Oscar Robertson

Robertson averaged a triple-double for his first five NBA seasons combined — a statistical impossibility that no player before or since has come close to replicating over that duration.

His civil rights fight as NBA Players Association president — the Robertson Rule — fundamentally changed professional basketball economics and enabled modern free agency.

Robertson grew up in poverty in Indianapolis and used basketball as his pathway, becoming one of the most transformative figures the city has ever produced.

When Westbrook finally broke his single-season triple-double record in 2017, Robertson was publicly supportive — recognizing the achievement while noting the different era contexts.