Nowadays, the GOAT conversation usually involves just two players: Michael Jordan and LeBron James . From time to time, the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar get brought up.
However, Oscar Robertson ’s name usually comes up only in discussions about triple-doubles, but a former teammate once passionately argued that the Big O deserves a place in the GOAT debate.
The perfect player
According to Robertson’s ex-teammate and former Bucks broadcaster Jon McGlocklin, the Big O was the most complete player he ever saw. He wasn’t just talking about how 12-time All-Star padded the stat sheet nightly. He was referring to Oscar’s fundamental and technical skills.
“To me, he’s the most perfectly sound player I ever saw. Fundamentally perfect, skill-wise perfect, the perfect overall player," said McGlocklin in 2013, per nba.com .
For McGlocklin, being a “perfect player” in an era where titans like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were in their prime made the Big O an even greater player. Back in the day, there were just a few teams in the NBA, but seasons comprised 82 games. This meant that the Bucks icon had to have his best foot forward almost every night.
“And remember in that era, you’re playing Russell and Chamberlain and West and Baylor and those guys eight, 10 times. Name the greatest players of all time. Maybe LeBron gets in, maybe Kobe. But most are from the 80’s and then, Russell, Wilt, Kareem, West, Baylor. Oscar doesn’t talk about that stuff much, but one time, maybe 10 years ago, we were at a dinner with our wives, and someone brought up all this talk of triple-doubles. I asked him what he felt. He said, ‘Jon, if I’d known it would be such a big deal, I’d have done it my whole career,'” added the broadcaster.
McGlocklin raised a good point. Nowadays, star players face each other a max of four times in the regular season. However, the load management era has lessened this occurrence even more. Bron and Kevin Durant are a prime example of thise, having gone five seasons without facing each other.
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Kareem's GOAT?
According to Kareem, his former Bucks teammate could outdo MJ and LeBron in any aspect of the game. While the five-time NBA Champion may be slightly biased, it’s worth noting that Oscar, at just 6-foot-5, rebounded like a big man. Additionally, he said that it was Robertson's ability to use his mental skills to overcome any physical disadvantage that truly set him apart.
“LeBron is awesome, MJ was awesome," said Kareem. "But I think Oscar Robinson would have kicked them both in the behind. Absolutely. Oscar was awesome. He had brains. […] He had all the skills. He could rebound and box out guys four and six inches taller than him. He was ruggedly built. He had fluid and quickness and just understood the game. No flair, he just got the job done every night. Who’s going to average double figures in points, assists, and rebounds?”
Could these insights raise Robertson’s stock and stature? Could NBA fans finally see him not just as a triple-double freak, but a basketball GOAT?
Related: "Just can't explain them" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar endured six migraine attacks in nine days during the '84 NBA Finals
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