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The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game
This is the story of perhaps the greatest all-around player in basketball history, told straight from his mouth.
The name Oscar Robertson nowadays gets mentioned in conjunction with one of basketball's seminal accomplishments: the triple-double season. The year was 1962. He was all of twenty-three. No player in basketball history had ever done this. No one has done it since--not Magic Johnson, not Larry Bird, not Michael or Kobe. Throughout the first five years of his career, he averaged a triple-double.
Videotape does not do him justice. The images are washed out, the colors faded and fuzzy in a manner associated with bygone eras, the fashions and style of play not aging well. And yet there is palpable greatness.
He was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on the first ballot, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches named him their player of the century. ESPN put him among their fifty greatest athletes of the century, the National Basketball Association on their list of the fifty greatest players. On and on. So many accolades that they run into one another.
But the story of Oscar Robertson is about much more than basketball. The story of Oscar Robertson is one of a shy black child growing up in a city so segregated that, until he is ten years old, his only exposure to white people is the distant memory of two Tennessee farm owners whose land his father had worked. It is the story of a poor family, and absent parents working long hours without complaint or reward.
The story of Oscar Robertson is also the story of the basketball-crazed state of Indiana and Crispus Attucks High School, the high school he led to the state championship. He joins the University of Cincinnati's basketball team and handles the ball on the perimeter in a way that has never been seen before.
Oscar Robertson enters the NBA with the Cincinnati Royals, who have been just barely holding on as they wait for the fledgling star. Robertson does not disappoint. Moving to the backcourt, he simply revolutionizes the game.
The story of Oscar Robertson is one of a superstar at the height of his career becoming the president of a union, the National Basketball Players Association, using his fame to try to improve conditions for all basketball players. It is the story of the man who sues the NBA for the right to free agency.
He is thirty-one years old when the Milwaukee Bucks trade for him. And so Oscar Robertson's story is also the story of a veteran player who joins young superstar Lew Alcindor (the future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and leads Milwaukee to an NBA championship.
It is the story of a man who, at thirty-four years old, is forced to leave the game. Who is blacklisted from coaching and is forced out of broadcasting. Who must face questions not about whether he fought the good fight, but how he fought it.
Two years after he leaves basketball, after six years of legal wrangling, Robertson wins his lawsuit with the NBA. It is the story of a man who revolutionized the game of basketball twice: once on the court, and once in the way that the business of basketball is conducted. It is the story of how the NBA, as we now know it, was built. Of race in America in the second half of the twentieth century. Of a complex hero. An uncompromising man. It is Oscar Robertson's story.
The name Oscar Robertson nowadays gets mentioned in conjunction with one of basketball's seminal accomplishments: the triple-double season. The year was 1962. He was all of twenty-three. No player in basketball history had ever done this. No one has done it since--not Magic Johnson, not Larry Bird, not Michael or Kobe. Throughout the first five years of his career, he averaged a triple-double.
Videotape does not do him justice. The images are washed out, the colors faded and fuzzy in a manner associated with bygone eras, the fashions and style of play not aging well. And yet there is palpable greatness.
He was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on the first ballot, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches named him their player of the century. ESPN put him among their fifty greatest athletes of the century, the National Basketball Association on their list of the fifty greatest players. On and on. So many accolades that they run into one another.
But the story of Oscar Robertson is about much more than basketball. The story of Oscar Robertson is one of a shy black child growing up in a city so segregated that, until he is ten years old, his only exposure to white people is the distant memory of two Tennessee farm owners whose land his father had worked. It is the story of a poor family, and absent parents working long hours without complaint or reward.
The story of Oscar Robertson is also the story of the basketball-crazed state of Indiana and Crispus Attucks High School, the high school he led to the state championship. He joins the University of Cincinnati's basketball team and handles the ball on the perimeter in a way that has never been seen before.
Oscar Robertson enters the NBA with the Cincinnati Royals, who have been just barely holding on as they wait for the fledgling star. Robertson does not disappoint. Moving to the backcourt, he simply revolutionizes the game.
The story of Oscar Robertson is one of a superstar at the height of his career becoming the president of a union, the National Basketball Players Association, using his fame to try to improve conditions for all basketball players. It is the story of the man who sues the NBA for the right to free agency.
He is thirty-one years old when the Milwaukee Bucks trade for him. And so Oscar Robertson's story is also the story of a veteran player who joins young superstar Lew Alcindor (the future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and leads Milwaukee to an NBA championship.
It is the story of a man who, at thirty-four years old, is forced to leave the game. Who is blacklisted from coaching and is forced out of broadcasting. Who must face questions not about whether he fought the good fight, but how he fought it.
Two years after he leaves basketball, after six years of legal wrangling, Robertson wins his lawsuit with the NBA. It is the story of a man who revolutionized the game of basketball twice: once on the court, and once in the way that the business of basketball is conducted. It is the story of how the NBA, as we now know it, was built. Of race in America in the second half of the twentieth century. Of a complex hero. An uncompromising man. It is Oscar Robertson's story.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
10 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 20, 2022
I knew a little about Oscar Robertson going into this, and the autobiography filled in the blanks (and them some). A pretty straightforward and linear chronology of O's life from his childhood, basketball career, player's union president, to post-basketball career.
I could see how some would interpret his words as a tone of bitterness, but I took it more as honest...brutally honest. He recounts numerous instances of racism in all stages of his life and in all aspects. That alone is worth the read. If you are a basketball fan, there is plenty of that as well as he goes over his championship season with Milwaukee in detail.
Overall a good autobiography with just about something for every reader.
I could see how some would interpret his words as a tone of bitterness, but I took it more as honest...brutally honest. He recounts numerous instances of racism in all stages of his life and in all aspects. That alone is worth the read. If you are a basketball fan, there is plenty of that as well as he goes over his championship season with Milwaukee in detail.
Overall a good autobiography with just about something for every reader.
October 25, 2020
Great insight and chronology of the life of the man who helped make basketball what it is today. The walking triple double long before Labron, Russell and all others.
March 9, 2017
Robertson: His Race, His Records, His Radical Ways
The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game is an autobiography written by Oscar Robertson, who was arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time. From his story, readers discover that he played in the era of some of the most famous and dominant players known in the basketball world, including Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor. Robertson won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, was chosen as the player of the century by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and in 1980, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Not only did he accomplish all of this, but Oscar Robertson is the only player in NBA history to ever averaged a triple-double in a single season. His autobiography describes all of these experiences, but readers also learn that while all of Robertson’s accomplishments on the court are to be reckoned with, he did much more than just play basketball- he changed the whole course of the NBA. Oscar Robertson became the president of the National Basketball Players Association in effort to better conditions for all players. He was the one, after being forcefully pushed out of the NBA at the age of thirty-four and banned from being allowed to coach, who won a lawsuit against the league that granted more rights for the players. Everything that Oscar Robertson did and achieved, on and off the court, stemmed from his childhood experiences and how he chose to face them.
Before he became Oscar Robertson the NBA star, he was just Oscar, the shy, quiet black kid who grew up in the poorest ghettos of a heavily segregated Indianapolis. His family didn’t have enough money for a real basketball, so Oscar did the best with what he could find. “I used to pretend there was a hoop set up on a tree by our home. I used a dingy rag ball I’d fashioned, held together by elastic, or else I’d use rolled up socks, tied together by a string. That’s how it really began: me playing make-believe in front of the house, shooting at an imaginary basket with a ball of rags (Robertson 10).” Another kid may have ditched the idea of playing basketball, maybe decide to play tag with the other boys and his brothers, but Oscar liked basketball, and for him, choosing to play imaginary basketball without a real ball was a no-brainer. He chose to face this experience with determination, whether or not he realized it at the time. Another example was when Oscar started playing for his school teams. On his first out of town game, Oscar heard lots of names being thrown at him. “But being raised in the south, I’d been taught to not let that crap get to me; the taunts made me play harder (Robertson 33).” Not only this, but lots of times they’d play where there were white, hometown refs making the calls. One game, the ref called three times the amount of personal fouls on Oscar’s team than he did on other team. Another player might’ve let that discourage them, put them off playing basketball, but not Oscar. He never let anything phase him, in fact the insults and unfair treatment made him better. Never once did he react violently or harshly toward anyone either, he always kept a calm, cool demeanor. This aspect of Oscar’s personality was just as vital to the success he would achieve in the future as his determination was. Once, a player on his Crispus Attucks high school team started getting threatened from anonymous supporters of the all-white rival team and the boy’s mother pulled her son from the game. Oscar chose to face the situation differently. “A few nights before the game, I got a call. If I played, the guy said, he was going to shoot me. I told him to go to hell (Robertson 35).” Then Oscar put the phone down and sat down to have dinner with his father. After their triumphant win a couple days later, Oscar just showered and went home to do his homework, ignoring the crowds jeering as he walked past. How many kids would take a threat on their life so lightly? Oscar did. In fact, he let nothing stop him from playing the game. More than once, a knife would get pulled on him on the buses he’d take to a game, and “[he] would be so worried about missing the game [he’d] just look at the knife and get off the bus (Robertson 33).” All these childhood experiences shaped Oscar Robertson into the player he’s remembered as today. He’d face difficult situations with the utmost dignity, determination and composure and this personality of his helped him become a great player later on.
I would recommend this book to people who know more than just the basics about the game of basketball since it has many technical terms and vocabulary. I found Robertson’s autobiography interesting but only because he’s a player that I really admire. For others, reading this book might not provide the same level of intrigue that it did for me. Also, he writes with a dry sense of humor which I really enjoyed. This style made the book more interesting to read. One question I had while reading this book was how did Robertson find the courage to keep playing basketball despite the threats and the abuse he received? For a young boy, that certainly must’ve been traumatizing to a certain degree. How would it feel to love something so much that you would put your life on the line, in the most literal sense, to just be able to experience it?
The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game is an autobiography written by Oscar Robertson, who was arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time. From his story, readers discover that he played in the era of some of the most famous and dominant players known in the basketball world, including Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor. Robertson won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks, was chosen as the player of the century by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and in 1980, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Not only did he accomplish all of this, but Oscar Robertson is the only player in NBA history to ever averaged a triple-double in a single season. His autobiography describes all of these experiences, but readers also learn that while all of Robertson’s accomplishments on the court are to be reckoned with, he did much more than just play basketball- he changed the whole course of the NBA. Oscar Robertson became the president of the National Basketball Players Association in effort to better conditions for all players. He was the one, after being forcefully pushed out of the NBA at the age of thirty-four and banned from being allowed to coach, who won a lawsuit against the league that granted more rights for the players. Everything that Oscar Robertson did and achieved, on and off the court, stemmed from his childhood experiences and how he chose to face them.
Before he became Oscar Robertson the NBA star, he was just Oscar, the shy, quiet black kid who grew up in the poorest ghettos of a heavily segregated Indianapolis. His family didn’t have enough money for a real basketball, so Oscar did the best with what he could find. “I used to pretend there was a hoop set up on a tree by our home. I used a dingy rag ball I’d fashioned, held together by elastic, or else I’d use rolled up socks, tied together by a string. That’s how it really began: me playing make-believe in front of the house, shooting at an imaginary basket with a ball of rags (Robertson 10).” Another kid may have ditched the idea of playing basketball, maybe decide to play tag with the other boys and his brothers, but Oscar liked basketball, and for him, choosing to play imaginary basketball without a real ball was a no-brainer. He chose to face this experience with determination, whether or not he realized it at the time. Another example was when Oscar started playing for his school teams. On his first out of town game, Oscar heard lots of names being thrown at him. “But being raised in the south, I’d been taught to not let that crap get to me; the taunts made me play harder (Robertson 33).” Not only this, but lots of times they’d play where there were white, hometown refs making the calls. One game, the ref called three times the amount of personal fouls on Oscar’s team than he did on other team. Another player might’ve let that discourage them, put them off playing basketball, but not Oscar. He never let anything phase him, in fact the insults and unfair treatment made him better. Never once did he react violently or harshly toward anyone either, he always kept a calm, cool demeanor. This aspect of Oscar’s personality was just as vital to the success he would achieve in the future as his determination was. Once, a player on his Crispus Attucks high school team started getting threatened from anonymous supporters of the all-white rival team and the boy’s mother pulled her son from the game. Oscar chose to face the situation differently. “A few nights before the game, I got a call. If I played, the guy said, he was going to shoot me. I told him to go to hell (Robertson 35).” Then Oscar put the phone down and sat down to have dinner with his father. After their triumphant win a couple days later, Oscar just showered and went home to do his homework, ignoring the crowds jeering as he walked past. How many kids would take a threat on their life so lightly? Oscar did. In fact, he let nothing stop him from playing the game. More than once, a knife would get pulled on him on the buses he’d take to a game, and “[he] would be so worried about missing the game [he’d] just look at the knife and get off the bus (Robertson 33).” All these childhood experiences shaped Oscar Robertson into the player he’s remembered as today. He’d face difficult situations with the utmost dignity, determination and composure and this personality of his helped him become a great player later on.
I would recommend this book to people who know more than just the basics about the game of basketball since it has many technical terms and vocabulary. I found Robertson’s autobiography interesting but only because he’s a player that I really admire. For others, reading this book might not provide the same level of intrigue that it did for me. Also, he writes with a dry sense of humor which I really enjoyed. This style made the book more interesting to read. One question I had while reading this book was how did Robertson find the courage to keep playing basketball despite the threats and the abuse he received? For a young boy, that certainly must’ve been traumatizing to a certain degree. How would it feel to love something so much that you would put your life on the line, in the most literal sense, to just be able to experience it?
August 30, 2022
I GAVE IT 4 STARS ONLY BECAUSE I AM A HUGE SPORTS FAN AND LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE GREATEST GAME ON EARTH, BASKETBALL. I HAD FORGOTTEN ALL THAT HE HAD GONE THROUGH IN HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND EVENTUALLY THE PROS AS HE FOUGHT THROUGH PREJUDICE AND RACIAL BARRIERS AT EVERY TURN TO BE ONE OF THE BEST AT EACH LEVEL THAT HE PLAYED. HE UNDOUBTEDLY WAS A POLARIZING FIGURE ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATED TO MANAGEMENT, OFFICIALS AND THE MEDIA. HE TENDS TO TURN EVERY ISSUE INTO A RACIAL ARGUMENT AND BLAMES THE SYSTEM FOR WORKING AGAINST THE BLACK ATHELETE AND MAN. HE CERTAINLY EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD ON MANY OF THESE TOPICS BUT IT JUST CAME ACROSS AS EGOTISTICAL, LOOK AT ME AND HOW GOOD I WAS, AND DOING IT DESPITE ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE AGAINST ME. BUT, CERTAINLY THERE IS SOME TRUTH IN THERE SOMEWHERE AND HE COMPLIMENTS MANY OF HIS TEAMMATES AND SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS ALONG THE WAY THAT WERE IN HIS CORNER.
August 30, 2025
Oh, man. This is a good one. Sometimes it feels a little whiny and like he's settling some old scores and hating on the new generation of players, but for the most part, it's the story of a guy who worked hard, wasn't too flashy and found a way to be successful at every level while opening doors for the next generation. This is a great book for learning about one of basketball's most legendary generations from one of its most decorated players.
February 11, 2025
This book was a bit different than I thought. I found him to be a little more self absorbed than I like. But his story is worth the read. You'll learn a how far basketball has come and the rights of the players. Rights that they along with the Players Association have battled to have. He was a true pioneer in the fight to get these "divas" all they have today.
Overall a great read.
Overall a great read.
February 1, 2020
There are a number of factual mistakes re: dates and events. But otherwise, it's a great book about a remarkable person and the huge racism he steadily encountered in his life. The basketball is good reading too.
March 6, 2021
Interesting mainly for its take on the systematic racism that was prevalent throughout America in the 1950's and 60's and makes it all the more disgraceful how much still exists in 2021.
November 26, 2025
An enthralling must read for anyone who loves basketball.
July 24, 2007
I found this book to be an interesting read, and I feel I know more about Robertson now not only from what he wrote but also from the tone with which it was written. Oscar Robertson goes to some lengths to show that he wasn’t the bitter, suspicious man that his critics have painted him as, yet I have to admit that a certain level of those traits are evident as one reads the autobiography.
I’ll give Oscar Robertson credit for calling things the way he sees them. Humility about his God-given talents isn’t a feature in Oscar’s make-up it seems. Obviously he was incredibly talented as a ballplayer, but the juxtaposition of his self-aggrandizing narrative against his claims of being the ultimate team player made it a difficult sell at times. I’m not saying that Robertson was a selfish “me first” player, but I felt at the end he was a little too self-involved to be the crusader that he sometimes painted himself.
The racial aspects of the writing are harder for me to grasp. As I have grown up with fully integrated college and pro teams, announcer booths, and even some NBA coaches and front-office personnel, it is hard to fully appreciate the ingrained institutionalized racism black athletes faced in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Robertson paints a compelling picture, although I think he seems to emphasize that his accomplishments were “in spite of his race” rather than “because of his talent”. That being said, Oscar Robertson was very generous with his praise of people and players in a way that didn’t seem at all race conscious. All in all a complex and interesting book, reflective of it’s author.
I’ll give Oscar Robertson credit for calling things the way he sees them. Humility about his God-given talents isn’t a feature in Oscar’s make-up it seems. Obviously he was incredibly talented as a ballplayer, but the juxtaposition of his self-aggrandizing narrative against his claims of being the ultimate team player made it a difficult sell at times. I’m not saying that Robertson was a selfish “me first” player, but I felt at the end he was a little too self-involved to be the crusader that he sometimes painted himself.
The racial aspects of the writing are harder for me to grasp. As I have grown up with fully integrated college and pro teams, announcer booths, and even some NBA coaches and front-office personnel, it is hard to fully appreciate the ingrained institutionalized racism black athletes faced in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Robertson paints a compelling picture, although I think he seems to emphasize that his accomplishments were “in spite of his race” rather than “because of his talent”. That being said, Oscar Robertson was very generous with his praise of people and players in a way that didn’t seem at all race conscious. All in all a complex and interesting book, reflective of it’s author.
August 19, 2008
What a great read! Roberston was open and forthcoming about everything from his upbringing, what he went through while just trying to play the game of basketball to what he thinks about the current game. Robertson did not let obstacles such as racism/hatred prevent him from excelling and becoming one of the greatest basketball players EVER.
He shares intimate stories about his parents, wife and children (one daughter needing a life saving transplant). They were a huge part of his journey to greatness! They endured the hatred right along with him. Through it all he remained humble.
The Big O proves that Mr. Robertson was a catalyst for change. Without him and players from that era, things could be very different! Non-athletes and athletes from every sport should read and will be more appreciative of the opportunities they have been and are afforded!
He shares intimate stories about his parents, wife and children (one daughter needing a life saving transplant). They were a huge part of his journey to greatness! They endured the hatred right along with him. Through it all he remained humble.
The Big O proves that Mr. Robertson was a catalyst for change. Without him and players from that era, things could be very different! Non-athletes and athletes from every sport should read and will be more appreciative of the opportunities they have been and are afforded!
February 22, 2014
I read this book some time ago, but did not have it listed in my books, and when I happen to remember a book I add it to my list. I already knew some about The Big O, being a lifelong Cincinnatian. I did not remember how rough some of his experiences were, and that Cincinnati was so racist. Obviously a great player, he is a welcome addition to the city, and a succesful business man, as well as a model citizen from all accounts.
October 20, 2016
One of the more methodical autobiographies I have ever read. It marches from one topic to the next, chronologically, without much color. Still, it was clearly written by a ghost writer.
I left the book far more informed about Oscar Robertson, but I still feel like there is a lot of meat left on the bone. If you could get Robertson and others to participate, a biography might be a far more interesting read.
I left the book far more informed about Oscar Robertson, but I still feel like there is a lot of meat left on the bone. If you could get Robertson and others to participate, a biography might be a far more interesting read.
May 1, 2013
As a UC grad and Cincinnati native, I've spent years spotting the big O courtside during UC games and walking past his statue. I enjoyed reading about basketball and life from his perspective. This book was a history lesson for me about the city, college & leauge play, and race relations for the 1960s-1990s.
August 23, 2007
More than just a sports book, a historical tale of race relations in the 60s/70s.
January 8, 2008
fascinating history, but he's a pretty ornery guy
December 3, 2010
Grew up in Cincinnati, but I didn't know much about the Big O. Now I do. Love reading about his life from his eyes.
April 4, 2013
Excellent read. Oscar tells it like it was. He doesn't pull any punches.
April 9, 2017
Brilliant portrayal of a driven, take-no-prisoners athlete whose determination changed professional basketball.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews