On this date in 1960, Oscar Robertson made his NBA debut for the Cincinnati Royals. Here are some eye-opening things you probably didn’t know about him:
**Robertson attended Cincinnati. In his three seasons on the varsity team, the Bearcats were 79-9. Cincinnati made 2 Final Fours, losing to California each time. Robertson left school as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.
Did you know that Cincinnati won the NCAA title in each of the two seasons following Robertson’s graduation?
**Robertson won a gold medal in 1960 with Team USA. It is widely considered to be the greatest amateur team to ever play. There were four future Hall of Fame players on the team (Robertson, Jerry Lucas, Jerry West and Walt Bellamy). The team won by an average of 42.4 points per game.
Did you know that the 1960 US Olympic team is one of two US Olympic teams (men or women) inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame? The other is the 1992 Dream Team.
**You may know that Oscar Robertson is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. In 1961-62, Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game.
Did you know that he finished third in the MVP voting that season? Bill Russell won the award and Wilt Chamberlain finished second.
**Robertson played his first 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Royals. He was an All-Star selection in all 10 of those seasons, an All-NBA selection 10 times and finished in the top-5 of MVP voting 8 times. The Royals had a winning record in only 5 of his 10 seasons.
Did you know that Oscar Robertson was traded to the Bucks in 1970, and in his first season with the Bucks, Milwaukee won the NBA title?
**Robertson is a former president of the Player’s Association. In 1970, a lawsuit was filed – Robertson v National Basketball Association. The lawsuit did a number of things, but one stands out above the rest – it contended that the league’s reserve clause restricted player movement and violated antitrust laws (players were bound to a single team in perpetuity at the time).
Did you know that upon the settlement of this lawsuit in 1976, NBA free agency was established?
Peter Newmann is an analyst and writer who spent 10 years at ESPN, 8 as the NBA senior researcher working 24/7 on the league. He wrote game notes for crews, articles for ESPN.com, analysis for studio shows, and regularly assisted reporters and writers. Follow him on Twitter, and check out his Web site, www.peternewmann.com.