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[NBA HALL OF FAME MEMBERS, OSCAR ROBERTSON, RARE SPORTS HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS]
"1956TIGER"
On offer here is a copy of the RARE and ORIGINAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR YEARBOOK FOR NBA LEGEND & HALL OF FAME PLAYER, OSCAR ROBERTSON.
The 1956 Crispus Attucks High School annual is in excellent condition and features several images of Robertson in action and in his usual student portrait.
What's not well known about Oscar Robertson's High School years is the history behind Crispus Attucks HS and the context of their basketball program in 1950's Indiana.
Crispus Attucks High School was an all black school 'built' (at their behest and influence) by the Ku Klux Klan in 1927 with the objective of preventing black students from intermingling with white students. Functionally, EVERY black high school student from 1927 to roughly the early 1960's went to Attucks High School. Regardless of where you lived, if you were black and lived in Indianapolis, you went to Attucks HS.
After losing in the 1954 IN State tournament (Robertsons' sophomore year) to the eventual champions Milan (subject of the 1986 film 'Hoosiers' featuring Gene Hackman) the Attucks Tigers came back even better (and complete; in 1954 they were down two key players to injury) in 1955 being the first black high school team to win a state basketball championship. In 1956, the Tigers would improve to become the only team to complete a season undefeated and win back to back state championships. All this despite having to play most of their games on the road (because their sub-par gym wasn't large enough to host home games) and having to endure incredible amounts of racism (epithets shouted at buses, racist vitriol shouted at players on the court, obviously biased referees, etc.).
This annual represents not only Oscar Robertson's achievement but that of the entire team, the school and the community which supported Attucks during these difficult years. This is an artifact of social history and triumph not only over opponents, but of the difficult and trying social fabric of the day.
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Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938),nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketballplayer who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the NationalBasketball Association (NBA). Robertson played point guard and was a 12-timeAll-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVPaward in 14 seasons. In 1962, he became the first player in NBA history toaverage a triple-double for a season. In the 1970–71 NBA season, he was a key playeron the team that brought the Bucks their only NBA title to date. His playingcareer, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism.
Robertson is a two-time Naismith Memorial BasketballHall of Fame inductee, having been inducted in 1980 for his individual career,and in 2010 as a member of the 1960 United States men's Olympic basketball teamand president of the National Basketball Players Association. He also was votedone of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. The United StatesBasketball Writers Association renamed their College Player of the Year Awardthe Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998, and he was one of five peoplechosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fameclass in 2006. He was ranked as the 36th best American athlete of the 20thcentury by ESPN.
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