The Nets-Magic game is on ESPN right now and Clifford Robinson is playing. Yes, Clifford Robinson. The same Clifford Robinson who's standing behind Michael Jordan in that now-famous clip of "The Shrug" from Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals. It's hard to believe that not only is he still in the NBA but he's still playing significant minutes.
He's doing all this at the age of 40. No, he isn't the oldest player in the NBA (that distinction goes to Dikembe Mutombo), but he's right behind him in second place. Robinson was taken by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft, which makes him the only active NBA player to participate in an NBA game during the decade of the 1980's.
I'm not some huge Clifford Robinson fan or anything, but it's weird when you realize how long certain athletes have been around. You also feel old when you realize how relatively young some of these guys were when you first started following the sport.
On a related note, I came across this page on nba.com while checking facts for this post. It's interesting.
im sry, I got all the respect for Robinson, but as a Nets fan, I see Robinson as a useless player right now. Hes got good post defense but thats about all. I like Him alot, and I respect all the things he did, but I think the nets should get rid of him soon.
Cliffy, a great ball player, the ultimate garbage man.
From the previous response, it doesn't sound like Cliffy's a fan favorite.
He'd be the perfect eighth or ninth man, but as a sixth man, or if the Nets are relying on him for 20-25 minutes a game, that probably won't get them that far.
He's only averaging 4 pts and 3 boards a game and shooting 36% from the floor.
"Good post Ian. I like Robinson; he's a class act."
really? seems he got caught by the league's substance abuse program last year in the playoffs. or is this another of those "we dont hold drug use against pro athletes..." type of deal?
if he wasnt tall, he'd be out of the league. same with motumbo. both were good in their time, but neither are close to what they used to be.
Well, I missed that story Cuzz. Up until July of this year my #### was running back and forth across the US. I'm still catching up on all the stuff I've been missing.
Last edited by 1steelerfan1 on February 3rd at 12:34 AM.
Yeah, I knew about Robinson's marijuana possession, but I didn't want to mention it in this post since I thought it'd distract from what I was really talking about: the fact that Robinson has been around the league for a really long time.
1steeler- i have to admit, i used to like clifford when he was with the blazers too. liked that whole team almost. drexler, terry porter, sabonis, kersey, buck williams, duckworth....
i lose respect for guys when they start breaking the law, and think that, because they're pro athletes, it should be ok....too often, the legal system tells them it is.
I'm a fan of all Chicago sports teams (including both the Cubs and White Sox). When one of my teams isn't playing I'm a big proponent of rooting for the underdog. I'm currently an inactive NBA fan and will remain so until David Stern is out as commissioner. I spend more time thinking about sports than I probably should, so I decided I needed a blog where I could share those thoughts with the world.
