Glenn Alan Robinson Jr. (born January 10, 1973) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. Nicknamed "Big Dog" and "The Chosen One", he played in the

National Basketball Association 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 ...

(NBA) from 1994 to 2005 for the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

, Philadelphia 76ers, and

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

. Robinson attended

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...

and was the first overall pick in the

1994 NBA draft The 1994 NBA draft took place on June 29, 1994, at Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. Two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season. Kidd and Hill ...

. He is the father of

Glenn Robinson III Glenn Alan Robinson III (born January 8, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. Rob ...

, who played college basketball at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and has also played in the NBA.

Early life

Robinson was born to Christine Bridgeman in

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...

. 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 The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...

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 (1990–91), he led the Panthers to an Indiana state basketball championship, winning the final game against Brebeuf Jesuit and their star

Alan Henderson Alan Lybrooks Henderson (born December 2, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He stands 6'9" (2.06 m) tall. Born in Morgantown, West Virginia, Henderson attended Brebeuf Jesuit ...

; 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 (inaugurated in 1939). He was selected as a

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger s ...

and along with

Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic, though arguably best known and remembered as the star forward for the Sacramento Ki ...

was one of the MVPs of the Dapper Dan Roundball classic.

College career

1991–1993

After high school, Robinson attended

to play under head coach

Gene Keady Lloyd Eugene Keady (born May 21, 1936) is an American basketball coach. He is best known for his 25 years serving as the head men's basketball coach at Purdue University in Indiana. In his tenure leading the Boilermakers from 1980 to 2005, he went ...

and his recruiter/assistant coach

Frank Kendrick Frank Edward Kendrick (born September 11, 1950) is an American retired professional basketball player from Indianapolis, Indiana who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). College career As an All-American selection playing at In ...

. A school custodian gave him the nickname of "Big Dog" before he played a game for Purdue. Robinson subsequently got a tattoo of a "snarling bulldog wearing a spiked collar" on his chest. Due to struggles with NCAA eligibility, resulting from Proposition 48 which requires minimum academic standards, he had to

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Entertainment * ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi * Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after ...

for his freshman season. He worked as a welder during the summers while at Purdue. Eligible for his sophomore season, Robinson led the

Boilermakers A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dep ...

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 The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

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 The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

in both categories. Along with teammates

Cuonzo Martin Cuonzo LaMar Martin (born September 23, 1971) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the former head coach of the Missouri Tigers men's basketball team. High school Playing alongside LaPhonso Ellis as a sophomore and junior, Ma ...

and Matt Waddell, he led the Boilermakers to a

Title and an

Elite Eight In the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. In Division I and Divis ...

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 Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

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 Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

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 The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...

and

Naismith Award Naismith Award is a basketball award named after James Naismith, and awarded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Naismith Awards include: * Naismith College Player of the Year (men's and women's; NCAA Division I basketball) * Naismith College Coach of t ...

, the first national player of the year-honored Boilermaker since John Wooden himself did it in 1932 (who also wore the jersey #13). 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. Purdue's campus bookstores sold T-shirts featuring Robinson's image and his nickname "Big Dog" before Robinson complained and they discontinued the practice.

Professional career

Milwaukee Bucks (1994–2002)

Robinson was selected by the

with the first overall pick in the

, the first Boilermaker to be selected as the first pick since

Joe Barry Carroll Joe Barry Carroll (born July 24, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After retiring from basketball, he became a wealth advisor, philanthropist, artist, a ...

in 1980. At the draft, Robinson wore a gold suit and black alligator slip-ons. 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 Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded as one of the greatest point guards a ...

, who shared the award, but was named Rookie Of The Year by ''Basketball Digest'' magazine. While playing for the

, 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 Vincent Lamont Baker (born November 23, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He appeared in four consecutive All-Star Games. As of 2018, Baker serves as an assista ...

. On December 7, 1996, Robinson scored 44 points on 70% shooting, alongside 7 rebounds and 6 assists, in a 126-118 victory over the

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

. Despite another strong statistical season from Robinson, the Bucks would again fail make the NBA playoffs. After several trades, one of which had Baker go to Seattle, Robinson teamed with

Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in ...

and

Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall i ...

, and helped lead the Bucks to several postseason appearances. On May 11, 1999, Robinson scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a narrow 108-107 playoff loss against

Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association (NBA) ca ...

and the Indiana Pacers. The underexperienced Bucks (was both Robinson's and Allen's first postseason appearance) would eventually lose the series. On January 29, 2001, Robinson scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and recorded 5 steals in a 99-96 loss against the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. On February 25, 2001, Robinson scored a career-high 45 points in a 122-95 win against the Golden State Warriors. That season, Robinson and the Bucks would reach the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in a 7 game series. In the final game of that series, Robinson scored 24 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and recorded 4 assists in a losing effort. It would be the closest the Bucks would get to the finals until 2019, when another Bucks Forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo, helped end their 18 year conference finals drought. Robinson was the second place all-time leading scorer in

history, only trailing

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

until surpassed by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Robinson averaged at least 20 points per game in seven of his eight seasons in Milwaukee. He made back-to-back

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

Team appearances in 2000 and 2001.

Atlanta Hawks (2002–2003)

Robinson was traded by Milwaukee to the

for

Toni Kukoč Toni Kukoč, nicknamed ''“The Waiter”'' (; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian-American former professional basketball player who serves as Special Advisor to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls. After a highly successful perio ...

, 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 New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

. 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 (2003–2005)

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 New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

in exchange for forwards

Rodney Rogers Rodney Ray Rogers (born June 20, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Early life Rogers was the fourth and youngest child born to Willie Wardsworth ...

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

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 In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

. 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, also playing in two league all-star games.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

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, 82 , , 82 , , 39.6 , , .454 , , .342 , , .812 , , 6.1 , , 3.6 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , 20.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 79 , , 38.9 , , .465 , , .350 , , .791 , , 6.3 , , 3.1 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , 21.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 56 , , 56 , , 41.0 , , .470 , , .385 , , .808 , , 5.5 , , 2.8 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 23.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 47 , , 47 , , 33.6 , , .459 , , .392 , , .870 , , 5.9 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , 18.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 35.9 , , .472 , , .363 , , .802 , , 6.0 , , 2.4 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 20.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 76 , , 74 , , 37.0 , , .468 , , .299 , , .820 , , 6.9 , , 3.3 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 22.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 66 , , 63 , , 35.5 , , .467 , , .326 , , .837 , , 6.2 , , 2.5 , , 1.5 , , .6 , , 20.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

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Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

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, 9 , , 0 , , 17.4 , , .442 , , .333 , , .870 , , 2.7 , , .9 , , .4 , , .3 , , 10.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 688 , , 668 , , 36.8 , , .459 , , .340 , , .820 , , 6.1 , , 2.7 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 20.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 2 , , 0 , , 12.5 , , .529 , , , , , , 5.0 , , .5 , , .5 , , .5 , , 9.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

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, style="text-align:left;”,

, 3 , , 3 , , 39.3 , , .412 , , .500 , , .889 , , 8.3 , , 1.7 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 20.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

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, 5 , , 5 , , 34.8 , , .405 , , .286 , , .846 , , 4.2 , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , .8 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2001 , style="text-align:left;”,

, 18 , , 18 , , 38.2 , , .429 , , .387 , , .893 , , 6.4 , , 3.3 , , .6 , , 1.3 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba", 2005 , style="text-align:left;”,

, 13 , , 0 , , 8.7 , , .356 , , .300 , , .882 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , .2 , , .5 , , 3.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 39 , , 26 , , 28.0 , , .416 , , .379 , , .885 , , 4.7 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .9 , , 13.8

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 Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with ...

Personal life

His oldest son, Glenn III, played basketball for the University of Michigan and started for the

national National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

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

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. His younger son, Gelen (class of 2014), is the 2013

Indiana High School Athletic Association The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public and private high schools in the U.S. state of Indiana. It monitors a system that divides athletically-competing high schools in Indiana ...

(IHSAA) wrestling champion, the 2013 IHSAA shot put runner-up, the 2013 IHSAA discus runner-up, and a repeat (2012 and 2013) winner of ''

The Times of Northwest Indiana ''The Times of Northwest Indiana'' (NWI) is a daily newspaper headquartered in Munster, Indiana. It is the second-largest newspaper in Indiana, behind only ''The Indianapolis Star''. History The paper was founded on June 18, 1906, as ''The Lake ...

'' 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 The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first seas ...

in 2018. He currently plays rugby for the

LA Giltinis The LA Giltinis are a former Major League Rugby team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. The team was announced in 2020 and entered the league in the 2021 season as an expansion franchise. The Giltinis, named for a yet-to-be-released ...

of Major League Rugby (MLR). Robinson also has a daughter named Jaimie who competes in track and field. On May 16, 2003, Robinson was convicted in Cook County, Illinois of domestic battery and assault charges involving his former fiance on July 20, 2002 in her Chicago Heights home.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Glenn 1973 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Gary, Indiana Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners McDonald's High School All-Americans Milwaukee Bucks draft picks Milwaukee Bucks players National Basketball Association All-Stars Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Philadelphia 76ers players Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball players San Antonio Spurs players Small forwards