Tragic news in the Uconn BB family- (again ??)
- Thread starter the Blades
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“He was just a really, really sweet kid,” said Jim Calhoun, who recruited Robinson and coached him at UConn. “The world was harsh for him, because they weren’t all like Stanley Robinson. He was such a caring, giving person.”
Robinson was found dead in his home by his mother, Calhoun said. The cause of death has yet to be determined. His alma mater, Huffman High, announced his passing via Twitter.
“I spoke with him on Monday,” Calhoun said, “I don’t think there’s been a three or four week period where I haven’t talked to him since he left UConn. At St. Joe’s, the kids are always asking, ‘how’s Sticks?’ ... Despite all the tough breaks, he always had a smile on his face.”
Robinson was found dead in his home by his mother, Calhoun said. The cause of death has yet to be determined. His alma mater, Huffman High, announced his passing via Twitter.
“I spoke with him on Monday,” Calhoun said, “I don’t think there’s been a three or four week period where I haven’t talked to him since he left UConn. At St. Joe’s, the kids are always asking, ‘how’s Sticks?’ ... Despite all the tough breaks, he always had a smile on his face.”
Stanley and now Clifford ?.. 
....sad sad stuff to see these young men gone way too soon. Uncle Cliffy was the first true NBA legend of Husky hoops, with nearly 20,000 points in his NBA career.( and the leader in JC's first big step forward in his Uconn era with the NIT title in 1988)....2020 man, it's all surreal...
....sad sad stuff to see these young men gone way too soon. Uncle Cliffy was the first true NBA legend of Husky hoops, with nearly 20,000 points in his NBA career.( and the leader in JC's first big step forward in his Uconn era with the NIT title in 1988)....2020 man, it's all surreal...
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I knew Cliff personally when I was a student at UConn. He occasionally asked me for rides up to the then "Store 24" Convenience Store for late night munchies on cold winter nights when only a fool would walk up there. Back in those days I drove a crappy little Dodge Omni with no leg room for a tall passenger. Poor Cliff would pull the seat all the way back and his legs would still be uncomfortably scrunched against the dashboard. But he didn't complain. He was a nice guy.
I also remember watching the NBA Draft in 1989 live on TV. Everyone else that was invited was picked 1st round except Cliff, who lasted until the 2nd round. The camera kept showing him all alone in the draft invitee room, with a pained expression on his face, which was uncomfortable to watch. If I recall correctly he outlasted everyone that was drafted in front of him in terms of the length of his NBA Career.
RIP Cliff.
I also remember watching the NBA Draft in 1989 live on TV. Everyone else that was invited was picked 1st round except Cliff, who lasted until the 2nd round. The camera kept showing him all alone in the draft invitee room, with a pained expression on his face, which was uncomfortable to watch. If I recall correctly he outlasted everyone that was drafted in front of him in terms of the length of his NBA Career.
RIP Cliff.
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The Portland media is reporting that Cliff had a tumor removed from his jaw in 2018 and a brain hemorrhage, so he had recent health issues:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/katu.com/amp/news/local/former-blazer-cliff-robinson-passes-away-at-53
https://www.google.com/amp/s/katu.com/amp/news/local/former-blazer-cliff-robinson-passes-away-at-53
Just saw him a few years back (maybe 5 or 6) at Gampel, shook his hand & said what's up, he looked like he was in great shape and could still play... man you never know...But yeah, I remember that like it was yesterday, him waiting and then getting the 1st round snub and if I recall he just left after the round was over....but Cliff had the last laugh and the longest career and scored the most NBA points of any of those guys in the 1989 draft.
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“I don’t think he ever missed a game at UConn or a practice at UConn,” former Huskies assistant Howie Dickenman said. “He was a little bit temperamental at times, but he worked so hard after practice. He was quite a player and, in my opinion, quite a person. …....
.........New York City. NBA draft. Robinson, a front-row guest following a standout career at UConn, heard 10 names called at Madison Square Garden’s Felt Theater, then 20 and more from there..........The first round concluded with Robinson still on the board. So he left abruptly, walking out a back door, onto the Manhattan streets and, as only he seemed to understand, into one of professional basketball’s truly unique runs....He was hurt and humbled. He said, ‘They don’t know who I am.’”....He entered the NBA a year after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s final season and lasted long enough to share the court with Chris Paul and LeBron James. "
First, though, he bolted. Out of that theater (at MSG). He was doubted, initially. Then counted on, day after day and year after year. “He had a chip on his shoulder, anyway,” said Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell, a UConn teammate of Robinson’s. “I remember he said, ‘I will prove that they made some mistakes.’ I think his whole career, he proved to a lot of people there were a lot of mistakes made that night. There are so very few players like him. When it was practice time, he was ready to go. When it was game time, he was ready to go. Very few guys I’ve been around had a motor like him.”
Good read from Mike Anthony...
alt link: https://outline.com/VvMKAL
.........New York City. NBA draft. Robinson, a front-row guest following a standout career at UConn, heard 10 names called at Madison Square Garden’s Felt Theater, then 20 and more from there..........The first round concluded with Robinson still on the board. So he left abruptly, walking out a back door, onto the Manhattan streets and, as only he seemed to understand, into one of professional basketball’s truly unique runs....He was hurt and humbled. He said, ‘They don’t know who I am.’”....He entered the NBA a year after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s final season and lasted long enough to share the court with Chris Paul and LeBron James. "
First, though, he bolted. Out of that theater (at MSG). He was doubted, initially. Then counted on, day after day and year after year. “He had a chip on his shoulder, anyway,” said Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell, a UConn teammate of Robinson’s. “I remember he said, ‘I will prove that they made some mistakes.’ I think his whole career, he proved to a lot of people there were a lot of mistakes made that night. There are so very few players like him. When it was practice time, he was ready to go. When it was game time, he was ready to go. Very few guys I’ve been around had a motor like him.”
Good read from Mike Anthony...
alt link: https://outline.com/VvMKAL
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I remember watching that draft on TV to see where Cliff was picked. What was annoying was they had a room for the draftees and as the first round went on and all invited players were selected except Cliff, after every pick they showed Cliff all alone in the room and not happy. After a while it became embarrassing and if in fact he bolted (something I don't recall but we wouldn't have seen that as an audience), it's completely understandable and I probably would have done the same thing. I can't recall if it was ESPN or TNT doing the draft back in 1989 but clearly the cameraman saw Cliff was not happy being alone and tried to create some drama at Cliff's expense.
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