From the Video Vault: Oscar Robertson is an Excellent Singer

Oscar Robertson, the greatest basketball player UC ever produced, may be one of the finest singers the University of Cincinnati ever produced as well.

In the midst of his Hall of Fame basketball career, Oscar Robertson recorded a single entitled “The Big O.” Apparently, Oscar Robertson and the Rim Shots, his backup band, envisioned the 1965 song as the era’s next dance craze.

Robertson, whose voice is reminiscent of Sly Stone’s, implores listeners to “dribble with the left” and “dribble with the right” over a Motown groove similar to the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself.” The 1964 NBA MVP tells listeners to “sky hook” and to “shoot the fade-away” to the beat. I find the song competitive with other dance craze classics like Archie Bell and the Drells’ “Tighten Up,” Joey Dee and the Starliters “Peppermint Twist,” The Dovells’ “Bristol Stomp,” and Marvin Gaye’s “Hitch Hike.”

Check it out below: