Bill Robinzine facts for kids
| No. 52, 50, 54 | |
|---|---|
| Power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 20, 1953 Chicago, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | September 16, 1982 (aged 29) Kansas City, Missouri |
| High school | Wendell Phillips Academy (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | DePaul (1972–1975) |
| NBA Draft | 1975 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the Kansas City Kings | |
| Pro career | 1975–1982 |
| Career history | |
| 1975–1980 | Kansas City Kings |
| 1980 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1980–1981 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1981–1982 | Utah Jazz |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 5,541 (10.5 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 3,209 (6.1 rpg) |
| Assists | 560 (1.1 apg) |
William Clintard Robinzine (January 20, 1953 – September 16, 1982) was an American professional basketball player.
Born in Chicago, Robinzine grew to be a 6' 7" forward from DePaul University. He played seven seasons (1975–1982) in the NBA, competing for the Kansas City Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz. He is perhaps best remembered for his inclusion in the highlight footage of Darryl Dawkins' backboard-shattering dunk at Kansas City's Kemper Arena on November 13, 1979. Robinzine, who was under the basket at the time, fled while shielding his face in order to avoid falling glass, which inspired Dawkins to include the phrase "Robinzine Cryin'" when later creating a name for the dunk.
NBA player profile
Robinzine was known as a tough rebounder and one of the better defensive players in the league at the power forward position. He played for the Kings for five seasons often averaging double digits in scoring, and then was released to make room for Reggie King. After playing in a diminished role in Cleveland, Robinzine got a rejuvenated career with the Dallas Mavericks. In Dallas, Robinzine became one of the leading scorers along with Jim Spanarkel. He signed with the Utah Jazz for the 1981-82 season, where his role had diminished and he fell out of Utah's rotation. Jazz general manager Frank Layden had told Robinzine that if he were to offer him a contract it would be for less money, and Robinzine had already rejected small offers to player overseas.
Death
..... Robinzine, though on the outside seeming very optimistic, was not on any NBA team's roster at that time and had been distraught over not getting any new contract offers after what he felt was a year in Utah where his playing time had diminished. His wife, Claudia, had said that he "couldn't reconcile not being in the NBA anymore." He was also upset over financial problems that close friends as well as financial advisors had all told him were extremely manageable, despite what he had thought.
See also
In Spanish: Bill Robinzine para niños
- List of basketball players who died during their careers
