Eddie Robinson (basketball)

Eddie B. Robinson Jr. (born April 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) shooting guard/small forward, he spent five seasons (1999–2004) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In April 2017, Robinson was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1]

Eddie Robinson
Robinson in 2017
Personal information
Born (1976-04-19) April 19, 1976
Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolFlint Northern (Flint, Michigan)
College
NBA draft1999 / Undrafted
Playing career1999–2012
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
Number32
Career history
1999–2001Charlotte Hornets
2001–2004Chicago Bulls
2006–2007Idaho Stampede
2011–2012Halifax Rainmen
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points1,938
Rebounds764
Assists252
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Professional career

NBA years

After attending the University of Central Oklahoma, Robinson signed as an undrafted free agent with the NBA's Charlotte Hornets in 1999. Known primarily for his leaping ability and athleticism, he averaged 7.2 points per game over two seasons as a reserve with the Hornets and attracted the attention of Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause, who felt that Robinson could become a star if given more playing time. Krause signed Robinson to a 5-year, US$32 million contract in 2001. In 2004, John Paxson, who replaced Krause as Bulls' general manager in 2003, convinced Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf to buy out the last two years of Robinson's contract.

D-League

On November 2, 2006 Robinson was selected by the Idaho Stampede with the 16th overall pick in the 2006 NBDL Draft. In the 2006–07 season Robinson averaged more than 15 points for the Idaho Stampede. After the season, he was released. On November 7, 2008, he was selected with the 14th pick in the fifth round of the 2008 NBA D-League Draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. However, he did not come to a contract agreement.[2]

NBL Canada

On September 19, 2011, it was announced that Robinson had signed with the Halifax Rainmen of the National Basketball League of Canada for the 2011–12 season.[3] However, he was placed in the injured reserve November 1.[4] He played his first game with the Rainmen against the Oshawa Power on November 27, 2011. Robinson scored 18 points during his debut.[5] He departed the team in January 2012.[6]

Big3

On June 25, 2017, Robinson made his debut as a reserve player for the Killer 3's in Ice Cube's Big 3 Basketball League. Prior to the July 9 game in Tulsa, OK, Robinson was removed from the reserve and activated as a player on the Killer 3's squad, replacing captain Chauncey Billups for the remainder of the season.

Coaching

Robinson has been training up-and-coming basketball players in the United States and Canada since 2006. In 2020, he was hired as the Head Coach of the Prince Andrew High School Boy's basketball team.

Cannabis Advocacy

In 2020, Robinson opened up about his support for professional athletes using cannabis and CBD for physical and mental health relief. He was interviewed by cannabis lifestyle brand Bloom & Oil about his experience playing in the NBA while regularly using cannabis, which he stated provided relief for both physical aches and pains as well as for anxiety.

Later in the year, Robinson was hired by Bloom & Oil as a celebrity brand personality and content producer, where he regularly appears on their YouTube channel and writes opinion editorials covering topics ranging from the racial disparities within the cannabis industry and cannabis arrests, to sports and political news, and more.

Personal life

Robinson is the only son in a family of six children, with three older sisters, Thelma, Michelle and Dequala, and two younger sisters, Sasha and Shayla. He is one of the only NBA players to have never played high school basketball, and credits his AAU Coach Raymond Jones and the Berston Field House in his hometown Flint, Michigan for saving his life from the streets. Robinson wore the number 32 during his playing career as a nod to the great Magic Johnson, and to pay homage ("23 backwards") to his all-time favorite basketball player and fellow Chicago Bulls alumni, Michael Jordan.

During and immediately after Robinson's NBA career, he co-owned a successful record label, Pharmacy Records, with his childhood friends from Flint, Michigan.

In 2019, Robinson married his wife, Jillian. Together, they have one son, Louie, named after his late mother Mary Louise. He also has three children from previous marriages, Jaalen, Santana, and Giselle.

Robinson became a permanent resident of Canada in July 2020, and currently splits his time between Halifax, Nova Scotia and Houston, Texas.

Notes
  1. Hall of Fame inductees announced for Class of 2017
  2. 2008 NBA D-League Draft Results Archived November 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  3. NBL's Halifax Rainmen sign former NBA players Rodney Buford, Eddie Robinson
  4. NBL Canada Transactions - November 1 Archived January 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-11-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. Halifax Rainmen Release Eddie Robinson
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.