Oscar Robertson sculpture

Created by Indianapolis native and nationally known artist John Spaulding around 1990, this piece symbolizes a man who became an influential role model in basketball and society. Oscar Robertson began his basketball career at the segregated Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis and played on the famous team that won the 1955 IHSAA Boys Basketball Championship—the first time a “Negro” team had won the state title.

 

In an interview with author Phillip Hoose, Robertson later reflected on the impact of that title win.

 

“The city of Indianapolis integrated because we were winning. All the Black guys, all the really great players, went to Attucks. We were winning all those games, and coaches didn’t like it.”

 

As an Olympian and professional, Robertson was known for his left-handed jumper and his ability to score a triple-double (achieving 10 or more in three statistical categories), making him one of the greatest players in NBA history. Upon retirement, Robertson worked to improve living conditions in Indianapolis and in 2018 was commemorated with a bronze statue on The Children’s Museum’s Old National Bank Sports Legends Avenue of Champions.