Glenn Robinson


Glenn Alan Robinson Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed Big Dog, he played in the National Basketball Association from 1994 to 2005 for the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs. Robinson attended Purdue University, was the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, and is the father of Glenn Robinson III, who played college basketball at the University of Michigan and plays in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Early life

Robinson was born to Christine Bridgeman in Gary, Indiana. With his mother being an unmarried teenager, Robinson rarely saw his father. Not receiving the best grades at school, his mother once pulled him off the basketball team, and he took a job at an air-conditioning and refrigeration shop.

High school career

Robinson attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary, where he started playing organized basketball during the 9th grade. He was a member of three IHSAA Sectional title teams, two Regional title teams and a State Championship team. During his senior season, he led the Panthers to an Indiana state basketball championship, winning the final game against Brebeuf Jesuit and their star Alan Henderson; this highly anticipated showdown was captured in The Road to Indianapolis. and Indiana High School Basketball 20 Most Dominant Players. Robinson won the 1991 Indiana Mr. Basketball award, the oldest such award in the nation. He was selected as a McDonald's All-American and along with Chris Webber was one of the MVPs of the Dapper Dan Roundball classic.

College career

1991–1993

After high school, Robinson attended Purdue University to play under head coach Gene Keady and his recruiter/assistant coach Frank Kendrick. Due to struggles with NCAA eligibility, resulting from Proposition 48 which requires minimum academic standards, he had to redshirt for his freshman season. He worked as a welder during the summers while at Purdue. Eligible for his sophomore season, Robinson led the Boilermakers with 24.1 points and 9.4 rebounds a game in his first season as a Boilermaker. He led them to an 18–10 record in the regular season and an NCAA tournament appearance. He received First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-American honors.

1993–1994

In his junior season, Robinson built upon his previous season's averages with 30.3 points and 11.2 rebounds a game, while becoming the first player since 1978 to lead the Big Ten Conference in both categories. He became known as "The Big Dog", in reference to his hustling style of basketball play. Along with teammates Cuonzo Martin and Matt Waddell, he led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Conference Title and an Elite Eight appearance, finishing the season with a 29–5 record and a 3rd overall ranking. In his last college game against a Grant Hill-led Duke team in the NCAA Tournament, Robinson was held to only 13 points, his season low, while suffering from a back strain he sustained against Kansas in the prior game. Leading the nation in scoring and becoming the conference's all-time single season points leader with 1,030 points, Robinson was unanimously selected as the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year. He also unanimously received the John R. Wooden Award and Naismith Award, the first national player of the year-honored Boilermaker since John Wooden himself did it in 1932. Robinson also was the recipient for the USBWA College Player of the Year.

College notes

Robinson left Purdue after becoming the only Boilermaker to have more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 steals, 100 assists and 50 blocked shots in a career during his two seasons at Purdue, along with a school weightlifting record with a 309-pound clean-and-jerk. His 1,030 points during his junior year made him only the 15th player in college history to score 1,000 points in a season. In September 2010, the Big Ten Network named Robinson Icon No. 35 on its list of the biggest icons in Big Ten Conference history.

Professional career

Milwaukee Bucks (1994–2002)

Robinson was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, the first Boilermaker to be selected as the first pick since Joe Barry Carroll in 1980. Before he could take the court, he and the Bucks became involved in a contract holdout that lasted until the beginning of training camp after it was rumored that he desired a 13-year, $100 million contract. Robinson eventually signed a rookie-record 10-year, $68 million deal that stands as the richest NBA rookie contract, as a salary cap for rookies was implemented the following season. During his first year in the NBA, Robinson was twice named the Schick NBA Rookie of the Month and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after leading all rookies with an average of 21.9 points per game. Robinson finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Grant Hill and Jason Kidd, who shared the award, but was named Rookie Of The Year by Basketball Digest magazine. While playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Robinson recorded some of the best statistical seasons in franchise history. Early in his career, Robinson shared the frontcourt with teammate and All-Star Vin Baker. After Baker departed, he teamed with Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, and helped lead the Bucks to the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers. Robinson is the second place all-time leading scorer in Milwaukee Bucks history, only trailing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, averaging at least 20 points per game in seven of his eight seasons in Milwaukee. He made back-to-back NBA All-Star Team appearances in 2000 and 2001.

Atlanta Hawks (2002–2003)

Robinson was traded by Milwaukee to the Atlanta Hawks for Toni Kukoč, Leon Smith, and a 2003 first-round pick on August 2, 2002. In Robinson's debut as a Hawk in the season opener, he scored 34 points, had 10 rebounds and 8 assists against the New Jersey Nets. During the 2002–03 season, he averaged 20.8 points a game and shot a personal-best 87.6 percent from the free throw line.

Philadelphia 76ers (2003–2004)

After a year in Atlanta, he was traded on July 23, 2003 with a 2006 second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-team deal. In his tenth overall and only season playing with the Sixers, Robinson averaged 16.6 points and 1 steal per game as second scoring option to teammate, Allen Iverson. After his year in Philadelphia during the 2003–04 season, Robinson did not play a game for the 76ers in 2004–05, largely due to an injury. On February 24, 2005, he was traded to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for forwards Rodney Rogers and Jamal Mashburn. Robinson was waived by the team almost immediately and never suited up for them.

San Antonio Spurs (2005)

Robinson signed with the San Antonio Spurs on April 4, 2005 to establish an additional veteran shooting presence as the team prepared for the playoffs. As a role player in the 2005 playoffs, Robinson helped the Spurs win the championship. The games in the NBA Finals would be Robinson's last in the NBA, capping off his 11-year career with a title.
Robinson was forced to retire due to injuries, particularly to his knees. He finished his career with 14,234 career points, averaging 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

National team career

Robinson was selected for the 1996 U.S. Olympic basketball team, but was unable to play because of injury. He was replaced by Gary Payton.

Personal life

His oldest son, Glenn III, played basketball for the University of Michigan and started for the national runner-up 2012–13 team. Following the 2012–13 Big Ten season he was an honorable mention All-conference selection and All-freshman honoree by the coaches. Glenn III currently plays in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers.
His younger son, Gelen, is the 2013 Indiana High School Athletic Association wrestling champion, the 2013 IHSAA shot put runner-up, the 2013 IHSAA discus runner-up, and a repeat winner of The Times of Northwest Indiana Football Defensive Player of the Year and as a result the 2012–13 Times of Northwest Indiana Athlete of the Year. Gelen played for the Purdue University football team and signed with the CFL BC Lions in 2018.
Robinson also has a daughter named Jaimie who competes in track and field.