Remembering Oscar Robertson's years with the Milwaukee Bucks

The Big O had a lasting impact on the Milwaukee Bucks organization.

Matthew Dugandzic | Jan 8, 2023

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Milwaukee Bucks

When talking about some of the greatest players ever, you have to mention Oscar Robertson and his illustrious career. The Big O spent the last few years of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, becoming a true franchise legend.

A stunning trade

In 1970, the Cincinnati Royals shocked the basketball world by trading their superstar Oscar Robertson to the Bucks in exchange for Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk. The Royals shipped away 10 years of greatness to Milwaukee due to an alleged beef between head coach Bob Cousy and the Big O.

The Bucks took advantage of that and got themselves a starting point guard to complement a great team. Oscar finally found himself on a competitive roster after years of mediocrity and got the chance to play alongside Lew Alcindor, who later became the leading scorer in NBA history, named Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Becoming a champion

With Robertson running the backcourt, and Alcindor down low, the Bucks stormed the league with 66 wins in their first season together. But they didn't stop there, as they also dominated in the postseason with only two losses on their way to the 1971 Championship.

The Baltimore Bullets were swept 4-0 in the Finals, and Oscar and Lew won their first rings and brought a championship to the city of Milwaukee.

Robertson spent four years in Milwaukee, and had a couple of great competitive seasons—he even returned to the Finals once again in 1974 but lost to the Boston Celtics. It was almost the perfect end to a spectacular career, but Dave Cowens and the C's just got the better of them in seven games.

The 35-year-old Robertson retired after that season and ended his Bucks stint averaging 16.3 ppg, 7.5 apg, and 4.9 rpg. Although those were far from his prime numbers, Oscar was still a huge part of those Milwaukee teams, proven by the fact the Bucks fell to 38-44 the following season, even though Lew Alcindor was still on the roster.

Published Jan 8, 2023

MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.