Oscar Robertson Calls out White Athletes on Social Injustice Issues

Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson called for more white athletes to take a stand against social injustice on Monday.

After accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the NBA Awards show, The Big O spoke positively about those fighting for equality. According to ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk, he added, "The only thing that really bothers me is where are the white athletes when this is happening?"

Robertson expanded upon his point by saying that all athletes should use their platform to raise awareness:

"This is not a black athlete problem. You see injustice in the world. It's all around you. Just because LeBron steps out, I'm glad he does. I hope some other players—because this is what they believe—I mean, what do you want players to do? Shut up and dribble? I think it's time for them to say what they want to say about life and about politics and things about the street and whatnot. And about education. They're a lot of players donating money back into different colleges. But it seems that what we have today is a system where you don't want players to say anything at all."

Additionally, Robertson said that things have changed significantly since his playing days, noting, "Years ago, they [athletes] didn't say anything because they couldn't say anything."

Now that it is more widely accepted for athletes to use their notoriety to speak on social issues, Robertson said he hopes "the whites and the blacks get together" in an effort to change the social landscape.

Many of the athletes who have spoken out most against racial and social injustice are black. That list includes NBA stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul. Also, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first athlete to protest injustice during the national anthem in 2016, bringing the issue to the forefront.

White athletes haven't been silent, though, with Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long the prime example.

Most notably, Long donated six game checks to fund scholarships in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, last year in an effort to counter the white supremacist marches that occurred there.

Also, while not technically an athlete, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr hasn't been shy about expressing his social and political beliefs.

Robertson has long been passionate about making an impact socially, as evidenced by the fact that he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati in 2007 due largely to his philanthropic endeavors.