In his 14-year NBA career, point guard Robertson led the league in assists seven times. The master of the triple-double, Robertson spent the primary 10 years of his career with the Cincinnati Royals before finishing by playing four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. Robertson ended his career with 9,887 assists, good for seventh all-time, but his most vital one came well after his playing days were over. Robertson, a 6-foot-5 point guard, played his college basketball at the University of Cincinnati, and he was a scoring machine. He led the state in scoring altogether three of his seasons, and he was named the UPI College Player of the Year each season.
In 1960 the Cincinnati Royals made him the primary pick within the NBA draft via territorial selection. Robertson was a stat machine from the get-go. As a rookie during the 1960-61 season, the large O led the NBA in assists per game with 9.7, and he averaged 30.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest. He was named the league’s Rookie of the Year. For five out of the primary six years with the Royals, Robertson was the NBA leader in assists. In his second season, he became the primary player to average a triple-double for the season when he put up 30.8 points, 11.4 assists, and 12.5 rebounds. within the 1963-64 season, he was named the league’s MVP when he poured during a career-high 31.4 points per game with 11.0 rebounds and 9.9 assists.
He was shockingly dealt to the Bucks before the 1970-71 season, and it paid off for Robertson and therefore the Bucks. In his first year with the team, he helped guide the Bucks to their first NBA title. Robertson was also known for his lawsuit against the NBA that ultimately led to higher wages for players. Long after his playing days were over, Robertson handed out the foremost important assist of his life. In April of 1997, the large O made a life-saving move when he donated one among his kidneys to his 33-year-old daughter, Tia. Tia Robertson is one among his three daughters and was in desperate need of a transplant after battling lupus. Just before he was released from the hospital after his procedure, Robertson was emotional. His wife, Yvonne, spoke very briefly.
“He’s been through tons. She’s been through tons,” she said, consistent with The Chicago Tribune. She also said her husband did anything a parent would do and he didn’t want anyone to form an enormous deal of it. “I hope people don’t over-dramatize it,” she said. “It’s something any parent would do.” Oscar Robertson was 58 at the time and said he was the loved one best suited to donate a kidney.
“I’m the strongest person,” he said. “We just went through a process of elimination, and it had been me.” The Bucks traded Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk to the Royals for Robertson. Robertson’s relationship with the team and head coach Bob Cousy had diminished, therefore the teams pulled the trigger on the move. The Bucks were instant contenders as Robertson teamed with Lew Alcindor (later referred to as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), giving Milwaukee one among the simplest tandems within the league.
In his first season with the Bucks, Robertson helped guide them to their first championship. He averaged 19.4 points and eight .2 assists during the season during which they posted a league-best 66 wins. The Bucks made quick work of the Baltimore Bullets within the 1971 NBA Finals with a 4-0 sweep. Milwaukee returned to the NBA Finals in 1974. The Bucks faced the Boston Celtics but fell in seven games. Robertson retired then season, and therefore the Bucks finished in last place in their division with a 38-win season. Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
