William Clintard Robinzine (January 20, 1953 – September 16, 1982) was an American professional
basketball player.
Born in
Chicago, Robinzine grew to be a 6' 7" forward from
DePaul University. He played seven seasons (
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
–
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
) in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
, competing for the
Kansas City Kings,
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
,
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
, and
Utah Jazz. He is perhaps best remembered for his inclusion in the highlight footage of
Darryl Dawkins'
backboard-shattering dunk at Kansas City's
Kemper Arena on November 13, 1979. Robinzine, who was under the basket at the time, fled while shielding his face in order to avoid falling glass, which inspired Dawkins to include the phrase "Robinzine Cryin'" when later creating a name for the dunk.
NBA player profile
Robinzine was known as a tough rebounder and one of the better defensive players in the league at the
power forward position.
He played for the Kings for five seasons often averaging double digits in scoring, and then was released to make room for
Reggie King. After playing in a diminished role in Cleveland, Robinzine got a rejuvenated career with the Dallas Mavericks. In Dallas, Robinzine became one of the leading scorers along with
Jim Spanarkel. He signed with the Utah Jazz for the 1981-82 season, where his role had diminished and he fell out of Utah's rotation.
Jazz general manager
Frank Layden had told Robinzine that if he were to offer him a contract it would be for less money, and Robinzine had already rejected small offers to player overseas.
Death
In September 1982, Robinzine committed
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
in his car by
carbon monoxide poisoning at a storage place in
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
.
Robinzine, though on the outside seeming very optimistic, was not on any NBA team's roster at that time and had been distraught over not getting any new contract offers after what he felt was a year in Utah where his playing time had diminished.
His wife, Claudia, had said that he "couldn't reconcile not being in the NBA anymore."
He was also upset over financial problems that close friends as well as financial advisors had all told him were extremely manageable, despite what he had thought.
See also
*
List of basketball players who died during their careers
References
External links
Career stats@ basketball-reference.com
@ query.nytimes.com
@ nytimes.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinzine, Bill
1953 births
1982 suicides
1982 deaths
African-American basketball players
American men's basketball players
Cleveland Cavaliers players
Dallas Mavericks players
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball players
Kansas City Kings draft picks
Kansas City Kings players
Power forwards (basketball)
Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning
Suicides in Missouri
Utah Jazz players
Basketball players from Chicago
20th-century African-American sportspeople