“Congrats to our guy J-Rob! Nice addition to the Lakers staff!” wrote the Duke Blue Basketball’s social media squad on the team’s official Instagram handle. JJ Redick shut down the critics who called out his inexperience by taking the Lakers to the playoffs in the 2024-25 season. However, the head coach could always use some additional help. Therefore, in addition to the changes made to the playing squad in the ongoing off-season, the coaching staff has been made better too by including Justin Robinson as the player development coach.

His 20 months of experience as Duke men’s basketball’s director of player development will certainly guide him in the journey. Even though this individual is going to become an important part of the Lakers, there isn’t much we know about him, right? Well, no time than the present to enlighten ourselves.

Who is Justin Robinson?

According to reports, Justin Robinson was born back in October 1996. Justin comes from basketball royalty as his father, David Robinson, is the same one who won 2 championships with the San Antonio Spurs. So, the current Lakers player development coach grew an inclination for basketball right from the start, and it isn’t a newfound love.

During his time at San Antonio Christian School, Justin Robinson made a significant impact. As reported by KENS 5, he led the team to an impressive 25–6 overall record and a perfect 6–0 in TAPPS District 4-4A play. Averaging 13.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game, Robinson topped the charts in all three categories for the Lions. His standout high school performances ultimately paved the way for him to earn a spot with the Duke Blue Devils, where he spent four seasons developing his game.

While Justin didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps to the NBA, he carved out a professional career overseas. After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, he signed with Košarkaški klub Mornar (Mornar Barsko zlato), a respected team competing in both the Montenegrin Basketball League and the ABA League. His early professional journey saw him move just a month later to KK Podgorica on loan, giving him additional playing time and exposure within Montenegro’s basketball scene.

In 2021, Robinson returned stateside to participate in the NBA Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs, hoping to reignite his NBA aspirations. Although a permanent roster spot didn’t materialize, he continued his pro career with Elitzur Netanya B.C., a club in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches and weighing 202 pounds, Robinson remains a versatile and mobile presence on the court, continuing to pursue his passion for the game beyond the spotlight of the NBA.

Who are Justin Robinson’s parents?

As mentioned above, Justin Robinson’s father was 2x NBA champion David Robinson. Having played for the San Antonio Spurs between 1989 and 2003, Robinson Sr. went up against the greatest forces of the 90s, including Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, the ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons, Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers, etc.

He was also a member of the famed 1992 US Men’s Basketball’s Olympic Team, aka the ‘Dream Team’, which secured the gold medal in the games. David Robinson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice, once due to his career, and the other as a member of the 1992 ‘Dream Team’. Even today, the Spurs legend has not lost his reputation of being one of the greatest Centers to play in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Justin Robinson’s mother, Valerie Hoggatt, has been described as a renowned philanthropist. According to ‘Just Biography’, she is an American Nationality holder of African American ethnicity. She and the NBA star got married back in December 1991.

Both David and Valerie had done their part to make the world a better place. In 1997, the couple started the Carver Academy, a private faith-based elementary school in San Antonio. In 2012, it converted into a tuition-free charter school in partnership with the IDEA Public Schools network.

Justin Robinson’s College Career at Duke University

Justin Robinson played for the Duke Blue Devils between 2016, and 2020. Throughout 56 games, he went on to average just 1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.2 assists. His average play-time was just 4.5 minutes, and he shot only 0.6-1.1 (50.8%) field goals, 0.3-0.8 (40.4%) 3-pointers, and  0.1-0.2 (33.3%) free throws.

Justin Robinson initially came in as a ‘walk-on’ player. However, he soon got a full-ride scholarship to Duke. Robinson chose to reportedly redshirt his first season, playing just one game in the 2015-16 season. If he had stayed on, he could have gotten to play a full season with his then-teammate and NBA star Brandon Ingram. Still, there were practice sessions.

Despite averaging just 1.1 points and 0.5 rebounds in his first three seasons, Robinson was named the Duke squad’s Fourth Captain during his senior year. Robinson did not start in any of his games throughout the 4 years, except for his final collegiate game. In the matchup against UNC, Justin Robinson made 13 points through 4-7 (57.1%) field goals, 4-6 (66.7%) 3-pointers, and 1-2 (50.0%) free throws. The points tied with Robinson’s college career-high 13 points that he had made back in December 2018.

Justin Robinson might not have had the best college career, but it was still enough to earn him the respect of one of the best college basketball coaches of all time: Mike Krzyzewski aka Coach K. Coach K praised Robinson’s final college game performance by saying that “It’s better than ‘Rudy,’”, which was a reference to Notre Dame football walk-on Rudy Ruettiger. He added, “It’s almost like a movie. He’s been outstanding, and hopefully he keeps it going.”

Justin Robinson’s Stats Overview

As mentioned, Justin Robinson only averaged 1.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 56 games. His stats improved during his tenure on the international stage. In 8 games with Maccabi Ra’anana, he averaged 14.1 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. The player didn’t lose his prowess on the shooting front, as he averaged 51.2% field goals, 41.4% 3-pointers, and 62.5% free throws. During his first season with Elitzur Netanya, he averaged 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. That stat went up to 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game in the next season.

What is Justin Robinson Doing Now?

After his stint on the International level playing for the clubs at Montenegro and Israel, Justin Robinson was welcomed back to Duke on November 2023! That time, however, he joined not as a player, but as the director of player development under head coach Jon Scheyer.

“Justin Robinson embodies the values of our program as well as anyone,” said Scheyer in a team release. “His work ethic, knowledge of Duke basketball culture, and professional experience will be invaluable to our current players. This is the perfect example of what The Brotherhood is all about. I’m excited to have him back at Duke.”

Over the next year-and-a-half, Robinson remained busy in the running of the team, including managing the 2024-25 squad that included the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg. In fact, according to Lakers Nation reporter Matthew Valento, Robinson “presumably” played a key role in the development of Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach. From going undrafted to training the top draft picks this year, Justin Robinson has come a long way.

Justin Robinson on Instagram

Justin Robinson has a strong presence on social media, boasting about 17,900 followers on Instagram. As expected, several posts are about Duke highlights. At the same time, they also contain several moments from his private life, including his skills with the guitar at open mic nights.

Justin Robinson is now entering a new chapter in his life with the Los Angeles Lakers. After going undrafted in 2020, he finally gets the chance to leave a mark in the NBA. We will wait and see just how successful he will be in this regard.