Quotes from Oscar Robertson

I played on an all-black high school team and we didn't want people saying that we were clowns.

College coaches want to power the ball inside, they want (their post players) to power the ball up, but no one can shoot from that 15-foot area anymore.

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.

But if people are buying the products, naturally they're gonna use them.

You need a teaching coach who understands the game of basketball, not just some guy coming on the court talking about Xs and Os.

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.

Who do I think was the greatest? This might shock you: Elgin Baylor. He did so many great things. Nobody could guard him, playing in the forward spot. I'd love to see some of today's greats playing against Elgin. They couldn't guard him. Nobody could.

When I came into the league, once a team drafted you, they owned you forever. If they didn't like the clothes you wore, or the car you drove, they could blackball you.

I'm sorry that the young athletes in basketball will not get the chance to play (in the Olympics) anymore, and live that dream.

I don't think that players learn how to play any other aspect of the game in high school or college.

But I like to think an athlete is an athlete.

It's a sad commentary when I have to say that sometimes in our country we are real sensitive to race.