‘Duncan Robinson wanted to be a sports journalist’: Former Ringer staff writer reveals Heat star’s text from 2017

Duncan Robinson was so unsure of his basketball career that he contacted former Ringer staff Mark Titus to enquire about a career as a sports writer.

The Miami Heat forward/guard, who’s playing his first full season in the NBA at the age of 26, was a Division 3 college player during his rookie season.

Following a noticeably amazing season in the role, the player was recruited by the Michigan Spartans program and perhaps led to believe that he did have a career in basketball after all.

Duncan Robinson’s request to former NBA writer Mark Titus

But Robinson was not even a starter for the Spartans basketball program by his senior year.

He did start a couple of games for them through the course of his college career, but him being loath to shoot the ball and trying to make the ‘right basketball play’ was heavily detrimental to his impact as he averaged fewer than 20 minutes per game for the elite program.

Also Read: ‘I wasn’t even a good High School Player’: Heat’s Duncan Robinson has an NBA story for the ages

By his senior year, Robinson was quite sure that he would not be drafted in the NBA. He began searching for alternative career choices, and as part of a class project, texted Mark Titus, who then worked for The Ringer, to learn about the life of a staff sports writer.

Duncan Robinson sent this text to @clubtrillion in 2017.

The Michigan senior was interested in sports media because he thought his basketball career was coming to an end.

Three years later he’s in the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/R4ezPy5Zwg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 28, 2020

While Titus recalls cooperating with Robinson, the player found his bearings in his final year at Michigan and was scouted by the Heat, who assured him a place in their summer league team provided he went undrafted in 2018.

A season spent in the G-League refining his skills, and Robinson emerged as probably the third most deadliest shooter in the NBA after the Splash Brothers now. An NBA Finals appearance awaits.