But They Can't Beat Us: Oscar Robertson and the Crispus Attucks Tigers

by Randy W. Roberts

The Crispus Attucks High School basketball teams of 1955 and 1956 made Indiana basketball history as the first all-black team to win a state championship and then as the first undefeated team ever to win the championship. The story of Oscar Robertson’s dedication to the game and of the unforgettable Attucks’s teams of the 1950s are told in this inspiring book that brings together race, joy, and achievement during a critical time in Indiana and American history. Published by Sports Publishing Inc. and the Indiana Historical Society.

Genres: Sports, Basketball

200 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Bob Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best sports books I have read! The story of the Indianapolis’s “all black” Crispus Attucks High School basketball team. Led by the infamous Oscar Robinson, the Attucks Tigers would win two consecutive Indiana state titles in the 1955 & 1956 seasons. But this is more than a story about basketball and one of its greatest players, this is a window into the American racial landscape of segregation, white superiority and the black struggle for equality.

[Zach Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a basketball fan in Indiana, I definitely recommend.
I really enjoyed learning about Indiana Avenue and how large of a role it played in Black Indianapolis, Crispus Attucks High School on Indianapolis' West Side, and the Big O!
Great book for any basketball fan!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who enjoyed the “glory days” of Indiana high school basketball will absolutely love this account of Oscar Robertson’ high school career.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful. In fact, it was so good that I ended up angry--at whom, I don't know. How is it that a book this excellent ends up overlooked while so many lesser books get all the attention? My county has one of the country's best library systems, and I had to obtain my copy from another system via interlibrary loan. The book is also out of print. Something is wrong here, because this book deserves more readers and more acclaim.

Terrific, compelling story, wonderfully told.