Robinson seeks rebound season with Warriors
As soon as Glenn Robinson III was old enough to understand, his mother, Shantelle Clay, told him about how she had been preparing to return to Purdue in January 1994 for spring semester of her freshman year when, suddenly, her water broke.
When she arrived at Methodist Hospital in Gary, Ind., a nurse asked her to prepare for the worst. Clay’s due date wasn’t for another three months. Within an hour, her first child, Glenn III, entered the world at 3 pounds, 4 ounces. His father, Glenn Robinson Jr. — the soontobe No. 1 pick in the NBA draft — could hold him in one of his massive hands.
These days, Glenn Robinson III references that story as evidence that he has overcome long odds his entire life. Twentyfive years after he was one of the few premature infants at Methodist’s newborn intensive care unit to breathe on his own, Robinson relishes being doubted because, as he put it, “There’s something special about the underdog.”
That’s only when the underdog wins, however. Fresh off receiving minimal interest in free agency after a rough season in Detroit, Robinson has exceeded expectations in preseason with the Warriors, emerging as the early frontrunner to start at small forward as Klay Thompson recovers from knee surgery.
With Golden State, Robinson is hushing those who dismissed him as little more than a dunker. His ability to defend multiple positions, move off the ball, make sound decisions and knock down open jumpers has vaulted him past Alfonzo McKinnie in the smallforward competition.
While his other threat for the starting job, Alec Burks, nurses a sprained right ankle, Robinson continues to earn praise from coaches and teammates. After a solid week of practice, Robinson supplanted McKinnie in the starting lineup for Thursday night’s preseason win over Minnesota. In 20 minutes, Robinson posted 13 points on 6for11 shooting, five rebounds and two assists.
The lasting image came midway through the fourth quarter when, after intercepting a pass intended for Timberwolves forward Jake Layman, he took a giant stride into the key and threw down a onehanded dunk. But head coach Steve Kerr was more impressed with backtoback possessions when Robinson caught the ball in transition and ran a dribblehandoff with Stephen Curry, heady plays for someone so new to the Warriors’ system.
“That recognition is really important on our team,” Kerr said. “Some guys, it takes longer to figure out.”
Robinson didn’t get many chances to flash his basketball IQ last season with the Pistons, who mostly had him perch behind the arc and hoist 3pointers. When his shots didn’t fall at a high enough rate, he fell out of the rotation, leaving him to ponder whatifs.
The previous summer, Robinson — coming off a threeyear stint as a rotation player and parttime starter for the Pacers — seriously considered signing with the Warriors after Draymond Green called to recruit him, only to join Detroit. Pistons head coach Dwane Casey had contacted him on the first day of free agency and told Robinson he was the team’s No. 1 priority.
“I was excited about that opportunity,” said Robinson, who finished his lone season with Detroit averaging 4.2 points on 42% shooting (29% from 3point range) in 13 minutes per game. “Then I got there, and (Casey) didn’t really play me. I was very surprised by that.”
Robinson received only two contract offers this past summer, minimum deals from the Warriors and Rockets, and chose Golden State for the chance at a significant role. If this season doesn’t go according to plan, he might spend next summer mulling overseas offers.
Such pressure fuels Robinson. Just a few years after he started playing basketball at age 3 in a Hammond, Ind., YMCA children's league, he had an unyielding desire to silence his critics.
Throughout grade school and high school, classmates derided Robinson for not being as good as his dad, a twotime AllStar with the Bucks in the early 2000s. After Glenn Jr.’s alma mater, Purdue, didn’t offer him a scholarship, Glenn III signed with Big Ten rival Michigan, where he was quickly nicknamed “Little Dog” — a nod to his dad, “Big Dog.”
When he heard 39 names called before his on draft night in 2014, Robinson asked his new team, the Timberwolves, to let him wear No. 40 so he’d have a visible reminder of everyone who passed on him. Last summer, after signing with the Pistons, he switched his number to 22 to celebrate the March 22 birthday of his infant daughter, Ariana.
Fatherhood gave him new perspective. Now, whenever he faces adversity, Robinson has another teaching tool for his daughter.
“I love that mentality of going in when no one thinks you can beat the odds and just coming out on top,” said Robinson, who will someday tell Ariana the story of the 3pound, 4ounce baby who grew into a 6foot6, 222pound NBA swingman. “It’s all about putting the work in.”