Robertson, Oscar (1938-…), became one of the greatest scorers and passers in basketball history. He played for the Cincinnati Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from the 1960-1961 season through the 1969-1970 season and for the Milwaukee Bucks from the 1970-1971 season through the 1973-1974 season, after which he retired. During his professional career, Robertson had 9,887 assists—passes to teammates that result in field goals. This total was an NBA record until 1991, when Magic Johnson broke it. John Stockton is the current career assists leader. Robertson also became the second NBA player to score over 25,000 points. Wilt Chamberlain was the first. Robertson was the NBA’s most valuable player in 1964.
Robertson was born in Charlotte, Tennessee, on Nov. 24, 1938. He is 6 feet 5 inches (196 centimeters) tall and was nicknamed the “Big O.” He was named an all-America guard for three seasons at the University of Cincinnati. Robertson’s autobiography was published in 2003 as The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game.
