Trail Blazers, UConn Great Cliff Robinson Dies At 53

Cliff Robinson, 18-year NBA veteran and legendary UConn participant, has died at age 53.

#BREAKING The household of Cliff Robinson, former NBA All-Star, UConn alum and Riverside Excessive graduate says he has died. @WGRZpic.twitter.com/2EYf0e0NPx

— Claudine Ewing (@ClaudineWgrz) August 29, 2020

The reason for loss of life has not but been made public.

Robinson, born in Buffalo, New York in 1966, was instrumental to organising UConn as nationwide contender in faculty basketball. Coach Jim Calhoun was employed in Robinson’s sophomore yr, and the change in teaching paid off in a giant approach. Robinson discovered how one can match into Calhoun’s plans and collectively they helped UConn achieve nationwide discover for the primary time ever once they gained the NIT championship in 1988.

That set the stage for UConn’s future prominence, and Calhoun mentioned on Saturday that Robinson was UConn’s first nice participant.

Jim Calhoun on Cliff Robinson: “He was our first nice participant… he got here from a tough background in Buffalo, I watched him evolve as a person … he was a very good man, had a terrific profession, and was instrumental in quite a lot of the nice issues that occurred at UConn.”

— David Borges (@DaveBorges) August 29, 2020

In 1999, Robinson was named to UConn’s All-Century Crew. His quantity, 00, was retired by UConn in 2007. 

After Robinson graduated in 1989, he was picked within the second spherical by the Portland Path Blazers, kicking off an 18-year NBA profession. He would play for the Blazers for eight years, making the playoffs every time and serving to take the Blazers to the NBA finals in 1990 and 1992, although they misplaced each instances. He was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Yr in 1993 and an all-star in 1994. He performed 461 straight video games for the Blazers to start out his profession, which nonetheless stands as a franchise document.

After leaving the Blazers, Robinson signed with the Phoenix Suns, the place he’d keep for 4 seasons. He hung out with the Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and New Jersey Nets earlier than retiring in 2007. He violated the NBA’s drug coverage a couple of instances throughout his profession, the primary time in 2001 when he was arrested for marijuana possession and driving below the affect. He was suspended one sport. He was suspended 5 video games in 2005 and once more in 2006 for marijuana use.

After retirement, Robinson turned his love of marijuana right into a enterprise. He turned a supporter of legalization and established the “Uncle Cliffy” model of hashish merchandise. He was additionally a contestant on the fact present “Survivor” in 2013.

Robinson suffered a mind hemorrhage in 2017, which precipitated him to have a stroke. He additionally had a tumor faraway from his jaw in 2018, which Robinson introduced on his Twitter account.

When the information of Robinson’s loss of life broke on Saturday morning, the response on social media was rapid. Followers, associates, and gamers shared their reminiscences and celebrated his accomplishments amid an outpouring of sympathy for the much-loved Uncle Cliffy.

The UConn Basketball household mourns the lack of a legendary participant and particular person, Clifford Robinson. Our ideas and prayers are with Cliff’s household at this tough time �

Relaxation In Peace, Cliff. pic.twitter.com/Bp6Z5hbVUb

— UConn Males’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) August 29, 2020

Cliff Robinson can be one in all three gamers (w/ Sheed & Dirk) in NBA historical past with greater than 1,00zero 3PTS, BLKS & STLS.

Greatest Sport: 50 PTS (17/26 FG)

pic.twitter.com/L3e7pcO01l

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 29, 2020

Lengthy dwell Cliff Robinson.

(@trailblazers) pic.twitter.com/cekI2Ihy8X

— Whistle (@WhistleSports) August 29, 2020

Peaceable Journey to my @BigEastTourney and @NBA brother Cliff Robinson pic.twitter.com/XMDskVhT8c

— Derrick Coleman (@44TheLegend) August 29, 2020

Folks overlook simply how vital Cliff Robinson was to these early @DetroitPistons groups in ’01 and ’02. Sturdy as hell, dependable scorer, good teammate.

Helped create the muse for the ’04 championship crew.

R.I.P. Uncle Cliff pic.twitter.com/I45kAhReMs

— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) August 29, 2020

RIP Clifford Robinson – a few of my earliest reminiscences of NBA basketball had been of you because the lifeblood to these early/mid 90’s Blazers groups. The Memorial Coliseum days!! RIP to a Portland legend.

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) August 29, 2020

We’re saddened to study that #Survivor (and NBA) legend Cliff Robinson has died at 53, confirmed by information sources.

“Uncle Cliffy” was an instrumental a part of making Season 28: Cagayan pretty much as good because it was. He was additionally the primary former NBA participant on the present. pic.twitter.com/5Jkh3TRPEk

— Survivor Reddit (@Survivor_Reddit) August 29, 2020

Extra from Yahoo Sports activities: