Oscar Robertson: Kobe passed him in points, but averaging a triple double for a season is a different story

Written by: Luis Alis

And that is precisely one of The Big O’s most impressive achievements. Just take a moment and let it sink. Can you picture a modern player capable of averaging double-digits for scoring, rebounds and assists for a whole season? For those of you shaky at math, that means that if Robertson fell short one day with a, say, 8 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists performance, he would make it up the next game with a 12 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists effort. It is that brutal. No modern player can put that kind of reliability together for a whole season. Not even an overcaffeinated LeBron James clone. And it wasn’t a fluke, for that season was sandwiched between nearly triple double season average performances in an era where the criteria for assists was more strict than today.

Robertson balled in a very different world, however. Born in 1938 in Charlotte, Tennesse, Robertson played college basketball at University of Cincinnati, where he averaged an astonishing 33.8 points per game before pocketing gold as an outstanding member of the 1960 undefeated Olympic team. The Big O battled the big R of the era, racism. As only the sixth black player in the history of his University, he was forced to sleep in college dorms, separated from the hotel reserved for the white players.

Drafted and hired by the Cincinnati Royals (now Sacramento Kings) in 1960, O-Train took his team to the playoffs in consecutive years. When the Royals stopped winning, they traded Robertson to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1970, where he joined forces with a young Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Next: Robertson Wins a Championship in Milwaukee

You May Also Like

Lakers News: LeBron James & Anthony Davis Open To Playing For Team USA In 2024 Olympics

After Team USA’s failure to medal at the FIBA World Cup with a team full of younger players, discussion immediately turned to which stars…

Lakers News: LeBron James Gives Health Update After Returning Against Celtics

After missing eight games with an abdominal injury, LeBron James finally made his return for the Los Angeles Lakers…

Lakers News: Jeanie Buss Comments On Potential Influence Of LaVar Ball

Los Angeles Lakers President Jeanie Buss joined Rob Perez on ‘Buckets’ on Thursday afternoon and was asked about the controversial topic of LaVar Ball, father of projected top NBA draft prospect Lonzo Ball… ..

Lakers Brass ‘Not Impressed’ By NBA Draft Prospect Lonzo Ball’s ‘Level Of Conditioning’

All signs have been pointing to Lonzo Ball eventually wearing the purple and gold for the Los Angeles Lakers…