Every once in a while, you hear a story that really touches you. If you haven’t heard it yet, we’re pretty confident you’ll say Thomas Robinson has one of those stories.
Last night, the standout junior from Kansas was selected fifth overall in the NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. But Robinson’s journey to the NBA was riddled with tragedy, and unlike many stories you will encounter. In January 2010, when he was a sophomore at Kansas, Robinson received a call from his little sister Jayla, who is now nine years old. Jayla informed him their grandmother had died. Then weeks later, his sister called again—their grandfather had passed away. Thomas had served as a father figure in Jayla’s life, as the two were raised by a single mother, but nothing could prepare him for this.
And then in January, Jayla called again. Their mother had died of a heart attack. In a span of three weeks, Thomas and Jayla lost their mother and both of their grandparents. All that was left was Thomas and Jayla. ESPN has a great, emotional story on all the events that took place.
Thomas vowed to take care of his little sister, and protect her. Later this year, he will gain custody of Jayla, and provide her with a solid home. The 6-foot-9 power forward, so long a father figure to his younger sister for years, will continue to be as he begins his NBA career.
When Robinson was selected last night, all of that emotion, and all of that pain poured out. After his named was called, Thomas hugged Jayla. He began to tear up. As he shook hands with David Stern, you could see in his face just how difficult it was for him to get to this moment. And when he spoke with ESPN’s Mark Jones, all of that raw emotion came out.
Sometimes we look at professional athletes like they take their situations – their immense opportunities – for granted. Thomas Robinson takes nothing for granted. Last night, when Robinson was picked, I tweeted that if you couldn’t root for a guy like Robinson, you don’t understand that little thing we call life. Robinson’s story, and dedication to his younger sister, is absolutely awe-inspiring. There is not a single player in that draft I wish more success than Thomas Robinson.
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