BIO: Ricky Robinson was born in Roselle, New Jersey (USA).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Ricky Robinson made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 28 years of age. He scored 16 points in his first game.

The Cairns Taipans entered the NBL for the first time in 1999/00, with head coach Rod Popp tasked with taking the club from the success enjoyed by the Cairns Marlins in the Queensland Basketball League to the national competition. The inaugural roster featured American imports Ricky Robinson and Rashamel Jones, captain Terry Johnson, veteran Andre Moore and local talent including Aaron Grabau and Grant Kruger. Moore had also become an Australian citizen in 1999, allowing him to return to the NBL as a local player after several seasons in the state leagues.

Cairns made its NBL debut against the Melbourne Tigers at Melbourne Park on October 2, where Robinson finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in a 98-71 loss. Terry Johnson added 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Andre Moore contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Melbourne was led by Andrew Gaze, who recorded 33 points, five rebounds and 10 assists.

Robinson (18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals across 13 games) immediately established himself as one of Cairns’ main offensive options, providing scoring, rebounding and playmaking during the club’s difficult introduction to the NBL. Sharing the scoring responsibilities were Johnson (16.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals across 23 games) and Jones (17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 25 games), as the Taipans attempted to find their footing against the league’s established teams.

Cairns played its first home game at the Cairns Convention Centre on October 12, losing 104-78 to the Sydney Kings. Robinson led the Taipans with 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and connecting on two three-pointers. Johnson added 23 points, while Jones contributed 10 points and five rebounds. Sydney was led by Matthew Nielsen, who finished with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists. The defeat was the second of seven consecutive losses to begin the club’s inaugural campaign.

The first meeting between the two North Queensland clubs took place on October 30, when Cairns hosted the Townsville Crocodiles in the inaugural Reptile Rumble. Robinson contributed 18 points, four rebounds and three assists, with Jones adding 17 points and seven rebounds and Moore finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds. Townsville dominated the contest behind Andrew Goodwin, who recorded 26 points and five rebounds, winning 103-75 at the Cairns Convention Centre.

After seven consecutive defeats, the Taipans finally broke through for their first NBL victory on November 13, defeating the Sydney Kings 99-86 at the Cairns Convention Centre. Robinson produced his highest-scoring and most productive performance of the season, recording 27 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and one steal. He shot 8-of-12 from the field, connected on two three-pointers and added nine free throws, while Johnson led Cairns in scoring with 30 points and Jones contributed 20 points and three steals. Sydney guard Drew Barry was influential in defeat, finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, but the result gave the Taipans their first win in franchise history.

On November 30, Robinson came close to matching his season-high scoring output when Cairns hosted the Wollongong Hawks. He finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block, shooting 10-of-16 from the field and making both of his three-point attempts. Johnson added 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while Grabau contributed 10 points and six rebounds. Wollongong’s Melvin Thomas delivered 30 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals as the Hawks escaped with an 83-82 victory.

Three days later, Robinson recorded his season-high 16 rebounds and six assists alongside 18 points and one steal in a narrow 79-78 home defeat against the Brisbane Bullets. Johnson led Cairns in scoring with 22 points, while Jones added 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Brisbane was led by former Newcastle guard Rod Johnson, who scored 20 points, as the one-point result marked another missed opportunity for the Taipans to record their second victory.

Robinson made what would become his final NBL appearance on December 18 against the Adelaide 36ers at the Cairns Convention Centre. He registered 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Jones led the Taipans with 26 points, four rebounds and three steals, connecting on five three-pointers. Johnson added 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists, but Adelaide’s Martin Cattalini scored 26 points and four rebounds as the 36ers won 98-89. Robinson was released after his final NBL game on December 18 and was replaced by Al Hamilton.

Without Robinson in the lineup, Cairns claimed its second victory of the season on December 27, defeating the Brisbane Bullets 84-79 at the Brisbane Convention Centre for the first road win in franchise history. Jones led the Taipans with 25 points and seven rebounds, while Moore added 16 points and 14 rebounds. Simon Kerle led Brisbane with 18 points and four rebounds, but the result gave Cairns a second historic milestone in its inaugural season.

Hamilton (17.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals across 12 games) made his first appearance for the Taipans on January 7 and provided a strong rebounding presence alongside the team’s existing frontcourt. Moore (7.9 points and 5.4 rebounds across 27 games) provided experience and support inside, while Grabau (7.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals across 28 games) and Kruger (6.9 points and 3.9 rebounds across 28 games) were the only players to appear in all 28 regular-season games. Nik Mirich (4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds across 24 games), Aaron Fearne (5.0 points across 13 games) and Matthew Shanahan (4.3 points across 22 games) also contributed during the club’s first NBL campaign. Despite the addition of Hamilton and continued efforts of the playing group, Cairns failed to win another game after its December victory over Brisbane, losing its final 13 games.

The Taipans finished their inaugural regular season in last place with a 2-26 record, missing the playoffs. Their final game came against North Queensland rivals Townsville at the Cairns Convention Centre on March 10, with Robinson no longer part of the lineup. Jones finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Moore added 17 points and 14 rebounds. Townsville was led by Andrew Goodwin, who scored 21 points and grabbed three rebounds, as the Crocodiles defeated Cairns 99-87 to end the Taipans’ first NBL season.

Ricky Robinson played one season in the NBL. He averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 13 NBL games.