Oscar Robertson played during a time when racial segregation was still common in America. As a Black athlete at a high level, he often faced unfair treatment on and off the court. His story shows the struggles Black players had in the early NBA.
After being named “Indiana Mr. Basketball” in 1956, The Big O went to the University of Cincinnati, but it wasn’t the dream he hoped for. He should have felt pride in becoming the first African American to get an athletic scholarship, but instead, the experience brought up painful memories of his life under racism.
During a recent talk on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Oscar Robertson said, “When I went to school there, I didn’t see any black people. So one day I told a coach I want to have a meeting. So I let him and said what was going on; he told me the story that they just don’t like Blacks at the school.”
However, African Americans now make up more than 60% of WNBA players and over 70% of NBA players. This is a significant shift from the era of Robertson when a few of the Division One institutions did not field any black athletes.
Oscar Robertson’s accomplishes despite these challenges
Oscar Robertson faced many challenges on his way to becoming a great basketball player. He dealt with racial discrimination but never gave up. After finishing college at Cincinnati, he was picked by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA draft.
In college, despite racial tensions, Robertson became the third-highest scorer in history, averaging 33.8 points per game. He won the national scoring title three times and was named College Player of the Year.
In the 1963-1964 season, Robertson made history by averaging a triple-double and winning the NBA MVP. Even though injuries ended his career early, he was a 12-time All-Star, earned 11 All-NBA honors, and led the league in assists six times.
