Cliff Robinson

Former NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson Passes Away

Former NBA All-Star, Sixth Man of the Year, and veteran of 18 seasons Cliff Robinson has passed away, Claudine Ewing of WGRZ-TV first reported (Twitter link). He was 53.

Across his 18 seasons, Robinson suited up for the Trail Blazers, Suns, Pistons, Warriors and Nets. After a standout showcase at UConn, Robinson was drafted by Portland in the second round (36th overall) of the 1989 NBA Draft.

During his eight-year run in Portland, Robinson became a weapon off the bench as he appeared in all 82 games for his first five seasons. Robinson became the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 1992/93 season, then an All-Star in 1993/94 when he moved into the starting lineup.

Robinson remained a double-digit scoring weapon for most of his post-Portland career before he retired from the league following the 2006/07 campaign. He appeared in 1,380 total regular season games and another 141 postseason contests over the course of his NBA career, averaging 14.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG.

The Buffalo, New York native had experienced some health problems in recent years. In 2017, Robinson suffered a brain hemorrhage that temporarily paralyzed the left side of his body, according to the Portland Tribune. Then, in 2018, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his jaw, per KATU.

Hoops Rumors sends our condolences to Robinson’s family and friends.

Eastern Notes: Kleiza, Robinson, Nets

Former Raptors forward Linas Kleiza told lrytas.lt – a Lithuanian media outlet – that he has no interest in returning to the NBA after being amnestied by Toronto this past July (hat tip to RealGM.com). The 6’8 forward now plays for Fenerbahçe Ülker of the Turkish Basketball League.

Here are some more news and notes from around the Eastern Conference:

  • One source tells Ridiculous Upside’s Keith Schlosser that former NBA veteran Cliff Robinson has landed an assistant coaching job with the Springfield Armor of the NBDL, which serves as an affiliate with the Nets. The one-time All-Star’s 18-year playing career included stops in Portland, Phoenix, Detroit, Golden State, and most recently New Jersey.
  • Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy looks at how the Nets have become a legitimate title contender after an offseason overhaul that brought in three former All-Stars in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Andrei Kirilenko to go with new head coach in Jason Kidd.
  • Sam Amick of USA Today checked in with TNT’s Charles Barkley and Steve Kerr along with ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy to get their opinions on some of the biggest storylines of the upcoming season. As far as the East is concerned, Barkley views center Greg Oden as the key to the Heat’s quest for a third-consecutive title, Kerr predicts that the Bulls will unseat Miami in the playoffs, and Van Gundy thinks the jury’s still out as to how the new additions in South Beach could hurt or help the Heat.
  • Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Twitter) notes that plenty of scouts are in attendance at tonight’s pre-season game between the Wizards and Knicks to get a look at potential cuts. With Knicks GM Steve Mills’ recent comments about lack of depth at center, Berman believes New York will certainly be scouting too.