ShowsEddie Robinson
NBA Basketball - Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets January 3, 2025 Without question one of the most interesting guests we have ever had in The Aquarium is Eddie Robinson. In a city with the athletic tradition of Flint, it’s hard to pinpoint who the best athletes were. There are just so many to pick from it often settles into people picking folks from their sport, generation, or neighborhood. Nothing particularly wrong with that except it usually negates a truly analytic dive into the details.
When it comes to basketball it’s even tougher. There have been some truly stellar stars to come out of Flint and Genesee County. But one name that is often left out of that conversation is Robinson. That’s primarily because of the non-traditional route he took to the National Basketball Association. Robinson’s upbringing left much to be desired, and he essentially raised himself. Growing up in Flint’s north end he was exposed to every possible kind of trauma and opportunity to derail his life. He wasn’t much of a student. He never played organized ball, and at Flint Northern, when the Vikings won the state championship with Mateen Cleaves, and Antonio Smith, Robinson was nowhere to be found on the Northern roster. Cleaves once opinied that as good at that team was, the best player in the school wasn’t even on the roster. That player was Robinson. If he had played, we might be talking about that Viking team as the greatest in state history. Instead, Robinson was playing rec ball at Berston Field House. From that position he managed to capture enough attention to land a spot on the roster at Trinity Valley Junior College, and then the Brown Mackie School of Business, a business owned by American Education Centers. Robinson remembers it as being barely recognizable as a real school, and in fact was shut down for committing consumer fraud. Robinson eventually landed at Division 2 University of Central Oklahoma, in Edmond. Playing in the Lone Star League, Robinson’s skills were so obviously extraordinary he made the completely unlikely leap from D2 to NBA. At 6-9, with speed, length, hops, and incredible energy and ball skills, Robinson was a freak on the court, and his potential seemed unlimited. The YouTube videos you can still see of him in action are eye-popping. But much like the circuitous route Robinson followed to the world pinnacle of his profession, his time in the league would be equally non-conforming, just like Robinson himself. It’s our considered opinion that Robinson's personal theme song should be Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” because that is certainly how he lived his life. It’s a one of a kind interview with a one of a kind individual. This is an interview that could never be played on the radio in it’s NSFW, but it’s one you won’t want to miss if you have an interest in a helluva story, and the spectacularly circuitous tale of one of the greatest to ever come from the greatest sports town in American history per capita. That’s Eddie Robinson, and his story is unforgettable. Below: Eddie playing for the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets
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