SUMMARY
- Oscar Robertson who is widely renowned as 'the Big O' was the first overall pick of the 1960 NBA draft.
- The NBA veteran walked down the aisle with Yvonne Crittenden in June, 1960.
Oscar Robertson is among the legendary players of the NBA. He was a part of the league for more than a decade and had a storied basketball career. Recently, it was announced that the NBA and the Indiana Pacers are coming forward to recognize Roberston’s journey by commissioning a statue at Crispus Attucks High School. This has drawn attention to not only his professional but personal life including his wife, Yvonne Crittenden.
Notably, Robertson who is widely renowned as ‘the Big O’ was the first overall pick of the 1960 NBA draft. He made his debut with the Cincinnati Royals (now known as the Sacramento Kings) and made an almost immediate impact. Further, Robertson’s second season in the league was historic as he became the first player to average a triple-double for an entire season.
Throughout his 14-year-long career, he played for only two teams, the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks. Robertson took both of the franchises to greater heights and crafted an impressive resume full of achievements for himself. Some of these include 12x NBA All-Stars, being named to the All-NBA First Team nine times, one NBA Championship title, and much more.
Growing up, the Big O had to deal with the obstacles on his way including humble beginnings, racism, lack of resources, and much more. He was born in 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee to Mazell Bell Robertson and Bailey Robertson, Sr. Robertson started hooping at an early age to distract himself from the problems at home and used to frequently play basketball with his brothers, Bailey Jr. and Henry who played at the local YMCA.
Yvonne Crittenden played piano during her college days
Before debuting in the league, Oscar Robertson attended the University of Cincinnati. He was the first African American to be a part of the basketball team. Robertson’s college career lasted for three seasons and he led the NCAA in scoring in each one of them. He played a total of 88 games and had an average score of 33.8 points, 15.2 assists per game.
Furthermore, apart from having a stellar career at Cincinnati, Robertson met the love of his life in the corridors of the University. His wife, Yvonne Crittenden played piano during her college days at Cincinnati and the two fell in love at first sight. As per numerous resources, she started working as a school teacher at a local school after graduating.
Oscar Robertson and Yvonne Crittenden have three children together
The two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and Yvonne Crittenden dated for two years before walking down the aisle. In June 1960, Robertson and Crittenden got married in a beautiful ceremony at the Carmel Presbyterian Church. During their married life, the couple welcomed three children, Tia Elaine Robertson, Mari Robertson, and Shana Yvonne Robertson.
Furthermore, in 1997, the NBA veteran player donated his kidney to Tia. She was diagnosed with an inflammatory disease, Lupus. In this disease, the immune system starts attacking its own tissues, and for Tia, it was Lupus nephritis, wherein her kidneys were affected. This shows that Robertson is not only a commendable basketball player but also a loving father and husband.