Professional career
A University of Southern California alumnus, Robinson was drafted into the National Basketball Association by New Jersey Nets in 1979 with the 11th overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft. Cliff was the youngest player in the NBA two years running. He gave the Nets a solid rookie season, averaging 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. His 45 points against Detroit on March 9, 1980, was the most ever scored in an NBA game by a teenager until Cooper Flagg posted 49 on January 29, 2026. [1]
On June 8, 1981, Robinson was traded to Kansas City for Otis Birdsong. [2] Robinson would average a career best 20.2 points in 38 games for the Kings, before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. [3] In perhaps his best game as a Cavalier, on April 15, 1983, Robinson scored 40 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a 132–124 victory over the Indiana Pacers. [4]
From 1979 to 1989, he steadily maintained his scoring average between roughly 18 and 20 points per game, despite playing for several teams. His best season (1985–86) came in a Washington Bullets uniform, as he achieved a career-high season total of 1,460 points in 78 games played, and shot a career-best 76.2% from the free throw line. On December 12, 1985, Robinson scored 21 points and hit a game-winning jump shot with only 1 second left in overtime to beat the Milwaukee Bucks by a margin of 110–108. [5] That postseason, Robinson averaged 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2 steals in a hard-fought 3–2 series loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. [6]
In 1986, he and Jeff Ruland were traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for NBA legend Moses Malone. Robinson left the NBA in 1989, but later signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1991–92 NBA season. He finished his career averaging 17.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. [7]
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