Pistons’ Duncan Robinson details ‘formative’ tenure in Miami

How will it be strange for fans to watch Duncan Robinson play on the Miami Heat in a different uniform, the Pistons guard returns Saturday night in what will result in a wide range of emotions. Since when The Heat and Pistons did a sign-and-trade that included Robinsonit was the end of an era for both sides, as the dynamic three-point shooter explains how much his former team changed him.

Robinson’s story with Miami is one that many players in his path, even the head coach, dream of Erik Spoelstra saying it’s amazing enough to make a movie out of it. Playing at the Division III level, he would then be good enough to transfer to the University of Michigan, and even though he went undrafted with the Heat, he played a key role for Miami over the last seven seasons.

He would be a key component to Miami’s success, even going as far as showing off his elite three-point ability by holding the team’s all-time 3-pointers record (1,202) and notably becoming the fastest to hit 1,000 shots from deep. Robinson was honest about it there will be a lot of emotionsaccording to The Miami Herald.

“I think it’s going to be a mix of emotions,” Robinson said. “It’s going to be great to see a bunch of familiar faces, people that I have great lifelong relationships with. It’s going to be weird being on the other side of that building. Obviously, I’ve only gotten one experience out of that building, and that’s playing for the Heat. So this is the beginning of a new chapter, in that sense.”

Duncan Robinson’s time with the Heat was ‘formative’

As both sides moved on, while the Heat boast a deep roster that led to early success, including a sign-and-trade for Simone Fontecchio, there’s no denying that Robinson had a lasting effect on his former team. While the franchise would normally make tribute videos for players who won championships or were All-Stars with them, Miami will have a video for Robinson on Saturday night because it was the location that contained Robinson’s “formative years.”

“I think when I look back, I think I will always consider my time in Miami to be some of my most formative years as both a player and a person,” Robinson said. “I think I’ve grown so much on the court, off the court. I think in many ways I’ve learned what it means to be a professional, how to become a man, to deal with adversity, to deal with adversity, failure, what it meant to sacrifice, to be a part of a win, to contribute to a win. All those things I’m forever grateful for.”

While it was a shock to Robinson, he said the move was “the best thing” for both sides, as both teams found success facing the Heat (13-6) and Pistons (15-4).