By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
NBA veteran forward/center Thomas Robinson has entered free agency determined to not only stay in EuroLeague but show that he can emerge as an elite presence in the competition by being a member of a championship-aspiring team.
“I’m two feet in with helping a team win long term,” Robinson told Eurohoops. “And once returning to the EuroLeague, this time fully committed, I will be one of the top players. I’m in the prime years in my career and I want to settle in with a club.”
Robinson became 29 years old in March and feels in his most fruitful phase as a professional. It makes sense for him to have the confidence that he can rise to prominent status in EuroLeague, considering also the fact that he now carries a fair amount of experience of the competition’s intricacies after his second stint with Khimki Moscow.
Khimki first brought Robinson in EuroLeague shortly before the beginning of the 2017-2018 season. Despite having zero experience of European basketball and all the complexities it encompasses for newcomers from overseas, the American big man produced instantly by scoring 16 points in his EuroLeague debut and then posting a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds a week later. He made a strong case that he could become a bona fide two-way force in EuroLeague, thanks to his ability to switch over guards and defend multiple positions, collect rebounds and efficiently finish pick n’ roll plays.
Robinson faced his first upset when a then spotless Khimki was routed by Olympiacos on the road. He had taken this loss pretty hard, even though it was an early regular-season match with a potentially minimal impact on the long run. Instead of making him disillusioned, this result reaffirmed his resolution and further fed his motivation.
“I respect every player in this league. Especially after tonight (26/10),” Robinson had then said to Eurohoops.
Robinson’s maiden EuroLeague experience suffered a major setback when he broke his hand in November and was forced to miss three months. He had averaged 11.4 points, 7.8 rebounds in 19:28 minutes before his injury.
In February 2020, Khimki acquired Robinson once more, this time as a replacement for injured former NBA slam dunk champion Jeremy Evans. Four games into his return, he delivered his best performance: A 10-point (5/5 2-pointers), five-rebound output that helped the Russian team beat Fenerbahce Beko with a tiebreaking 14-point margin. He was the one to score the decisive layup for the 14-point lead.
“I am just getting my rhythm. I have been here for about three weeks now and my teammates were super supportive, knowing that I would come around,” Robinson said after the win over Fener. It was the last game of the season since the coronavirus pandemic forced the EuroLeague to shut down a couple of days later.
Robinson didn’t have the opportunity to get his game to full swing as he wanted. It’s what he seeks ahead of 2020-2021.