Quote

But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.

Oscar Robertson

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Oscar Robertson
Age: 86
Born: 1938
Born: November 24
Basketball Coach
Basketball Player
The Big O
Oscar Palmer Robertson
Basketball
Think
Thinking
Like
Athlete

More quotes by Oscar Robertson

Image
It's a sad commentary when I have to say that sometimes in our country we are real sensitive to race.
Oscar Robertson
Image
Just because it is an All-Star Game doesn't mean that you are playing as efficiently as you should.
Oscar Robertson
Image
People say that, but I think the NBA was bigger than Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
Oscar Robertson
Image
The triple-double is just a stat. It's a test of your strength and stamina and playing ability, really.
Oscar Robertson
Image
But after that you don't see a lot of real good fundamental play. You see a showboat-type basketball which is almost parallel to street basketball.
Oscar Robertson
Image
But if people are buying the products, naturally they're gonna use them.
Oscar Robertson
Image
They should have a rule: in order to be a sportswriter, you have to have played that sport, at some level high school, college, junior college, somewhere. Or, you should have had to have been around the game for a long time.
Oscar Robertson
Image
Just fundamental things - I played guard and I played forward, so you get into a position where you are pivoting out on the court.
Oscar Robertson
Image
When I started playing, I wasn't fast, I was gangly, my jumpshot was terrible.
Oscar Robertson
Image
I'd like to think that the nature of the two teams - Boston being a championship team over the years and the Lakers, same thing - was a lot bigger than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
Oscar Robertson
Image
People will think there are no other great ballplayers. Look at Garnett. Look at Duncan, Shaq, Kobe. Look at the players with Sacramento. The have a really good basketball team.
Oscar Robertson
Image
The Olympics were great, because you had to make the team, and then go to the games. Now, I don't know, these guys today don't want to do anything like that.
Oscar Robertson
Image
I don't know hardly any of the players who have the in-between game like me, who can go to any position on the court.
Oscar Robertson
Image
You have to teach now - tell a kid how to box out, tell him how to pass, teach him footwork. Players don't understand that anymore.
Oscar Robertson
Image
When you go into a game on offense, you make a couple moves and see what the defender is going to do. Then you pretty much can figure out what he is going to do against you - whether he carries his hands low or high, whether he is bumping or pushing, those type of things.
Oscar Robertson
Image
Now, I guess, people want stars. People are trying to invent stars.
Oscar Robertson
Image
It's like all guys want to do is make a dunk, grab their shirt and yell out and scream - they could be down 30 points but that's what they do. Okay, so you made a dunk. Get back down the floor on defense!
Oscar Robertson
Image
But when I did it (the triple-double), I didn't even know it until someone told me.
Oscar Robertson
Image
You've got to learn the footwork, the positioning, how to box out, how to pass, how to shoot your free throws. All these things are necessary, not to be the No. 1 player in the world, but maybe you can play against him.
Oscar Robertson
Image
I don't think that players learn how to play any other aspect of the game in high school or college.
Oscar Robertson