Oscar Robertson.

Oscar Robertson. Oscar Robertson, born in 1938, American professional basketball player, known as the "Big O," one of the greatest guards in basketball history. Noted for his versatile talents, Robertson ranks among National Basketball Association (NBA) leaders in career scoring and assists. Robertson was born in Charlotte, Tennessee, and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. In high school he led his team to victory in the 1955 and 1956 Indiana state basketball championships. Robertson was named the Indiana high school player of the year in 1956. He became a star player at the University of Cincinnati and was voted college player of the year three times (1958-1960). Robertson also served with Jerry West as cocaptain of the United States basketball team that won the gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. After graduating from college in 1960, Robertson joined the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA. He was an immediate sensation, earning the NBA rookie of the year award for the 1960-1961 season. Robertson was named the NBA's most valuable player for the 1963-1964 season, and he played in the NBA All-Star game every season from 1962 to 1972. He joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 1970, and he and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar helped to lead the team to an NBA championship title for the 1970-1971 season. At the time of his retirement from the NBA in 1974, Robertson was the career scoring leader for guards and the career leader in assists. After retiring, he worked as a business executive and a television basketball commentator. Robertson was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.