 Robinson with theAtlanta Hawks in 2003 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1973-01-10)January 10, 1973 (age 52) Gary, Indiana, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Roosevelt (Gary, Indiana) |
| College | Purdue (1992–1994) |
| NBA draft | 1994: 1st round,1st overall pick |
| Drafted by | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Playing career | 1994–2005 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 13, 31, 3 |
| Career history | |
| 1994–2002 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2002–2003 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2003–2005 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2005 | San Antonio Spurs |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 14,234 (20.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,189 (6.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,879 (2.7 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Glenn Alan Robinson Jr. (born January 10, 1973) is an American former professionalbasketball player. Nicknamed "Big Dog" and "the Chosen One",[1][2] he played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) from 1994 to 2005 for theMilwaukee Bucks,Atlanta Hawks,Philadelphia 76ers, andSan Antonio Spurs. Robinson attendedPurdue University and was the first overall pick in the1994 NBA draft. He is the father ofGlenn Robinson III, who played college basketball at theUniversity of Michigan and has also played in the NBA.
Robinson was born to Christine Bridgeman inGary, 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 anair-conditioning andrefrigeration shop.[3]
Robinson attendedTheodore Roosevelt High School[4] in Gary, where he started playing organized basketball during the 9th grade. He was a member of threeIHSAA 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,[5] winning the final game againstBrebeuf Jesuit and their starAlan Henderson; this highly anticipated showdown was captured inThe Road to Indianapolis.[6] andIndiana High School Basketball 20 Most Dominant Players.[7] Robinson won the 1991Indiana Mr. Basketball award, the oldest such award in the nation (inaugurated in 1939). He was selected as aMcDonald's All-American[8] and along withChris Webber was one of the MVPs of the Dapper Dan Roundball classic.[9]
After high school, Robinson attendedPurdue University to play under head coachGene Keady and his recruiter/assistant coachFrank Kendrick. A school custodian gave him the nickname of "Big Dog" before he played a game for Purdue.[10] Robinson subsequently got a tattoo of a "snarling bulldog wearing a spiked collar" on his chest.[10]
Due to struggles with NCAA eligibility, resulting fromProposition 48 which requires minimum academic standards, he had toredshirt for his freshman season. He worked as awelder during the summers while at Purdue.
Eligible for his sophomore season, Robinson led theBoilermakers 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 anNCAA tournament appearance. He received First Team All-Big Ten and Second Team All-American honors.
In hisjunior 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 theBig Ten Conference in both categories. Along with teammatesCuonzo Martin and Matt Waddell, he led the Boilermakers to aBig Ten Conference Title and anElite Eight appearance, finishing the season with a 29–5 record and a 3rd overall ranking. In his last college game against aGrant Hill-ledDuke team in the NCAA Tournament, Robinson was held to only 13 points, his season low, while suffering from a back strain he sustained againstKansas 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 theJohn R. Wooden Award andNaismith Award, the first national player of the year-honored Boilermaker sinceJohn Wooden himself did it in 1932 (who also wore the jersey #13). Robinson also was the recipient for theUSBWA College Player of the Year.
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,[11] along with a school weightlifting record with a 309-pound clean-and-jerk.[citation needed] 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.[12] In September 2010, theBig 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.[10]
Robinson was selected by theMilwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in the1994 NBA draft, the first Boilermaker to be selected as the first pick sinceJoe Barry Carroll in 1980.
At the draft, Robinson wore a gold suit and black alligator slip-ons.[13] 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.[14] Robinson eventually signed a rookie-record 10-year, $68 million deal that still[update] stands as the richest NBA rookie contract.[15] Within months of his executed contract, the NBA moved to implement a rookie wage scale starting with the 1995 season, likely in direct response to the deal.[16]
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 behindGrant Hill andJason Kidd, who shared the award, but was named Rookie Of The Year byBasketball Digest magazine.[17]
While playing for theMilwaukee Bucks, Robinson recorded some of the best statistical seasons in franchise history. Early in his career, Robinson shared the frontcourt with teammate and All-StarVin Baker. On December 7, 1996, Robinson scored 44 points on 70% shooting, alongside 7 rebounds and 6 assists, in a 126–118 victory over theWashington Bullets.[18] Despite another strong statistical season from Robinson, the Bucks would again fail make the NBA playoffs.[19]
After several trades, one of which had Baker go to Seattle, Robinson teamed withRay Allen andSam Cassell, 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 againstReggie Miller and theIndiana Pacers.[20] 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 theMinnesota Timberwolves.[21] On February 25, 2001, Robinson scored a career-high 45 points in a 122–95 win against theGolden State Warriors.[22] That season, Robinson and the Bucks would reach the 2001Eastern Conference Finals, losing to thePhiladelphia 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.[23] 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.[24]
Robinson was the second place all-time leading scorer inMilwaukee Bucks history, only trailingKareem Abdul-Jabbar 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-backNBA All-Star Team appearances in 2000 and 2001.[25][26][27][28]
Robinson was traded by Milwaukee to theAtlanta Hawks forToni Kukoč,Leon Smith, and a2003 first-round pick on August 2, 2002.[29] In Robinson's debut as a Hawk in the season opener, he scored 34 points, had 10 rebounds and 8 assists against theNew 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.
After a year in Atlanta, he was traded on July 23, 2003, with a2006 second-round pick to thePhiladelphia 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 the2003–04 season, Robinson did not play a game for the 76ers in2004–05, largely due to an injury. On February 24, 2005, he was traded to theNew Orleans Hornets in exchange for forwardsRodney Rogers andJamal Mashburn. Robinson was waived by the team almost immediately and never suited up for them.
Robinson signed with theSan 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 the2005 playoffs, Robinson helped the Spurs win thechampionship. 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.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–95 | Milwaukee | 80 | 76 | 37.0 | .451 | .321 | .796 | 6.4 | 2.5 | 1.4 | .3 | 21.9 |
| 1995–96 | Milwaukee | 82 | 82* | 39.6 | .454 | .342 | .812 | 6.1 | 3.6 | 1.2 | .5 | 20.2 |
| 1996–97 | Milwaukee | 80 | 79 | 38.9 | .465 | .350 | .791 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 1.3 | .9 | 21.1 |
| 1997–98 | Milwaukee | 56 | 56 | 41.0 | .470 | .385 | .808 | 5.5 | 2.8 | 1.2 | .6 | 23.4 |
| 1998–99 | Milwaukee | 47 | 47 | 33.6 | .459 | .392 | .870 | 5.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .9 | 18.4 |
| 1999–00 | Milwaukee | 81 | 81 | 35.9 | .472 | .363 | .802 | 6.0 | 2.4 | 1.0 | .5 | 20.9 |
| 2000–01 | Milwaukee | 76 | 74 | 37.0 | .468 | .299 | .820 | 6.9 | 3.3 | 1.1 | .8 | 22.0 |
| 2001–02 | Milwaukee | 66 | 63 | 35.5 | .467 | .326 | .837 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 1.5 | .6 | 20.7 |
| 2002–03 | Atlanta | 69 | 68 | 37.6 | .432 | .342 | .876 | 6.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | .4 | 20.8 |
| 2003–04 | Philadelphia | 42 | 42 | 31.8 | .448 | .340 | .832 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 | .2 | 16.6 |
| 2004–05† | San Antonio | 9 | 0 | 17.4 | .442 | .333 | .870 | 2.7 | .9 | .4 | .3 | 10.0 |
| Career | 688 | 668 | 36.8 | .459 | .340 | .820 | 6.1 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .6 | 20.7 | |
| All-Star | 2 | 0 | 12.5 | .529 | — | — | 5.0 | .5 | .5 | .5 | 9.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Milwaukee | 3 | 3 | 39.3 | .412 | .500 | .889 | 8.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | .7 | 20.7 |
| 2000 | Milwaukee | 5 | 5 | 34.8 | .405 | .286 | .846 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 1.6 | .8 | 15.4 |
| 2001 | Milwaukee | 18 | 18 | 38.2 | .429 | .387 | .893 | 6.4 | 3.3 | .6 | 1.3 | 19.4 |
| 2005† | San Antonio | 13 | 0 | 8.7 | .356 | .300 | .882 | 1.6 | .1 | .2 | .5 | 3.8 |
| Career | 39 | 26 | 28.0 | .416 | .379 | .885 | 4.7 | 2.0 | .6 | .9 | 13.8 | |
Robinson was selected for the1996 U.S. Olympic basketball team, but was unable to play because of injury. He was replaced byGary Payton.
His oldest son,Glenn III, played basketball for the University of Michigan and started for thenational runner-up2012–13 team. Following the2012–13 Big Ten season he was an honorable mention All-conference selection and All-freshman honoree by the coaches.[30][31] Glenn III was theNBA Slam Dunk Contest champion in 2017 when he was with theIndiana Pacers and most recently played for theSacramento Kings.
His younger son, Gelen (class of 2014), is the 2013Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) 220-pound (100 kg) wrestling champion, the 2013 IHSAAshot put runner-up, the 2013 IHSAAdiscus runner-up, and a repeat (2012 and 2013) winner ofThe 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.[32] Gelen played for thePurdue University football team and signed with the CFLBC Lions in 2018. He played rugby for theLA Giltinis ofMajor League Rugby (MLR). Gelen currently plays Defensive Tackle for the XFL's St. Louis Battlehawks.
Robinson also has a daughter named Jaimie who competes in track and field,[33] As a freshman, she was 2014 Class 2AIllinois High School Association (IHSA) runner-up in the triple jump forDe La Salle Institute.[34] As a sophomore, she was the 2015 Class 2A IHSA state champion in thetriple jump De La Salle,[35] setting the IHSA Class 2A record at 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m).[36] As a senior, she was 3-time 2017 IHSA Class 3A state champion in the triple jump,long jump, and200 metres forHomewood-Flossmoor High School,[37] setting the Class 3A state record in the triple jump at 42 ft 8.5 in (13.02 m).[38] She ran track in college forAlabama Crimson Tide (2018),Oregon Ducks (2019–21) andOhio State Buckeyes (2022–23),[39] earning Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championship triple jump championships in 2022 and Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championship triple jump runner up finishes in 2023,[40] as well as the Ohio State Outdoor Triple Jump school record.[41]
Robinson has another son, Gicarri Harris, a college basketball player who joined thePurdue University Boilermakers for the2024-25 season.[42]
On May 16, 2003, Robinson was convicted in Cook County, Illinois of domestic battery and assault charges involving his former fiancé on July 20, 2002, in her Chicago Heights home.[43]