Character History | Mitchell Robinson: A non-mainstream choice, creating an alternative NBA road

With no team, no opponents, and no management team, Mitchell Robinson seemed to have been forgotten by the world, squatting alone in the dilapidated yard, breathing heavily. Only his grandmother stayed with him every day. After every practice, her grandmother would hand over a bottle of water and a towel.

"Mom, I will definitely play in the NBA."

Yes, even though they are related by grandson and grandson, in Miro's heart, his grandmother is closer than his mother, so he changed his title starting from high school.

Milo's parents were both minors. His mother Lexa was only 14 years old when she gave birth to him. After learning the news, her grandmother Marilyn Thomas took the initiative to take over the important task of raising Milo because Marilyn couldn't bear it. Her daughter followed the same path of her youth, Milo's sports foundation. Because, most of them come from her grandfather, although they have never met. It is worth mentioning that in addition to Lexa, Marilyn also has a son, Chris. Three generations are crowded into a small apartment. In order to support the family, Marilyn not only works as a receptionist in a nursing home, but also works part-time in a nearby supermarket.

Thanks to his crazy height in middle school, Milo was recommended by his teacher to the school team. It should be noted that at this time, he had no basketball foundation and could not even dribble. However, even so, his outstanding physical talent was still noticed by the coach.

"He is very tall and has a long wingspan. More importantly, in addition to his size, he can also run and jump. I am sure we have found a 'baby'."

In order to get into the game as soon as possible, Milo began to take supplements. In addition to daily training, he also renovated the yard of his grandmother's house and continued to practice there after school.

Sports ultimately depends on talent. Milo, who has excellent physical condition, quickly emerged and led the team to the first state playoff victory in 19 years in his senior season. Throughout the season, he averaged 20.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 2.0 rebounds per game. With 0 steals and 8.1 blocks, he was rated as a five-star high school student by ESPN and one of the top ten most anticipated rising stars in the United States. In his last year of high school, Miró improved his data to 25.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 6 blocks, and received invitations from many prestigious NCAA schools.

Although Miro was born in Florida, he has been studying in Louisiana and has won almost all honors at the state level. He calls this place his second hometown, so he naturally hopes to stay in his hometown to play for the University of New Orleans and Louisiana State University. In addition, the University of Kansas, a thousand kilometers away, is also on his candidate list, because Miro had contacted the team's coach Rick Stansbury a few years ago, and the two had a very good relationship.

In the summer of 2017, the hesitant Milo learned that Stansbury had been poached by Western Kentucky University to serve as the team coach. The two people who had originally wanted to join forces hit it off, and Milo became the most famous high school student recruited in the history of Western Kentucky University.

However, although all the procedures were completed, Milo failed to report to the school for a long time. In the end, he was suspended by the team for one year.

As for why? There is a high probability that Miro regretted it, but he could not change the outcome. He submitted an application to the G League to bypass the NCAA. However, at that time, the G League had no plan to "ignite the team", so Miro's application was rejected.

In this way, Milo became an "orphan" who was homeless and had no team to rely on. Without games, he was destined to receive no attention. He could only practice at home alone. Fortunately, Milo still had his grandmother as a staunch supporter.

The 2018 NBA draft is coming, but what is bad is that during the trial training, Milo suffered an injury and only showed the shooting part, then left the field in a hurry, leaving the scouts even more confused. In the end, this rookie who was predicted to be a top ten player a year ago was not selected until the 36th pick in the second round. Of course, for a player who has "disappeared" for a year, being selected is a success.

Miro did not shout to the media, but packed his bags and prepared to go to Florida. He would pay off Marilyn's 20-year loan, and then take her to New York to start a new life. They seemed to be grandfather and grandson, but their relationship was more like mother and son, like friends. To this day, Miro still seeks Marilyn's approval when making some decisions, such as buying a notebook. In front of his grandmother, he is always like a child. This close family connection may be the source of strength that Miro can insist on himself on the basketball road.

Milo, who had not played in a game for a long time, did not feel the slightest discomfort. He was almost seamless with the NBA. He quickly broke the rookie record held by Porzingis and blocked 9 shots in 22 minutes. At this moment, all doubters began to re-evaluate. On the one hand, this "self-taught" young center benefited from outstanding talent, and on the other hand, it also showed that Milo had worked very hard in the past year.

Although injuries followed him like a shadow, and he suffered a fracture of his right hand, a fracture of his right foot, and a fracture of his right thumb, each time, Miro stood up tenaciously and constantly set new personal records. In the 21-22 season, in his limited playing time, he averaged 8.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 76%. In his first playoff appearance, he also recorded 6.5 points and 9.3 rebounds.

As a blue-collar player, Milo never complained about the dirty work. He was diligent and down-to-earth in pick-and-rolls, focused on every rebound, and jumped high again and again to guard the Knicks' penalty area.

After the season, the Knicks offered a four-year, $60 million contract. For a second-round pick who once had no ball to play, this is undoubtedly the best recognition of his value.

From the front yard of Pensacola, Florida, to the stage of Madison Square Garden in New York, he was alone on this road, but never lost. Perhaps it was the road less traveled that shaped the unique Mitchell Robinson today.