NBA legend Oscar Robertson, who’s also known as the “Big O,” did some magical things on the court during his playing days. The Cincinnati Bearcats great who teamed with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to bring the Milwaukee Bucks the 1971 NBA championship, was and is universally recognized as one of the greatest basketball players the game has ever seen.
But, it didn’t come easy. Robertson played in a time where racism was still very rampant. That made it even harder for players to go out and feel safe as they played the game they loved while also being able to take care of their families. In many ways Robertson crawled and endured so today’s players could walk and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Robertson Details KKK Threat On His Life Playing In Dixie Classics
The NBA trailblazer can often be seen sitting courtside at Bucks games as well as other NBA matchups. To the surprise of many he’s even dabbling in making appearances on podcasts. In fact, during a recent appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast with former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Robertson opened up on some of the tribulations he had to endure and overcome during his career. Robertson talked about playing in the Dixie Classics in 1957 while a sophomore at Cincinnati.
Each year from 1949–60 the classic was an eight-team tourney which consisted of four North Carolina teams (UNC, Duke, Wake Forest and N.C. State. It also brought four teams from around the country. The games were played at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, and this particular year Robertson and the Bearcats were one of those teams.
“We were playing the Dixie Classic. I get a telegram, says, ‘If you go out and play we’re going to shoot you.’ So I gave it to the coach. Later on that day, I get a knock on the door. Here’s a white kid from Alabama, some Alabama fraternity, that had come to get an autograph from me. … I autographed it for him.
“I never thought that much about guys who’d threaten me,” Robertson added. “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.”
In many ways Robertson is speaking for how all Black players had to be during those times. Unfortunately, they had to show no fear and just do their best to block out the daily blatant and malicious racism they faced. The late great Bill Russell talked about how he handled it playing in Boston where he won 11 titles, and still dealt with folks not liking the color of his skin.
Robertson Was The Original Triple-Double Machine
Robertson’s play on the hardwood was unmatched in his day. The first really big point guard, the burly-but-nimble Robertson stood 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds. In 1961-62 Robertson became the first ever player to average a triple-double for an entire season when he posted these numbers (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists).
Since then, only current Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook has been able to duplicate the feat. In fact, the once freakishly athletic Westbrook has accomplished the feat a whopping four times. During the podcast Robertson mentioned that in 2017 when Westbrook was the best version of himself, he told Russ to to enjoy it because it’s go change.
Related: Russell Westbrook On Pace To Surpass Wilt and The Big O’s Triple-Double Standard
He also told Westbrook that once his athleticism declines that the league would turn on him. Can’t say he was wrong because not many are fans of Westbrook anymore or his erratic style of play which was once overlooked because of that elite athleticism.
