Oftentimes, the parents of athletes are their biggest fans and motivators. That seems to be the case with Miami Heat center Orlando Robinson, who recently credited his dad for being one of the biggest reasons he’s currently in the NBA.
“My dad pushed me in a lot of different ways — basketball, manlihood, all kinds of things,” Robinson told Heat Nation. “He’s the one who put the ball in my hands. He’s the one that kept it there. And once he found out that basketball is something I really wanted to do, he pushed me relentlessly. And the credit to him, he’s one of the biggest reasons why I’m in this position today.”
Earlier this offseason, Robinson signed a standard two-year deal with the Heat. He then went out and put up 25.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game on 57.8 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Those performances allowed him to earn All-Summer League First Team honors.
Robinson’s dad was undoubtedly very proud watching his son show out in his hometown. The 23-year-old is coming off a rookie season in which he appeared in 31 games for the Heat and recorded 3.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He had some impressive moments throughout the campaign and showed this summer that he’s ready to take on a larger role in the upcoming season.
It’ll be interesting to see just how many minutes the California State University, Fresno product ends up getting this season. It’s important to note that he is no longer restricted by being a two-way player. Cody Zeller, who taught Robinson a few things last season, is now with the New Orleans Pelicans, so some minutes are up for grabs in the frontcourt rotation.
The youngster will likely have to compete against offseason acquisition Thomas Bryant, who is coming off winning a title with the Denver Nuggets, to see who gets to back up Bam Adebayo at center.
Robinson will surely also get a chance to go up against Adebayo in training camp. The two seem to have a pretty competitive relationship, as Robinson named Adebayo as the player he’d most like to dunk on and block at the rim. Robinson made sure to mention that he’s constantly studying Adebayo and used the common saying “iron sharpens iron” when talking about their relationship.
The training camp battles between Robinson and Adebayo will undoubtedly show Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra just how ready Robinson is to receive consistent minutes during the 2023-24 campaign.
If he gets his chance, perhaps Robinson will be the next undrafted player to break out in a major way for the Heat.