Oscar Robertson

G | 6-foot-5 | Charlotte, Tenn. | University of Cincinnati | #14

KEY FACTS:
12-time NBA All-Star
Became only player to average a triple-double in a season in 1962
1971 NBA Champion
CAREER STATS:
PPG: 25.7
RPG: 7.5
APG: 9.5

A man whose legacy is great enough to warrant retired jerseys in two cities and a statue of his likeness erected at the University of Cincinnati, the “Big O” was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches' Player of the Century and is considered by many to be among the best to ever play the game.

When Oscar Robertson landed at Cincinnati in the late 1950s, the country was on the brink of the Civil Rights era. For his part, the future Royals player became one of the first African-American player to play on the University of Cincinnati basketball team. Starring for the Bearcats, Robertson became a three-time All-American, while incurring death threats and various pranks when visiting other colleges.

Drafted first overall by the Cincinnati Royals in 1960, it didn’t take long for Robertson to provide fodder for basketball folklore. He earned Rookie of the Year honors and averaged an astounding 30 points, 10 rebounds and nearly 10 assists per game in his first year. As a sequel to his stat-stuffing rookie campaign, Robertson became the first player to average a triple-double in an NBA season in his second year — an accomplishment that may never again be repeated.

More incredibly, in his first five NBA seasons, he averaged nearly a triple-double. Surprisingly, Robertson didn’t win a MVP award until 1964. During that season, the Royals reached the Eastern Conference Finals, but came up short against the Boston Celtics.

Though he was a perennial All-Star with the Royals and won All-Star MVP honors three times, Robertson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks before the start of the 1970-71 season. Including his years in college, he had spent 13 years in Cincinnati. The sudden change in scenery didn’t slow his production however, as the future Hall of Famer combined with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to win a NBA Championship with the Bucks.

Robertson called it a career in 1974 at the age of 35. In addition to a Championship ring, his famous triple-double season and a MVP year, he made 12-straight All-Star Games and still graces NBA annals in several statistical categories. Currently, Robertson ranks 12th in total points, fifth in total assists and third in minutes played per game.

A player whose game was as well-rounded as the moniker for which he became known, Big O’s No. 14 hangs proudly from the Power Balance Pavilion rafters.