Hyunjung Lee
February 20, 2024
Justin Robinson
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 12/10/97
- Place of Birth: Manassas, Virginia (USA)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 185
- Weight (KG): 88
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Virginia Tech (2015-2019)
- NBL DEBUT: 18/09/22
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 13/03/24
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 26
- NBL History: Illawarra 2023-24
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Justin Robinson was born and raised in Manassas, Virginia (USA). There he attended St. James School in Hagerstown.
He originally attended Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland, playing basketball mostly as a reserve player and was a teammate of future NBA player Justin Anderson. He transferred to St. James School, Maryland before his junior year. He immediately became a starter at St. James and averaged 13 points and six assists per game in his junior season.
As a senior, Robinson averaged 21.8 points, 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game and was named the Washington County Player of the Year, Gatorade Maryland Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and a Parade All-American.
He was rated a three-star recruit by ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals.com and committed to play college basketball at Virginia Tech over offers from UNLV and Providence.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Justin Robinson made his NBL debut with the Illawarra Hawks at 24 years of age. He scored 14 points in his first game.
Following two consecutive seasons of making the NBL semi-finals, the Illawarra Hawks entered the 2022/23 campaign with significant changes. Head coach Brian Goorjian exited to lead the Bay Area Dragons in the East Asia Super League, leaving longtime assistant Jacob Jackomas to take the reins. The coaching shift triggered a mass exodus of key players, with only Tyler Harvey and Sam Froling remaining from the Hawks’ primary rotation. Duop Reath left for Lebanon, Justinian Jessup signed in Spain, Antonius Cleveland moved to Adelaide, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes joined Melbourne. Veteran AJ Ogilvy retired, and Harry Froling signed with Brisbane.
To offset the losses, Illawarra signed local talent Deng Deng (via Brisbane), Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (via Perth), and Mangok Mathiang, who returned to professional basketball after recovering from a long-term injury. The Hawks finalized their roster with import guards Justin Robinson and George King, both on one-year deals. On signing Robinson, Jackomas stated, “a great ball defender, key facilitator and most importantly a scorer.”
Robinson’s debut season ended abruptly in the first game when he suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee against the Sydney Kings. Although he played through the injury in the game’s closing stages, further medical evaluation revealed surgery was necessary, effectively ending his season. Kevin White was upgraded to the roster as Robinson’s replacement.
Without Robinson, Illawarra endured their worst season in franchise history, finishing 3-25. Tyler Harvey (18.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals) led the team offensively, while Sam Froling (14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) was a standout, earning the Hawks’ MVP award.
2023/24
After the disastrous 2022/23 campaign, Illawarra entered the 2023/24 season seeking redemption. Jacob Jackomas returned as head coach, but the team underwent another significant roster overhaul. Todd Blanchfield was acquired from Perth via a buyout, with the Wildcats covering part of his contract. The Hawks also signed Mason Peatling (via Melbourne), Biwali Bayles (via Sydney), and Lachlan Olbrich (via NCAA). Korean shooter Hyunjung Lee joined under the NBL’s ‘Asian Player’ rule, while NBA prospect AJ Johnson was recruited through the Next Stars program.
Justin Robinson returned from his injury to full health, providing a significant boost to the backcourt. The team also signed NBA veteran Gary Clark as their third import. Illawarra’s core group, including Tyler Harvey, Sam Froling, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, William “Davo” Hickey, and Daniel Grida, remained intact.
Despite promising preseason performances, the Hawks struggled in the early part of the season, hindered by injuries to Lee and Peatling. Clark (17 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists), Froling (15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists), and Harvey (15.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals) provided consistent contributions, but the team was unable to establish early momentum. By October, Illawarra’s record stood at 2-4, with wins over South East Melbourne and Cairns.
Two heavy defeats to Sydney and Cairns led to Jackomas parting ways with the team. Justin Tatum stepped in as interim head coach, overseeing an immediate turnaround. Under Tatum, the Hawks won four of their next six games. However, injuries continued to plague the roster, with Grida (5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.4 assists) sidelined after ten games due to a knee injury. Hickey’s emergence (5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) helped stabilize the team, and the mid-season signing of former South East Melbourne guard Kyle Adnam added valuable depth.
Hickey delivered one of the season’s highlights in Game 2 of the semi-finals, recording career highs in minutes played (33) and points (18) while playing stellar defense against New Zealand’s Parker Jackson-Cartwright. The Hawks improved their offensive output significantly from the previous season, increasing their average points per game from 80.8 to 91.6, ranking fourth in the league.
Illawarra finished the regular season in fourth place with a 14-14 record, securing a spot in the play-in tournament. In the opening game, the Hawks were defeated by Tasmania (92-76) but bounced back to edge out New Zealand (88-85) in a thrilling contest, earning a semi-final berth against Melbourne.
The Hawks lost a tightly contested Game 1 to United, 115-106, after surrendering a halftime lead. They responded in Game 2 with a gritty performance to even the series with a five-point victory. However, their postseason run ended in the deciding game, falling short by six points and missing a Grand Final appearance.
Gary Clark emerged as the team’s standout player, delivering several high-scoring performances, including a season-high 38 points against Cairns. His efforts earned him the Hawks’ Club MVP award and a place on the All-NBL First Team. Justin Robinson appeared in 33 games, averaging 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks, providing a strong return after his injury-shortened previous season.
Justin Robinson played two seasons the Illawarra Hawks. He averaged 11.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 34 NBL games.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 26 | Illawarra | 14-14 (4) | 33 | 892.0 | 396 | 92 | 145 | 17 | 75 | 31 | 7 | 70 | 76 | 134 | 322 | 42% | 40 | 126 | 32% | 88 | 107 | 82% | 53% | 48% | 26 |
| 2022-23 | 25 | Illawarra | 3-25 (10) | 1 | 31.0 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 25% | 0 | 9 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 25% | 25% | 10 | Totals | 34 | 923 | 406 | 97 | 153 | 19 | 78 | 32 | 8 | 70 | 80 | 139 | 342 | 40.6% | 40 | 135 | 29.6% | 88 | 107 | 82.2% | 52% | 46% | 26 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 26 | Illawarra | 14-14 (4) | 33 | 27.0 | 12.0 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 9.8 | 42% | 1.2 | 3.8 | 32% | 2.7 | 3.2 | 82% | 53% | 48% | 26 |
| 2022-23 | 25 | Illawarra | 3-25 (10) | 1 | 31.0 | 10.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 20.0 | 25% | 0.0 | 9.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 25% | 25% | 10 | Total | 34 | 27.1 | 11.9 | 2.9 | 4.5 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 4.1 | 10.1 | 40.6% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 29.6% | 1.2 | 4.0 | 82.2% | 52% | 46% | 26 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 26 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
He participated in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament following his senior season, averaging 7.7 points and six assists in three games played. He then went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Robinson played with the Washington Wizards on their 2019 Summer League team where he averaged 8.8 points 4.0 assists in five Summer League games.
Robinson then signed a deal to play with the Wizards on July 12, 2019. On October 23, 2019, Robinson made his debut in NBA, coming off from bench in a 100–108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Robinson averaged 1.4 points per game in nine games. Robinson was waived by the Wizards on January 5, 2020.
On January 21, 2020, the Delaware Blue Coats announced that they had acquired Robinson off waivers.
On December 6, 2020, Robinson signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. On December 7, he was waived by the 76ers.
Robinson was later included again in roster of the Delaware Blue Coats announced on January 14, 2021. In 13 games, he averaged 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.1 minutes while shooting 40.5 percent from three point range, helping the Blue Coats reach the NBA G League Final.
On April 5, 2021, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed Robinson to a 10-day contract. On April 15, he signed a second 10-day contract.
Robinson joined the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2021 NBA Summer League.
On September 15, 2021, Robinson signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, on a two-way contract with the Wisconsin Herd. However, he was waived on November 30, after appearing in 17 games.
On December 17, 2021, Robinson signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings.
On December 28, 2021, Robinson signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons.
Robinson joined the Utah Jazz for the 2022 NBA Summer League and the Charlotte Hornets for the 2023 NBA Summer League.
Robinson played 43 games in the NBA. He averaged 2.6 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- July 15, 2019: Signed a contract with the Washington Wizards.
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January 5, 2020: Waived by the Washington Wizards.
-
December 6, 2020: Signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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December 7, 2020: Waived by the Philadelphia 76ers.
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April 5, 2021: Signed a 10-day contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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April 15, 2021: Signed a 2nd 10-day contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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September 14, 2021: Signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
-
November 29, 2021: Waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.
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December 17, 2021: Signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings.
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December 28, 2021: Signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 74% | 96% | 79% | 66% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 139 | 342 | 40.6% | 40 | 135 | 29.6% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 24 | Milwaukee | PG | 17 | 0 | 198 | 48 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 57 | 32% | 10 | 37 | 27% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 41% | 40% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Sacramento | PG | 3 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 13% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 13% | 13% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Detroit | PG | 5 | 0 | 91 | 28 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 32% | 8 | 21 | 38% | 2 | 6 | 33% | 46% | 46% |
| 2020-21 | 23 | Oklahoma City | PG | 9 | 0 | 88 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 33% | 4 | 14 | 29% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 45% | 43% |
| 2019-20 | 22 | Washington | PG | 9 | 0 | 49 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 42% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 54% | 54% |
| 2019-20 | 22 | Washington | PG | 9 | 0 | 49 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 42% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 54% | 54% |
| 2020-21 | 23 | Oklahoma City | PG | 9 | 0 | 88 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 33% | 4 | 14 | 29% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 45% | 43% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Milwaukee | PG | 17 | 0 | 198 | 48 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 57 | 32% | 10 | 37 | 27% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 41% | 40% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Sacramento | PG | 3 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 13% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 13% | 13% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Detroit | PG | 5 | 0 | 91 | 28 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 32% | 8 | 21 | 38% | 2 | 6 | 33% | 46% | 46% |
| 2019-20 | 22 | Washington | PG | 9 | 0 | 49 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 42% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 54% | 54% |
| 2020-21 | 23 | Oklahoma City | PG | 9 | 0 | 88 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 33% | 4 | 14 | 29% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 45% | 43% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Milwaukee | PG | 17 | 0 | 198 | 48 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 57 | 32% | 10 | 37 | 27% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 41% | 40% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Sacramento | PG | 3 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 13% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 13% | 13% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Detroit | PG | 5 | 0 | 91 | 28 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 32% | 8 | 21 | 38% | 2 | 6 | 33% | 46% | 46% |
| 2023-24 | 26 | Illawarra | 14-14 (4) | 33 | 892.0 | 396 | 92 | 145 | 17 | 75 | 31 | 7 | 70 | 76 | 134 | 322 | 42% | 40 | 126 | 32% | 88 | 107 | 82% | 53% | 48% | 26 |
| 2022-23 | 25 | Illawarra | 3-25 (10) | 1 | 31.0 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 25% | 0 | 9 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 25% | 25% | 10 | Total | 43 | 0 | 441 | 112 | 33 | 48 | 6 | 27 | 12 | 2 | 22 | 39 | 40 | 126 | 32% | 25 | 80 | 31% | 7 | 13 | 54% |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 22 | Washington | PG | 9 | 0 | 5.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 42% | 0.3 | 0.6 | 60% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 54% | 54% |
| 2020-21 | 23 | Oklahoma City | PG | 9 | 0 | 9.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 33% | 0.4 | 1.6 | 29% | 0.3 | 0.6 | 60% | 45% | 43% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Milwaukee | PG | 17 | 0 | 11.6 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 32% | 0.6 | 2.2 | 27% | 0.1 | 0.1 | 100% | 41% | 40% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Sacramento | PG | 3 | 0 | 5.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 13% | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 13% | 13% |
| 2021-22 | 24 | Detroit | PG | 5 | 0 | 18.2 | 5.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 5.6 | 32% | 1.6 | 4.2 | 38% | 0.4 | 1.2 | 33% | 46% | 46% | Total | 43 | 0 | 10.3 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 32% | 0.6 | 1.9 | 31% | 0.2 | 0.3 | 54% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Italy - Trapani (2024-2025)
COLLEGE
Robinson attended Virginia Tech from 2015 to 2019, scoring 1,383 career points and become the school's all-time leader in assists.
He entered the Hokies starting lineup during his freshman season, averaging 7.3 points and 2.8 assists per game in 35 games (19 starts).In his first full season as a sophomore, Robinson averaged 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assist per game. As a junior, Robinson averaged 14 points and 5.6 assists (tied for second in the conference) and was named second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 41.8% from three in 24 games in his senior season, missing 12 games due to a foot injury.
He was named the ACC Player of the Week on January 28, 2019 after scoring 35 points with eight assists in a 78–56 win over Syracuse.
AWARDS
- Second-team All-ACC (2018)
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First-team Parade All-American (2015)
Related
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