&lg_id=NBA&age_min=0&age_max=99&is_playoffs=N&height_min=63&height_max=77&birth_country_is=Y&as_comp=gt&as_val=0&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&order_by=trb|title=Players with the height of 6'5 or smaller sorted by descending total rebounds|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107205025/https://stathead.com/basketball/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&per_poss_base=100&season_start=1&season_end=-1&lg_id=NBA&age_min=0&age_max=99&is_playoffs=N&height_min=63&height_max=77&birth_country_is=Y&as_comp=gt&as_val=0&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&order_by=trb|url-status=live}}</ref> The Royals earned a berth to the [[1962 NBA playoffs]]; however, they were eliminated in the first round by the [[1961–62 Detroit Pistons season|Detroit Pistons]].<ref name="1962royals">{{cite web |title=1962 Cincinnati Royals |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1962.html |publisher=Basketball-reference.com |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-date=August 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809070351/http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1962.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[1962–63 NBA season|1962–63 season]], Robertson further established himself as one of the greatest players of his generation, averaging 28.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 9.5 assists, narrowly missing out on another triple-double season.<ref name="orstats"/> The Royals advanced to the Eastern Division Finals, but succumbed in a seven-game series against a Boston Celtics team led by [[Bill Russell]].<ref name="1963royals">{{cite web |title=1963 Cincinnati Royals |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1961.html |publisher=Basketball-reference.com |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-date=February 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224050315/http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1961.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Oscar Robertson 1966.jpeg|thumb|left|upright|Robertson in 1966]]
In the [[1963–64 NBA season|1963–64 season]], the Royals achieved a 55–25 record,<ref name="1964royals">{{cite web |publisher=Basketball-reference.com |title=1964 Cincinnati Royals |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1964.html |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-date=January 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070122203138/http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CIN/1964.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which put them second place in the Eastern Division. Under new coach [[Jack McMahon]], Robertson flourished. Robertson led the NBA in free-throw percentage, scored a career-high 31.4 points per game, and averaged 9.9 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game.<ref name="orstats"/> He won the [[NBA MVP]] award and became the only player other than [[Bill Russell]] and [[Wilt Chamberlain]] to win it from 1960 to 1968.<ref name="nbasummary"/> Robertson also won his second All-Star Game MVP award that year after scoring 26 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and dishing off 8 assists in an East victory. In the [[1964 NBA playoffs]], the Royals defeated the [[Philadelphia 76ers]], but then were dominated by the Celtics 4 games to 1.<ref name="nbasummary"/>

Robertson averaged a triple-double over his first five seasons in the NBA with the Royals, recording averages of 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game in 451 contest. On December 18, 1964, Robertson recorded a career-high 56 points on 17-for-33 shooting from the field, to go along with 9 rebounds and 12 assists in a 111–107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196412180CIN.html|title=Los Angeles Lakers at Cincinnati Royals Box Score, December 18, 1964|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031112828/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/196412180CIN.html|url-status=live}}</ref> From the [[1964–65 NBA season|1964–65 season]] on, things began to turn sour for the franchise. Despite Robertson recording averages of at least 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.1 assists in the six following seasons,<ref name="orstats"/> the Royals were eliminated in the first round from 1965 to 1967, then missed the playoffs from 1968 to 1970. In the [[1969–70 NBA season|1969–70 season]], the sixth disappointing season in a row, fan support was waning. To help attract the public, 41-year-old head coach Bob Cousy made a short comeback as a player. For seven games, the former Celtics [[point guard]] partnered with Robertson in the Royals' backcourt, but they missed the playoffs.<ref name="nbasummary"/>

===Milwaukee Bucks (1970–1974)===
[[File:Oscar Robertson Bucks.jpeg|thumb|Robertson as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks]]
Prior to the 1970–71 season, the Royals stunned the basketball world by trading Robertson to the Bucks for [[Flynn Robinson]] and [[Charlie Paulk]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Royals Trade Robertson to Bucks for Robinson and Paulk, Rookie in Army |date=April 22, 1970 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/04/22/archives/royals-trade-robertson-to-bucks-for-robinson-and-paulk-rookie-in.html |access-date=June 20, 2021 |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624214717/https://www.nytimes.com/1970/04/22/archives/royals-trade-robertson-to-bucks-for-robinson-and-paulk-rookie-in.html |url-status=live }}</ref> No reasons were officially given, but many pundits suspected head coach [[Bob Cousy]] was jealous of all the attention Robertson was getting.<ref name="nbasummary"/> Robertson himself said: "I think he was wrong and I will never forget it."<ref name="nbasummary"/>

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. Upon arriving in Milwaukee, Robertson switched from hist previous No. 14 jersey to No. 1, which he later explained was because [[Jon McGlocklin]] already wore No. 14 and Robertson refused to allow him to give the number up, and [[Greg Smith (basketball, born 1947)|Greg Smith]] wore No. 4, so Robertson took No. 1 as the remaining digit. The trade proved highly beneficial for Robertson. 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]]. With Alcindor in the low post and Robertson running the backcourt, the Bucks charged to a league-best 66–16 record, including a then-record 20-game win streak, a dominating 12–2 record in the [[1971 NBA playoffs]], and crowned their season with the NBA title by sweeping the [[Baltimore Bullets (1963–73)|Baltimore Bullets]] 4–0 in the [[1971 NBA Finals]]. In his first NBA Finals game, Robertson recorded 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Bucks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197104210MIL.html|title=Baltimore Bullets at Milwaukee Bucks Box Score, April 21, 1971|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=March 10, 2020|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807213404/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/197104210MIL.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For the first time in his career, Robertson had won an NBA championship.<ref name="nbasummary"/>

From a historical perspective, Robertson's most important contribution was made not on a basketball court but  in a [[court]] of law. It was the year of the landmark ''[[Robertson v. National Basketball Ass'n]]'', an [[antitrust]] suit filed by the NBA's Players Association against the league. As Robertson was the president of the Players Association, the case bore his name. In this suit, the proposed [[American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger|merger]] between the NBA and [[American Basketball Association]] was delayed until 1976, and the college draft, as well as the free agency clauses, were reformed.<ref name="nbasummary"/> Robertson himself stated that the main reason was that clubs basically owned their players: players were forbidden to talk to other clubs once their contract was up, because free agency did not exist until 1988.<ref name="faq">{{cite web |title=Oscar Robertson FAQ |url=http://www.thebigo.com/FAQs/FAQsIndex.html |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070430012327/http://www.thebigo.com/FAQs/FAQsIndex.html |archive-date = April 30, 2007}}</ref> Six years after the suit was filed, the NBA finally reached a settlement, the [[ABA–NBA merger]] took place, and the Oscar Robertson suit encouraged signing of more free agents and eventually led to higher salaries for all players.<ref name="nbasummary"/>

On the hardwood, the veteran Robertson still proved he was a valuable player. Paired with Abdul-Jabbar, two more division titles with the Bucks followed in the [[1971–72 NBA season|1971–72]] and [[1972–73 NBA season|1972–73 season]]. In Robertson's last season, he helped lead Milwaukee to a league-best 59–23 record and helped them to reach the [[1974 NBA Finals]]. There, Robertson had the chance to end his stellar career with a second ring. The Bucks were matched up against a Boston Celtics team powered by an inspired [[Dave Cowens]], and the Bucks lost in seven games.<ref name="nbasummary"/> 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 38–44 record in spite of the continued presence of Abdul-Jabbar.<ref name="1975bucks">{{cite web|publisher=Basketball-reference.com |title=1975 Milwaukee Bucks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teamsMIL/1975.html |access-date=January 31, 2007 }} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

In 1995, Robertson was elected to the [[Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame-Oscar Robertson |url=https://www.wihalloffame.com/oscar-robertson |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Post-playing career===
[[File:O-Train.jpg|thumb|left|Robertson in 2010]]
After he retired as an active player, Robertson stayed involved in efforts to improve living conditions in his native Indianapolis, especially concerning [[African-American]]s.<ref name="nbasummary"/> In addition, he worked as a color commentator with [[Brent Musburger]] on games televised by [[CBS]] during the [[1974–75 NBA season]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web  |title=Oscar Robertson Company Information |url=http://www.thebigo.com/Autobiography/contents.html |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070501181021/http://www.thebigo.com/Autobiography/contents.html |archive-date = May 1, 2007}}</ref> His trademark expressions were, "Oh, my!" and "Oh, Brent, did you see that!" in reaction to flashy or spectacular plays. He also returned to the booth for the 1988–89 season calling games on TBS with Hot Rod Hundley.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1989/05/19/cbs-tbs-offer-dribble-to-drivel-coverage-of-playoffs/93c035b9-217f-41ab-a290-ab28afa56e8c |title=CBS, TBS OFFER DRIBBLE-TO-DRIVEL COVERAGE OF PLAYOFFS - the Washington Post |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=October 6, 2020 |archive-date=November 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107205038/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1989/05/19/cbs-tbs-offer-dribble-to-drivel-coverage-of-playoffs/93c035b9-217f-41ab-a290-ab28afa56e8c/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

After his retirement, the Kansas City Kings (the Royals moved there while Robertson was with the Bucks) retired his No. 14; the retirement continues to be honored by the Kings in their current home of [[Sacramento Kings|Sacramento]]. The Bucks also retired the No. 1 he wore in Milwaukee. In 1994, a nine-foot bronze statue of Robertson was erected outside the [[Fifth Third Arena|Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center]], the current home of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball.<ref name="hoophall"/> Robertson attends many of the games there, viewing the Bearcats from a chair at courtside. In 2006, the statue was relocated to the entrance of the Richard E. Lindner Athletics Center at the University of Cincinnati.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harris|first=Gregory|title=Varsity Village Hits a Home Run On University Campus|url=http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/10707|work=LandscapeOnline.com|access-date=November 26, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425154327/http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/10707|archive-date=April 25, 2012}}</ref>

Starting in 2000, Robertson served as a director for Countrywide Financial Corporation, until the company's sale to Bank of America in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/25191/000119312507093783/ddef14a.htm |title=Definitive Notice & Proxy Statement |publisher=Sec.gov |access-date=May 8, 2015 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135629/http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/25191/000119312507093783/ddef14a.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2004, Robertson was named interim head coach of the [[Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball]] team for approximately a  month while head coach [[Bob Huggins]] served a suspension stemming from a drunk-driving conviction.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=1843460 |title=Hall of Famer will serve until Huggins returns |date=July 21, 2004 |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=May 8, 2015 |archive-date=October 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017223353/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=1843460 |url-status=live }}</ref>

After many years out of the spotlight, Robertson was recognized on November 17, 2006, for his impact on college basketball when he was chosen to be a member of the founding class of the [[National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame]]. He was one of five people, along with [[John Wooden]], [[Bill Russell]], [[Dean Smith]], and [[James Naismith]], selected to represent the inaugural class.<ref name="chof"/> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wetzel |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Wetzel |title=Robertson joins suit vs. NCAA |date=January 26, 2011 |work=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=dw-robertson012611 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192301/http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=dw-robertson012611 |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref>

In 2015, Robertson was among a group of investors that placed a [[Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States|marijuana legalization]] initiative on the Ohio ballot.<ref>{{cite news|title='The Big O' backs pot legalization|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/12258558/oscar-robertson-backing-marijuana-legalization-campaign-ohio|access-date=May 26, 2016|work=ESPN|agency=Associated Press|date=January 31, 2015|archive-date=June 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604114944/http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12258558/oscar-robertson-backing-marijuana-legalization-campaign-ohio|url-status=live}}</ref>  The initiative sought exclusive grow rights for the group members while prohibiting all other cultivation except small amounts for personal use.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Borchardt|first1=Jackie|title=What you need to know about Issue 3 -- Ohio's marijuana legalization measure|url=http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/09/what_you_need_to_know_about_is.html|access-date=May 26, 2016|work=Northeast Ohio Media Group|date=September 21, 2015|archive-date=May 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513094426/http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/09/what_you_need_to_know_about_is.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  Robertson appeared in a television advertisement advocating for passage of the initiative,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Saker|first1=Anne|title=Deters, Big O star in pro-Issue 3 ads|url=http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/10/27/deters-stars-pro-issue-3-ad/74685124/|access-date=May 26, 2016|work=The Cincinnati Enquirer|date=October 27, 2015|archive-date=July 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713120605/https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/10/27/deters-stars-pro-issue-3-ad/74685124/|url-status=live}}</ref> but it was ultimately defeated.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Borchardt|first1=Jackie|title=Ohio marijuana legalization measure fails|url=http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/11/ohio_marijuana_legalization_me.html|access-date=May 26, 2016|work=cleveland.com|date=November 3, 2015|archive-date=March 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324045130/http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2015/11/ohio_marijuana_legalization_me.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Second efforts by groups in Ohio succeeded in 2023.

==Legacy==
[[File:Oscar Robertson1971.jpg|thumb|right|Robertson with the Bucks in 1971]]
Robertson is 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.<ref name="orstats"/> Only three 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.<ref name="nbasummary"/> Robertson is also the first guard in NBA history to ever average more than 10 rebounds per game, doing so three times. It was a feat that would not be repeated until [[Russell Westbrook]] managed to achieve it during the [[2016–17 NBA season|2016–17 season]]. 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 ended his career with 26,710 points (25.7 per game, ninth-highest all time), 9,887 assists (9.5 per game), and 7,804 rebounds (7.5 per game).<ref name="orstats" /> He led the league in assists six times; at the time of his retirement, he was the NBA's all-time leader in career assists and free throws made, and was the second all-time leading scorer behind [[Wilt Chamberlain]].<ref name="nbasummary"/>

Robertson also set yardsticks in versatility. If his first five NBA seasons are strung together, Robertson averaged a triple-double over those, averaging 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 10.6 assists.<ref name="greatestpg">{{cite web |title=Daily Dime: Special Edition – The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestPointGuards |access-date=January 25, 2007 |archive-date=January 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124043723/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-GreatestPointGuards |url-status=dead }}</ref> For his career, Robertson had 181 triple-doubles, a record that had never been approached for decades until by Westbrook in the [[2020-21 NBA season|2020-21 season]].<ref name="tripledouble">{{cite web |last=Wojnarowski |first=Adrian |title=Making triple trouble |date=November 19, 2006 |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-kidd111806&prov=yhoo&type=lgns |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-date=August 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805005104/http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-kidd111806 |url-status=live }}</ref> These numbers are even more astonishing if it is taken into account that the three-point shot, which benefits sharpshooting backcourt players, did not exist when he played. In the [[1967–68 NBA season|1967–68 season]], Robertson became the first of only two players in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring average and assists per game in the same season (also achieved by [[Nate Archibald]]).{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} The official scoring and assist titles went to other players that season because the NBA based the titles on point and assist totals (not averages) prior to the [[1969–70 NBA season|1969–70 season]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} During his career, Robertson won a total of six NBA assist titles, and was the first to reach the 7,000, 8,000, and 9,000 career assist milestones.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} For his career, Robertson shot a high .485 field goal average and led the league in free-throw percentage twice—in the 1963–64 and 1967–68 seasons.<ref name="orstats"/>

Standing {{convert|6|ft|5|in|abbr=on}}, Robertson is recognized by the NBA as the first legitimate "big guard", paving the way for other oversized backcourt players like [[Los Angeles Lakers]] legend [[Magic Johnson]].<ref name="nbasummary"/> 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.<ref name="espnflatter">{{cite web |last=Flatter |first=Ron |title=ESPN Classic – Oscar defined the triple-double |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Robertson_Oscar.html |access-date=January 31, 2007 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606073102/http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Robertson_Oscar.html |url-status=live }}</ref> For the Cincinnati Royals, now relocated and named the [[Sacramento Kings]], he scored 22,009 points and 7,731 assists, and is the all-time leader in both statistics for the combined Royals/Kings teams.<ref name="nbasummary"/>

[[File:Oscar Robertson.png|thumb|left|Robertson at the ceremony announcing inclusion in the Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis]]
Robertson was enshrined in the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] on April 28, 1980. On October 30, 1980, Robertson was named to the [[NBA 35th Anniversary Team]].<ref name="basketball-reference.com"/> In 1996, Robertson was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the [[NBA 50th Anniversary Team]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/history/nba-at-50/top-50-players |title=NBA at 50: Top 50 Players |work=NBA.com |date= |accessdate=February 28, 2022}}</ref> He received the "Player of the Century" award by the [[National Association of Basketball Coaches]] in 2000 and was ranked third on ''[[Slam (magazine)|SLAM]]''{{'s}} "Top 75 NBA Players" in 2003, behind fellow NBA legends Jordan and Chamberlain. Furthermore, in 2006, [[ESPN]] named Robertson the second greatest point guard of all time, praising him as the best post-up guard of all time and placing him only behind Johnson.<ref name="greatestpg"/> In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary ''[[The Athletic]]'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Robertson as the 12th greatest player in NBA history. He was the second highest ranked point guard on the list again behind only Johnson.<ref name="n375">{{cite web | last=Murray | first=Law | title=NBA 75: At No. 12, Oscar Robertson was more than a triple-double legend; he was a visionary leader | website=The Athletic | date=2022-02-03 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3099197/2022/02/03/nba-75-at-no-12-oscar-robertson-was-more-than-a-triple-double-legend-he-was-a-visionary-leader/ | access-date=2025-01-18}}</ref> In 2017, it was announced that a life-sized bronze sculpture of Robertson would be featured alongside other Indiana sports stars at [[The Children's Museum of Indianapolis]]' Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions, located in the museum's sports park.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ibj.com/articles/65356-childrens-museum-unveils-sports-legends-for-new-outdoor-exhibit|title=Children's Museum unveils 'sports legends' for new outdoor exhibit|date=September 12, 2017|work=Indiana Business Journal|access-date=September 13, 2017|archive-date=January 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126164325/https://www.ibj.com/articles/65356-childrens-museum-unveils-sports-legends-for-new-outdoor-exhibit|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[2018 NBA Awards|2018]], he received the [[NBA Lifetime Achievement Award]]. In October 2021, Robertson was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the [[NBA 75th Anniversary Team]].<ref name="nba.com/75"/>

In 1959, the Player of the Year Award was established to recognize the best college basketball player of the year by the [[U.S. Basketball Writers Association]]. Five nominees are presented and the individual with the most votes receives the award during the NCAA Final Four. In 1998, it was renamed the [[Oscar Robertson Trophy]] in his honor, as the player that won the first two awards, because of his outstanding career and his continuing efforts to promote the game of basketball. In 2004, an 18" bronze statue of Robertson was sculpted by world-renowned sculptor [[Harry Weber (sculptor)|Harry Weber]].<ref name="oscarrobertsontrophy"/> In 2022, the NBA renamed its [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] championship trophy after Robertson.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/05/12/nba-finals-larry-o-brien-trophy-new/|title=NBA redesigns Finals trophy, adds awards named after Magic Johnson, Larry Bird|newspaper=Washington Post|date=May 12, 2022|quote=To complete the postseason collection, the NBA updated its conference championship trophies, first created in 2001, and renamed them after Hall of Famers Bob Cousy (for the East) and Oscar Robertson (for the West)}}</ref> In 2024, NBA Commissioner [[Adam Silver]] announced that the league had commissioned a statue of Robertson from sculptor Ryan Feeney to be permanently placed at Crispus Attucks High School.<ref name=":0" />

==NBA career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y|leader=y}}

===Regular season===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
|-
! Year
! Team
! GP
! GS
! MPG
! FG%
! FT%
! RPG
! APG
! SPG
! BPG
! PPG
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1960–61 NBA season|1960–61]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1960–61 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|71|| ||42.7||.473||.822|| 10.1|| style="background:#cfecec;"|9.7*|| || || 30.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1961–62 NBA season|1961–62]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1961–62 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
| 79|| || 44.3 || .478||.803||'''12.5'''|| style="background:#cfecec;"|11.4*|| || || 30.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1962–63 NBA season|1962–63]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1962–63 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|80*|| || 44.0|| '''.518'''||.810|| 10.4||9.5|| || || 28.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1963–64 NBA season|1963–64]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1963–64 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
| 79 || || 45.1 ||.483|| style="background:#cfecec;"|.853*||9.9|| style="background:#cfecec;"|11.0*|| || || '''31.4'''
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1964–65 NBA season|1964–65]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1964–65 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|75|| ||style="background:#cfecec;"|45.6*||.480||.839||9.0|| style="background:#cfecec;"|'''11.5'''*|| || || 30.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1965–66 NBA season|1965–66]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1965–66 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|76|| || '''46.0'''|| .475||.842|| 7.7 || style="background:#cfecec;"|11.1*|| || || 31.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1966–67 NBA season|1966–67]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1966–67 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
| 79|| || 43.9 || .493||'''.873'''|| 6.2||10.7|| || || 30.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1967–68 NBA season|1967–68]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1967–68 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|65|| || 42.5 || .500|| style="background:#cfecec;"|'''.873'''*|| 6.0 || style="background:#cfecec;"|9.7*|| || || style="background:#cfecec;"|29.2*
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1968–69 NBA season|1968–69]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1968–69 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|79|| ||43.8|| .486||.838|| 6.4 || style="background:#cfecec;"|9.8*|| || || 24.7
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1969–70 NBA season|1969–70]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1969–70 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|69|| ||41.5||.511||.809||6.1||8.1|| || || 25.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|[[1970–71 NBA season|1970–71]]†
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|'''81'''|| ||39.4||.496||.850|| 5.7 ||8.2|| || || 19.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1971–72 NBA season|1971–72]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1971–72 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|64|| ||37.3|| .472||.836|| 5.0 ||7.7|| || || 17.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1972–73 NBA season|1972–73]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1972–73 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|73|| ||37.5|| .454||.847|| 4.9 ||7.5|| || || 15.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1973–74 NBA season|1973–74]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1973–74 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|70|| ||35.4||.438||.835|| 4.0 ||6.4|| 1.1 || .1 || 12.7
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" |Career
|1,040|| ||42.2||.485||.838||7.5||9.5||1.1||.1||25.7
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" |All-Star
|12||10||31.7||.512||.714||5.8||6.8|| || ||20.5
|}

===Playoffs===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:right;"
|-
! Year
! Team
! GP
! MPG
! FG%
! FT%
! RPG
! APG
! SPG
! BPG
! PPG
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1962 NBA Playoffs|1962]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1961–62 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|4||46.3||'''.519'''||.795||11.0||11.0|| || ||28.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1963 NBA Playoffs|1963]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1962–63 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|12||47.5||.470||.864||'''13.0'''||9.0|| || || '''31.8'''
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1964 NBA Playoffs|1964]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1963–64 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|10||47.1||.455||.858||8.9||8.4|| || || 29.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1965 NBA Playoffs|1965]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1964–65 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|4||'''48.8'''||.427||'''.923'''||4.8||'''12.0'''|| || || 28.0
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1966 NBA Playoffs|1966]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1965–66 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|5||44.8||.408||.897||7.6||7.8|| || || '''31.8'''
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1967 NBA Playoffs|1967]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1966–67 Cincinnati Royals season|Cincinnati]]
|4||45.8||.516||.892||4.0||11.3|| || || 24.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|[[1971 NBA Playoffs|1971]]†
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1970–71 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|14||37.1||.486||.754||5.0||8.9|| || || 18.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1972 NBA Playoffs|1972]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1971–72 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|11||34.5||.407||.833||5.8||7.5|| || || 13.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1973 NBA Playoffs|1973]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1972–73 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|6||42.7||.500||.912||4.7||7.5|| || || 21.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1974 NBA Playoffs|1974]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1973–74 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee]]
|'''16'''||43.1||.450||.846||3.4||9.3||.9||.3||14.0
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" |Career
|86||42.7||.460||.855||6.7||8.9||.9||.3||22.2
|}

==Personal life==
Robertson is the son of Mazell and Bailey Robertson. He has two brothers, Bailey Jr. and Henry. He remembers a tough childhood, plagued by poverty and racism.<ref name="autoindex">{{cite book |url=http://www.thebigo.com/Autobiography/autobioIndex.html |title=The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game |year=2003 |last=Robertson |first=Oscar |publisher=Rodale |isbn=9781579547646 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060531222823/http://www.thebigo.com/Autobiography/autobioIndex.html |archive-date=May 31, 2006 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 9, 2020}}</ref> 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".<ref name="espnflatter"/> In 1997, Robertson donated one of his kidneys to his daughter Tia, who suffered [[Lupus erythematosus|lupus]]-related [[kidney failure]].<ref name="espnflatter"/> He has been an honorary spokesman for the [[National Kidney Foundation]] ever since. In 2003, he published his own autobiography, ''The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game''. Robertson also owns the chemical company Orchem, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.<ref name="orchem">{{cite web |publisher=Orchemcorp.com |title=Orchem Corporation |url=http://www.orchemcorp.com |access-date=July 20, 2008 |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108061818/http://www.orchemcorp.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Regarding basketball, Robertson has stated that legendary [[Harlem Globetrotters]] players [[Marques Haynes]] and "clown prince" [[Goose Tatum]] were his idols.<ref name="faq"/> In his eighties, he still follows basketball on TV and attends most home games for the University of Cincinnati, his alma mater. He lists woodworking as his prime hobby.<ref name="faq"/> Robertson adds that he still could average a triple-double season in today's basketball and that he is highly skeptical that anyone else could do it; it was later done by [[Russell Westbrook]], whose first of four seasons doing so was the [[2016–17 NBA season|2016–17 season]]. On June 9, 2007, Oscar received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati for both his philanthropic and entrepreneurial efforts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=5627 |title=UC Legend Oscar Robertson to be Honored at Spring Commencement |publisher=Uc.edu |date=October 4, 2007 |access-date=May 8, 2015 |archive-date=May 31, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531041957/http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=5627 |url-status=live }}</ref> He is also a member of the Beta Eta chapter of [[Kappa Alpha Psi]] fraternity.

In August 2018, Robertson auctioned off his 1971 championship ring, Hall of Fame ring, and one of his Milwaukee Bucks game jerseys. Each item sold between $50,000 and $91,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24411321/oscar-robertson-1971-nba-title-ring-sells-91000 |title=Oscar Robertson's 1971 NBA championship ring sells for $91,000 |date=August 18, 2018 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=July 9, 2020 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021170428/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24411321/oscar-robertson-1971-nba-title-ring-sells-91000 |url-status=live }}</ref> On July 20, 2021, on the eve of the Bucks winning their second championship and first since his tenure, Robertson wrote a piece in ''[[The Players' Tribune]]'' voicing his support for [[Giannis Antetokounmpo]] and the Bucks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/oscar-robertson-basketball-milwaukee-bucks-nba-playoffs|title=A Letter to My Bucks Family &#124; by Oscar Robertson|date=July 20, 2021 |access-date=October 26, 2021|archive-date=October 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026025457/https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/oscar-robertson-basketball-milwaukee-bucks-nba-playoffs|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of NBA career scoring leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career assists leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career minutes played leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career triple-double leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career playoff assists leaders]]
* [[List of NBA career playoff triple-double leaders]]
* [[List of NBA annual minutes leaders]]
* [[List of NBA franchise career scoring leaders]]
* [[List of NBA longest winning streaks]]
* [[List of NBA single-game assists leaders]]
* [[List of NBA rookie single-season scoring leaders]]
* [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career free throw scoring leaders]]
* [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds]]
* [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 60 or more points in a game]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
* Aromando, Damian; Robertson, Oscar (2000). ''Parquet Chronicles''.
* Bradsher, Bethany (2011). ''The Classic: How Everett Case and His Tournament Brought Big-Time Basketball to the South''. Houston, Texas: Whitecaps Media. {{ISBN|978-0-9836825-2-3}}.
* Bradsher, Bethany (2011). ''Oscar Robertson Goes to Dixie'' (E-book ed.). Houston, Texas: Whitecaps Media. {{ISBN|978-0-9836825-3-0}}.
* Grace, Kevin; Hand, Greg; Hathaway, Tom; Hoffman, Carey (1998). ''Bearcats! The Story of Basketball at the University of Cincinnati''. Louisville, Kentucky: Harmony House.
* Grace, Kevin (2003). ''Cincinnati Hoops''. Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia.
* Roberts, Randy (1999). ''But They Can't Beat Us: Oscar Robertson and the Crispus Attucks Tigers''. {{ISBN|1-57167-257-5}}
* Robertson, Oscar (1998). ''The Art of Basketball: A Guide to Self-Improvement in the Fundamentals of the Game''. {{ISBN|978-0-9662483-0-2}}.
* Robertson, Oscar (2003) ''The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game''. {{ISBN|1-57954-764-8}}. Autobiography.

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q17717|commons=Category:Oscar Robertson|n=no|b=no|s=no|v=no|voy=no|wikt=no|species=no|m=no|mw=no|q=no}}
* {{official website|http://www.thebigo.com/}}
{{basketballstats|bbr=r/roberos01}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100304225045/http://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/tag/oscar-p-robertson Basketball Hall of Fame bio]
* [http://www.hoopshall.com/hall-of-fame/oscar-robertson/ Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame profile]

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