After being drafted with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft in 2012, Thomas Robinson quickly learned the harsh realities of the NBA, bouncing around five different teams through his first four seasons, never averaging more than 16 minutes per game. So, when the Los Angeles Lakers came calling in the summer of 2016, after noticing Robinson working out at the Lakers facility, Robinson didn’t necessarily expect his role to be much different.
“I kind of, unfortunately, been in this situation my whole career,” Robinson said of his role. “I never played over like 15 minutes my whole career average, I kind of learned and adapted to becoming the player that stays ready when your name is called, that’s just the way the path took me so far, so that’s all I’m doing is staying a pro and staying ready when my name is called.