Oscar Robertson is a very respected player in the NBA and NCAA. After a brief time with the Milwaukee Bucks, he became a star with the Cincinnati Royals for many years. While in Cincinnati, he faced a lot of racism, and he recently shared that he even received a death threat.
Robertson lived in a time when Black athletes faced serious racism and death threats. In 1958, Cincinnati received an invitation to the Dixie Classic, a major tournament in North Carolina featuring all-white teams from universities such as North Carolina and Duke.
As a Black athlete, Oscar Robertson also received a threatening telegram warning him not to play. He shared this story in detail on the latest episode of the “All the Smoke” podcast. The 12-time All-Star said, “I get a telegram, says, ‘If you go out and play we’re going to shoot you.’ So I gave it to the coach.”
He added, “Later on that day, I get a knock on the door. Here’s a white kid from Alabama, some Alabama Fraternity, who had to come and get an autograph from me. … I autographed it for him.”
At that time, he tried not to let the racism affect him, but he was still scared. He said, “It wasn’t the only time I was threatened, by the way. It didn’t bother me. I just didn’t think anything about being shot.”
Oscar Robertson reveals another racist encounter
NBA legend Oscar Robertson has shared another harrowing experience of racism he faced during his career. He recalled an incident that occurred in Cincinnati during the holidays.
Robert said, “When I went into the door, the guy said, ‘Hey, what are you doing here?” I said, “What do you mean?’ He said, ‘I don’t want you in my restaurant?’” He also recounted how he left the restaurant and went to the Black section of town to find a place to eat.
He further added, “Coach calls me up man and said, ‘What the hell you doing? You haven’t been up to the restaurant to eat?’ I said, ‘Coach what are you talking about man? The man don’t want any Blacks in his place.”
