Clifford Robinson, selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 36th overall pick of the 1989 Draft, led a remarkable life. He played 18 seasons in the NBA, traveled to North Korea with Dennis Rodman, was a proponent of marijuana legalization and a even contestant on a season of “Survivor.”
But Robinson, tragically like so many others, could not survive 2020.
The man known affectionately as “Uncle Cliffy” passed away at the age of 53, joining Kevin Duckworth, Jerome Kersey and Drazen Petrovic as Trail Blazers greats from the early 90’s who died far too young.
Questions about his character caused the 6-10 forward, a two-time All Big East honoree over the course of four seasons at UCONN, to fall to Portland in the second round, though those concerns proved to be of no consequence, as Robinson was a model citizen on and off the court.