Oscar Robertson to be honored for work on, off court

[La Bomba]

Robertson, one of the finest basketball players in the history of the game, will be honored along with Alonzo Mourning this afternoon as recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum Sports Legacy Award when the Grizzlies play the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum. Robertson and Mourning, a seven-time NBA All-Star, also will participate in a pregame symposium as part of the 8th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Game and Celebration.

 

He was one of the most complete players of his or any other generation, a 6-5 guard who was a triple-double threat every single time he stepped on the court. He scored 26,710 points in 14 seasons with the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks, and he averaged more than 30 points per game in six seasons. And each time he did that, he also led the league in assists.

 

"What people don't realize about him is that he was one of the toughest, nastiest players to ever play," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said, the word "nastiest" in this case being a supreme compliment. "He was unbelievable. He was hard on opponents, he was hard on officials, he was hard on teammates."

 

But that was his DNA: To fight for everything, because nothing had ever come easily. When Hollins was a young player in the NBA, Robertson offered up some advice that Hollins still remembers: "Make them tear that jersey off of you. Play as long as you can play, because this is a good life."

 

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/18/fighting-for-everything-sports-legacy-symposium/