Oscar Robertson (The Big O) has made an indelible impression on the game of basketball and on American society, off the basketball court as well as on. He has distinguished himself not only as a superb athlete, many of whose achievements may never be duplicated, but as a humanitarian, a social activist, a businessman, a mentor and teacher, and a labor leader as well. At every level -- high school, college, the Olympics and the NBA -- The Big O set new standards of excellence and changed the way the game was played. As the first big point guard, who could score from anywhere on the court, pass, rebound, and play defense, he created the template for such players as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He is the NBA's all-time leader in triple-double games (points, rebounds and assists) for a career with 181 and a single season with 41, and in rebounds by a guard. As third President of the NBA Players Association from 1965 until his retirement in 1974, Robertson changed the game — and the balance of power in professional sports — in the courtroom as well. In 1970 he filed a class action anti-trust lawsuit on behalf of his colleagues, seeking to prevent an NBA merger with the American Basketball Association until issues regarding the reserve clause, the draft, and other restrictions on player movement were resolved. As a result of a 1976 settlement known as the Oscar Robertson Rule, NBA players became the first to gain free agency. Instead of destroying the game, as the owners had claimed it would, the settlement ushered in a new era of growth and prosperity for the NBA which continues to the present day. In 1997 The Big O performed the assist of a lifetime when he donated a kidney to his daughter Tia, who was suffering from lupus. Since that point, he has been an outspoken advocate for health and wellness, kidney disease prevention and organ transplantation on behalf of the National Kidney Foundation. For his achievements in both college and professional basketball, Robertson was named "Player of the Century" by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2000. He is one of the first five inductees into the NABC's new Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He has been enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame since 1979, his first year eligible, as well as the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. The Big O graduated in the top 10% of his class at Indianapolis' Crispus Attucks High School, earned a business degree in four years at the University of Cincinnati, and was recently named one of the NCAA's top student athletes of all time. A street in his hometown of Indianapolis now bears his name, making him the first living person in that city's history to be so honored. He holds an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the University of Cincinnati as well as its Lifetime Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship and its William Howard Taft Medal, the highest honor it bestows on an alumnus. The Big O's business acumen was evident from the first year of his professional basketball career. He was one of the first players, if not the first, to be represented by an attorney in contract negotiations, eventually securing a percentage of the gate receipts for himself as well as a no-trade clause. Today Robertson is one of the nation's leading small business owners, with interests in document management services, banking, specialty chemicals, processed foods, and media. He is a leading advocate for minority business owners and often takes part in leadership development seminars. He remains an international ambassador for the game of basketball and is much in demand as a speaker, teacher and clinician. In 1992 he was one of five founders of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, dedicated to improving pension benefits and medical care for an earlier generation of players, and served as its first president from 1992-1998. He is the author and publisher of "The Art of Basketball" (Oscar Robertson Media Ventures, 1998), the definitive guide to fundamental skills development for boys and girls of all ages, and the host of http://www.thebigo.com. His autobiography, "The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game," was published by Rodale Press in 2003. He has contributed five bylined essays on basketball to The New York Times and one to TIME Magazine, as well as a game-by-game blog to nba.com during the 2005 NBA Finals. Oscar Robertson was born November 24, 2024 in Charlotte, Tennessee, the youngest of three sons of Bailey and Mazell Robertson. Four years later the family moved to Indianapolis, where Oscar learned to play basketball on the dirt courts of the inner city, playing against his older brothers and encountering stiff competition from other neighborhood kids. He also refined his game through endless hours of individual practice. As a sophomore at Crispus Attucks High School, Robertson led his team to within one game of the 1954 state finals, losing to eventual champion Milan. Over the next two seasons, he attracted national attention by leading the Tigers to a 45-game winning streak, two consecutive Indiana state titles and a national championship. Playing all its games on the road in a time of rigid segregation — the school's gym was too small to serve as a home court — Attucks was the first African-American school and the first Indianapolis school to win the Indiana state crown, and the first African-American school to win a national championship in any sport. Robertson was named "Mr. Basketball" for the state of Indiana in 1956 as well as national high school player of the year. At University of Cincinnati, where he became known as The Big O, he led the Bearcats to the Final Four in 1959 and 1960. He was a three-time first team All-American, the first player to lead the NCAA in scoring three straight years, and the first to win National College Player of the Year honors three times. (In 1998, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association renamed its men's college Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy.) Following graduation in 1960 with a B.S. degree in Business, he co-captained the Pete Newell-coached, undefeated 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, often considered the greatest basketball team ever put together. During his 14-year NBA career -- ten with the Cincinnati Royals and four with the Milwaukee Bucks -- The Big O led his teams to 10 playoff appearances including an NBA championship with the Bucks in 1971. He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1961 and Most Valuable Player in 1964. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was voted Most Valuable Player in three All-Star games. In 1961-62, he became the only player in NBA history ever to average a "triple double" for an entire season. He actually averaged a triple double over his first five seasons, barely missing extending that average to six years. He is the alltime leader in triple double games (season and career) and in rebounds by a guard. He led the league in free throw percentage twice and assists six times. He is the only guard ever to lead his team in rebounding. His career record of 9,887 assists stood for 17 years and his 26,710 points and 25.7 points per game average rank him among the NBA's all-time leading scorers. Since his retirement, The Big O has been active as an entrepreneur, broadcaster and author, and also served briefly during the summer of 2004 as interim head basketball coach at University of Cincinnati. He and his wife Yvonne, who he wed in 1960, reside in Cincinnati and have three daughters, Shana, Tia and Mari. He serves as President of OR Solutions, Marlton, NJ; Orchem, Inc., and Oscar Robertson Foods, Fairfield, OH; and as general partner in Oscar Robertson Media Ventures, Los Angeles, CA. He is a board member of Countrywide Financial Corporation, Calabasas, CA, and the Touchstone Family of Funds, Cincinnati, OH. Mr. Robertson is involved in numerous charitable and community activities, including the NBA Legends Foundation, the Boys Club of New York, and the National Kidney Foundation. Throughout and following his career, he has taught or mentored hundreds of youngsters on his own and through various youth organizations. The Oscar and Yvonne Robertson Scholarship Fund at the University of Cincinnati annually provides assistance to deserving minority students, and the Robertsons also serve as co-chairs of UC's $800 million capital campaign. Last Updated 6/10/08
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