Duncan Robinson may not be the best player on the Miami Heat, but he is on the precipice of accomplishing something that no player in the history of the game of basketball has ever done before.
While Robinson is well known by college basketball diehards for his appearance in the 2018 Final Four, which saw the Wolverines go down in the title game to Donte DiVincenzo and the Villanova Wildcats, few realize that he was actually a Division III player at Williams College in Massachusetts before playing for the Michigan Wolverines.
On Wednesday night, Robinson will make history as the first player to ever play in a Division III, Division I, and NBA title game (or in this case, series).
On Wednesday, Duncan Robinson will become the first player in history to play in a Division-III national title game, Division-I national title game and an NBA Finals game.
I think his journey is starting to enter movie-worthy territory. Incredible.
— Zach Shaw (@_ZachShaw) September 28, 2020
Robinson Hoping to Erase Title Game Goose Egg in Series vs. Lakers
In 2014, Robinson put up 17 points in a title game loss to Wisconsin-Whitewater in a losing effort, the first time he experienced the heartbreak of losing in a game for all the marbles.
Four years later, the bright lights of the NCAA title game vs. Villanova were a little too much for Robinson, as he shot 0-for-3 and had three personal fouls in 22 minutes of action against the eventual national champion Wildcats.
Now one of the NBA’s greatest and most improbable success stories, Robinson has a chance to redeem himself against the Lakers.
He’s averaged 13.5 points so far in the playoffs for the Heat while shooting a scorching 47% from the field including nearly 45% on three-pointers.
If the Heat are somehow able pull off an upset for the ages, Robinson could be one of the biggest keys.
For now, catch up on Robinson’s college career with the following highlights. He may have entered the league as one of its most mature players, but it’s clear at this stage that he’s still got a lot of growing to do, and a talented base to build upon, to say the very least.
Robinson was also a star in the G League, where he put up 21 points a game and shot nearly 49% for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Robinson was second in the league in scoring during his only season in the league, one spot ahead of another familiar name: well known former NBA point guard and former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Jarrett Jack, who put up 21 points per game during that 2018-2019 season.
