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Robinson talks Lakers’ taunts
Heat’s Robinson heard ‘Jimmy Neutron’ lookalike taunts from Lakers (and doesn’t disagree)
It turns out that the NBA Finals were a case of “The Adventures of Duncan Robinson, Boy Genius,” or at least a close facsimile. And no, the Miami Heat 3-point specialist said he not only was not offended by the comparison to Nickelodeon character Jimmy Neutron, but that he actually can see the resemblance. Appearing on the “Titus & Tate” podcast in the wake of the Heat’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals, Robinson revealed to the Fox Sports personalities that the Lakers bench was taunting him during the finals by comparing him to Jimmy Neutron, the fictional 11-year-old boy genius from Retroville whose adventures with best friends Carl Wheezer and Sheen Estevez were chronicled in the animated children’s series in the early 2000s.
Except that’s where it also got weird — or, shall we say, weirder — for Robinson, having also been taunted for his perceived similar appearance to the series’ Sheen character.
“I’m OK with it,” Robinson said of the ribbing. “This is my only problem with that: that I get Jimmy Neutron as well. So like, I can’t be both. That doesn’t even make sense. How can I be two characters from the same show?
“During the finals, the Lakers bench was yelling ‘Jimmy Neutron’ at me. So I don’t understand how I can be Sheen and also Jimmy Neutron.”
Asked of his choice of comparison, Robinson said, “Probably Jimmy.”
The hosts of the podcasts then brought up several other lookalikes suggested on Twitter amid the Heat’s unexpected run to within two games of the franchise’s fourth championship, including “Toy Story” characters Andy, Sid and Sheriff Woody.
“That one I understand,” Robinson said of the sheriff character voiced in the films by Tom Hanks. “If I had to pick out of those three, I’d picky Woody.”
And then there was the Twitter suggestion that Robinson actually “looks like someone tried to draw Tyler Herro from memory.”
A laugh followed about the reference to his rookie teammate and fellow playoff breakout star.
“That’s good. I like that,” Robinson said, having moved on from the Heat’s Game 6 elimination in the league’s championship series. “I’ll say this too: I think, in general, people like comparing me to very ordinary, generic people. That is an endearing thing.
“It’s like I’m themselves, but playing in the NBA, which is cool. I mean, I’m just a regular guy.”
Unlike Jimmy Neutron or Sheriff Woody or even Tyler Herro, Robinson set a franchise record with his 63 3-pointers in the 2020 playoffs. His seven 3-pointers in Game 5 against the Lakers matched the third-highest total in finals history, behind only the nine of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry in 2018 and the eight of Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen in 2010.