Glenn Robinson III has had a colorful NBA career, playing for six different franchises over seven seasons.
The 6’6 forward was drafted 40th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves following a stellar two-year stint at the University of Michigan. Though he initially struggled to carve out a role in the NBA, he made a name for himself by winning the 2017 Slam Dunk Contest.
Robinson enjoyed the best run of his career three seasons later in the ‘19-’20 campaign where he played 62 games for the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in what turned out to be the highlight of his professional career so far.
The following season, Robinson had a brief and uneventful stint with the Sacramento Kings that ended in February 2021 when he was waived. That would be Robinson’s last appearance in the NBA—for now, at least. He fell off the radar for over two years before attempting a comeback with the NBA G League’s Wisconsin Herd in 2023, albeit his numbers hardly jumped off the page.
With his options in the United States limited, Robinson took a leap of faith and found himself where a handful of NBA journeymen wind up: the “Basketball Mecca” of the East, the Philippines.
In what could be imagined as a scene similar to Thor’s arrival at Sakaar in the 2017 film Thor: Ragnarok, Robinson signed with the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots as their import for the 2024 PBA Governor’s Cup. This conference is particularly more notable than previous ones as it is the first one where the league has implemented its “innovative” four-point line.
Robinson’s PBA debut coincided with the introduction of the four-pointer, and he wasted no time trying to capitalize on it. With five seconds left on the game clock and Magnolia down by three points, the 30-year-old forward tried to go for the win with a four-point shot that missed the mark.
Following the loss, Robinson, similar with many of the league’s audience, declared that he is “not a fan” of the four-pointer. He did not attempt another four-point shot in his second game, although he still finished with a game-high 28 points and Magnolia won by 12, 105-93, versus the Converge FiberXers.
Beyond all of this hooplah, Robinson has been tasked with the challenge of putting an end to Magnolia’s six-year PBA championship drought. He was nothing close to a go-to scorer during his days in the NBA and even the G League, but he will have to learn on the fly in the PBA.
In Magnolia’s first two games, head coach Chito Victolero has primarily positioned Robinson in the corner during late game offensive sets, relying on battle-tested veterans Paul Lee and Mark Barroca. This decision left Robinson as a spectator on most possessions down the stretch against Converge, though he sealed the win with a lay-up off a pass from Ian Sangalang, extending Magnolia’s lead to 12 in the final minute.
While Magnolia managed to secure this win, Robinson will need to be more involved in the offense if the team hopes to win the Governor’s Cup. More specifically, he must grow more comfortable with having the ball in his hands in late game situations and scoring on all three levels.
Given the age of Magnolia’s core players–Lee is 35, Barroca is 38, Sangalang is 32, and Calvin Abueva is 36–Robinson developing the ability to take over games is a must. This is of utmost importance if Magnolia wants to keep up with its much deeper sister teams, the San Miguel Beermen and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, if they do meet in the postseason.
Robinson’s journey back to the NBA may be growing more uncertain by the day, yet there is a path for him to find success in the Philippines. He does have similar qualities with another American player, Justin Brownlee, who has become a legend in the country, even making it his adopted home. There is still a long way for Robinson to go before even entertaining Brownlee comparisons, but the long-term potential for a similar outcome is too enticing not to point out.
This detour with Magnolia might not have been what Robinson expected when he first started his basketball career, though if he makes the most of this opportunity, he could wind up becoming a legend in this corner of the globe. Depending on how quickly he adapts to his new environment, Robinson could very well find himself with an experience more akin to Hulk’s on Sakaar than Thor’s. His success with this adjustment will ultimately determine whether he has a viable long-term career in the Philippines or if this is going to be the first of what could be many international stops on his basketball journey.
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