Clifford Robinson, an early star in UConn’s rise to power, a former NBA All-Star and the 1993 Sixth Man of the Year, has died at the age of 53, the UConn Huskies confirmed Saturday on Twitter.
No cause of death was given, though former Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said Robinson had a stroke 2 1/2 years ago.
Nicknamed “Uncle Cliffy” and known for his trademark headband, Robinson spent 18 seasons in the NBA, helping the Portland Trail Blazers reach two NBA Finals.
He also played for the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets. He made the 1994 NBA All-Star Game and was named to two NBA All-Defensive second teams while averaging 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 1,380 career games — the 13th-most in NBA history.
At 6-foot-11, he had the size of a center but was a skilled outside shooter, a predecessor of the modern NBA big man.
The UConn Basketball family mourns the loss of a legendary player and person, Clifford Robinson. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cliff’s family at this difficult time 🙏
Rest In Peace, Cliff. pic.twitter.com/Bp6Z5hbVUb
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) August 29, 2020
Robinson, a native of Buffalo, New York, was the centerpiece of Calhoun’s early teams at UConn from 1985-89, helping guide the Huskies from the bottom of the Big East to the 1988 NIT championship.
“It’s really sad to hear of this, because he was one of my kids, my players, a guy I watched grow into a man,” Calhoun told The Associated Press. “It’s not an easy thing.”
UConn retired Robinson’s No. 00 in 2007.
“He was our first great player,” Calhoun said. “He gave legitimacy to the program. As a player coming in, here’s this guy playing on TV for the Trail Blazers, watching him play, watching UConn being mentioned. You could not pay for the exposure that he gave us.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
