Sports foundations and grassroots clubs must continue to act as a vessel to help guide youngsters away from anti-social behaviour and crime within inner-city communities, according to former Great Britain basketball international Justin Robinson.
The 36-year-old point guard grew up in Brixton before going on to further his career in the United States collegiate system, also taking in spells playing across Europe ahead of a move back to the UK in 2017 with London Lions.
As he recovered from a serious knee injury suffered during the British Basketball League playoffs in April 2022, Robinson launched his own community interest company, centred around engaging young people using basketball to help tackle social issues.
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Robinson, who returned to action for the 2023-24 season with Surrey Scorchers, believes such mentor initiatives like those he was able to access at childhood club team Brixton Topcats can play a crucial role.
“It is no secret, Brixton has its ills, on the other hand it is a vibrant community and one of love, but of course there are aspects that need to be changed,” Robinson told the PA news agency.
“I am from these same streets. These kids look like me, they speak like me, they live the life that I lived, so who better to go into these schools and speak to these kids, using basketball as a vessel?
“But this is so much bigger than basketball. We are teaching life lessons: anti-gang, anti-grooming and anti-drug.
“The main fact of me just being in their presence is a level of hope for them. They can be going through a lot at home, there could be a lot of problems in their area with gangs, so there is a lot for the kids to deal with today.
“I was fortunate enough to have that support at Brixton Topcats, I had so many male and female mentors who kind of kept me on the straight and narrow. I am just trying to give back what was done for me.”
Robinson added: “When I was growing up in the mid-1990s to 2000s, there was a lot going on in the area. There was a real big drug problem with lots of gangs, it was a lot more ‘in your face’ and stuff being done out in the open.
“Now what we are seeing is a lot of these kids are getting younger and younger, with the addition of social media too, so we have to grab them from a young age, from years four, five or six – these are pivotal ages where they can go the wrong way or the right way.”
The JJROB Foundation works in partnership with Lambeth Council and local organisations such as Juvenis, which offers bespoke support and training for young people who are having difficulties at school, at home or in the community.
Robinson is confident those relationships between local government and community groups can continue to grow.
“It is hard. There is the cost of living (crisis), the economy is in trouble, there are so many factors we have to think about, but from my interactions with them, they are sincere, want to help and have been,” he said.
Robinson, a two-time BBL League MVP, admitted there were periods during his recovery from a ruptured patella tendon and broken kneecap when he wondered if he would ever play again.
The 36-year-old has gone on to achieve 2,000 Championship points this season, becoming just the sixth active player to reach the milestone as he helps the Scorchers push for the playoffs.
“There are times where I feel like myself and forget I was injured, then there are still times when I have to rein myself in, with a bit of that fear of taking the wrong step or maybe jumping up and landing on someone’s foot,” point guard Robinson said.
“When you are injured, it forces you to slow down a bit and you read the game a bit more. I have surprised myself, but at the same time I have always been confident of my abilities.
“There are still quite a lot of games to play (in the regular season), but so far, so good.”
:: Limited tickets for the British Basketball League All-Star Game at the Copper Box Arena on March 17 can be purchased via www.britishbasketballleague.com/2024allstars/
Bucks star Lillard to miss Game 4 against the Pacers with Achilles injury
Already without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks won’t have Damian Lillard in the lineup for Game 4 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Lillard played nearly 45 minutes in Milwaukee's 121-118 overtime loss in Game 3 on Friday but was ineffective down the stretch after aggravating a lingering Achilles issue.
The defeat was the second straight in the series for the third-seeded Bucks after defeating No. 6 seed Indiana in Game 1.
Antetokounmpo has not played since straining his left calf on April 9 and remains out Sunday, meaning Milwaukee will be without its two leading scorers as it tries to avoid a 3-1 deficit in the series.
Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points this season with Lillard adding 24.3 per game. But with Antetokounmpo sidelined, Lillard averaged 32.3 points in the first three contests against the Pacers to pace Milwaukee.
Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday.
Malone: Shoe mix-up not to blame for Nuggets' Game 4 loss
Michael Malone refused to blame a bizarre equipment mix-up for his Denver Nuggets' Game 4 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Denver headed into the game with a 3-0 first-round series lead, but ahead of a Game 4 where they could have sealed their progression, some Nuggets players warmed up in flip-flops after a delay in their shoes arriving to the arena.
Following the equipment mix-up, the Nuggets fell to a 119-108 loss as LeBron James led the way for the Lakers with 30 points to keep his team in the series.
Despite the pre-match muddle, Malone says to blame that for the ensuing defeat would be a "reach".
"Is it ideal? No," Malone told reporters. "But hopefully we can figure that out and make sure it never happens again.
"If you want to dig into stuff and say, 'well, we lost because for some strange reason our players didn't have their shoes when they got here for their normal warm-ups, that we had guys out there shooting around with flip-flops'. Is it ideal? No. But I'm not an excuse guy. And I'm not going to point to the reason we got our butts kicked in the paint because shoes weren't here."
Denver had been forced to overturn double-digit deficits in all three of their series victories prior to Saturday's defeat, and Michael Porter Jr. again lamented his team's slow start while crediting the Lakers.
"We talked about getting off to a better start," Porter Jr. explained. "It takes a lot of energy to come back from these double-digit leads, down 20, down 15, whatever it is.
"Tonight they [Lakers] did a good job of sustaining it. Whenever we got within 10 or eight, it seemed like they made a 3-pointer or made a big shot. So credit to them."
Tatum points to Celtics' toughness as key to Game 3 win over Heat
Jayson Tatum believes his Boston Celtics team showed their toughness as they claimed a 104-84 Game 3 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday.
As the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Boston eased to victory in the opening match of the first-round series. However, the eighth-seed Heat hit back in Game 2, taking a 111-101 triumph to level the series.
Game 3 belonged to the Celtics, though, with a strong defensive display and a big performance from Tatum, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, allowing Boston to once again get their noses in front ahead of Game 4.
In Tatum's view, the Celtics were able to match their ability with a strong mindset in Game 3 to help them regain control of the series.
"Everybody knows how talented we are," Tatum told reporters. "But can we be the tougher, harder-playing team?"
"If we can combine that with the talent, it's going to be hard to beat us.
"Can we start off every game, essentially, punching first instead of reacting? That's a test we have to be up for every single night."
The Heat hit 23 3-pointers in their Game 2 victory, but the Celtics' defensive display was a big improvement on Saturday, limiting the Heat to just 84 points.
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged the Celtics' much-improved performance in Game 3, though he still believes his team has the ability to haul themselves back into the series again.
"They were the more physical team," Spoelstra explained. "They bodied us [and] bullied us.
"We have enough to get the job done. We know we have to play hard, and we also have to play well."
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