After playing a season with the Wisconsin Herd, the G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, Glenn Robinson III is set to embark on a new journey in his professional basketball career as he works toward a return to the NBA.

Robinson told EssentiallySports he signed a multi-month contract with the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots of the Philippine Basketball Association. He looks forward to making an impact and building on his season with the Herd.

“I’m most excited about this will be my first opportunity and first contract overseas,” Robinson told EssentiallySports in an exclusive interview. “It was my first opportunity in the G League last year. With the Pacers, I played a game on an injury assignment, but last season was the first time I really called it playing in the G League.”

After returning to professional basketball, Robinson embraced every opportunity to play for the Herd. He started 25 out of 29 games and averaged 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in less than 30 minutes every single game. He’s shot 50.4% from the floor and 38.0% from beyond the arc, along with 85.7% from the free-throw line. This has been a pretty strong season so far for him, showcasing his abilities and making a robust impact on everyone with his offensive and defensive complementary talent.

“I was really happy with how I performed this year, especially being out for two seasons,” Robinson expressed. “I was really excited for how I was able to show that I haven’t changed. I’m still athletic. I can still defend 1-through-4, 1-through-5, that 3-and-D guy that I know NBA teams are looking for. I was happy that my stats were very similar, and I felt like I played even better than I did when I had my starting opportunity; my best career job was with the Golden State Warriors.

Upon returning, two seasons away from the competitive scene, he felt that returning to the game was like riding a bike. It just happened naturally.“I think over what really surprised me, and I always knew this, but playing basketball is like riding a bike once you get to a certain level,” he said.

In fact, with Herd, Robinson had the opportunity to share the wisdom he had encompassed throughout his career with other rookies and younger talent. Given that the Hotshots are pretty eager to learn from him as much as he looks forward to learning from them, it all feels a bit too marvelous for him.

“I always like to see what God has in store for me, and I knew I would have to take on a big leadership role in the G League, being an older guy and working with some of the younger players, especially rookies and second-year guys,” Robinson shared. “I kind of look at it the same.”

So, what’s going to be different this time is playing in a foreign country. He’s used to the Midwest. Not only did he grow up in Gary, Indiana, but he also played collegiate basketball there and had a multi-year stint with the Pacers.

Glenn Robinson III is “excited” for a new experience in the Philippines!

For someone who’s never been to the Philippines, you should understand that people there are extremely passionate about basketball. And not just passionate. The people there are welcoming and humble. This was evident when Luka Dončić stepped foot in the country, representing his country at last year’s FIBA World Cup. Robinson seems to be looking forward to something similar. He wants to enjoy his time there, interact with fans, and learn more about their culture. He really wants to make an impact.

“I’m excited! I know that they love basketball, so I’m excited to play there as a guy who’s had six or seven years in the NBA and won a dunk contest,” Robinson expressed. “I’m excited for them to be able to interact with me. They actually interact with fans, but outside of basketball. I’m just excited to experience the culture.”

This is all the more exciting for him since he’s never been to any Asian country, let alone the Philippines. He’s traveled to many places in the Western hemisphere on vacation and spent a good chunk of his time in leisurely activities, but for him, no other time spent abroad is going to be equivalent to what he’s going to face in the Philippines.

“I’ve always gone to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and things like that, but I don’t consider myself. I have gone overseas anywhere,” Robinson explained. “So I’m excited to travel 14 or 18 hours, whatever it is, and experience the food and the culture and call it home for four months. It’s going to be really cool.”

He’s learned a lot about the country, knows many stories, and has his information ready. He continued to share his excitement about the experience with EssentiallySports. “I hear a lot of great things about it, and I can’t wait to get there,” Robinson reaffirmed. “Especially if they love basketball. What more can you ask for?”

This opportunity for Robinson will give him a chance to take on a new, refined role he’s never had before. It might even enable him to display his talent in a new light.

Magnolia Hotshots offers a chance to reach “another level” in a larger role

Now, before Robinson departs for Manila, he’s already in the loop about his role and his team’s schemes and actions. Everything is chalked out with his coaching staff. He’s enthusiastic about the Hotshots and intrigued by all his conversations with head coach Chito Victolero about what the future holds for him.

“I had a few conversations with the coach over in the Philippines, and he was very familiar with my game, watched a lot of film, not just from the NBA, but he actually watched most games last year from the G League,” Robinson mentioned. “It seems like I would be a great fit in their offense. He actually told me that we would love to actually learn from you as well, from coaches to players. It seems like it’s going to be a really good spot for me to continue to be the person I am, be the player I am to just learn and just take it within stride. With this being my first opportunity overseas, I’m just excited to see what it’s like.”

The contract Robinson signed will enable him to be available to sign with an NBA team early in the upcoming season. It’ll be the first time in his professional basketball career that he has to leave his family, particularly his daughter, for an extended period. He is excited about the opportunity to compete and engage with a famously passionate basketball fanbase in the Philippines.

“I was actually glad that I didn’t have to make my first time overseas an 8-to-10-month season. This is a 3-to-4-month season,” Robinson revealed. It’ll be good because it’s so far away from family and my daughter. I’m just really, really excited about it being a shorter season, but I also get to go out and play against good competition and, of course, the fans. I keep hearing the fans are amazing. They love basketball. They love football. So I’m excited to see the fans and the support that I get.”

Instead of being tasked with being a 3-and-D wing who is there to complement an NBA superstar, Robinson understands he will be tasked with being a more aggressive scorer than he’s had to be in his basketball career. He relishes the challenge of stepping into that role while continuing to make his mark, contributing to the nuances of the game he’s shown to do effectively as a complementary player.

“I definitely feel like I’m looking to just do what I do, but just on another level,” Robinson expressed. “I know they’ll need for me to be that number one, number two guy, instead of even in the G League, I had to be that number three guy; we got so many two-ways that come in; you got rookies, there’s a lot of politics to it. I’m excited to break free from a lot of the politics and let, and insert myself as that, as the guy here.”

Taking on more of a responsibility as a scorer is something Robinson is undoubtedly prepared to do. During his time with the Warriors, he still remembers hearing from Draymond Green about some scoring wisdom from Kevin Durant. The former MVP broke down a simplified perspective to scoring by keeping the game simple and mastering the fundamentals instead of focusing on flash. That’s advice he’s still drawing from ahead of departing for the Philippines.

“I remember talking to Draymond Green that year with the Warriors, and he would explain to me how [Kevin Durant] was able to score the ball so efficiently,” Robinson recalled. “I really love how he broke it down because I took the similarities and added them to my game because I’m not comparing myself to KD, but what Draymond told me was that when KD plays, the fundamentals are there, and he keeps it simple. You don’t have to be a guy that’s gonna take 20 dribbles and look like Kyrie to where it always looks amazing, and it looks like an R&B song. You can be aggressive by knowing the fundamentals and knowing your game.”

While Robinson hasn’t been asked to be a high-volume scorer in his career, he feels he’s always been prepared from a skills perspective to handle that challenge. However, he doesn’t want to deviate from playing the right way. He wants to continue to make the right reads and be a team-first player focused on winning games.

“I was excited about that, with the G league, and I’ve always been this type of player, but I just take what the defense gives me,” Robinson exclaimed. “I try to make the right reads, and I’m excited to do that at a bigger stage this year, playing in the Philippines, because they’ll need me to. The teams I’ve been on haven’t always needed me to do that since high school and college, so it’s exciting for me because I know I have that ability.”

The former dunk contest champion will play within his skill set and not do anything crazy aside from when he’s throwing it down. “I don’t have to do it by doing anything crazy besides my dunks. I heard they love dunking,” he said. “I will go give them a couple of 360s, a couple of windmills, and things like that.”

Whether he’s spacing the floor to take catch-and-shoot jumpers, using his athleticism in transition, or making the right decisions as the focus of various actions like pin downs or dribble handoffs (DHOs), Robinson understands he must be more aggressive and showcase an expanded arsenal that he’s always felt capable of using, but do so within the flow of the game without disrupting the offense.

“My game is to catch and shoot, three dribbles max, getting in transition. I love to come off pindowns and make my reads that way, come off DHOs, and be able to make the reads,” Robinson detailed. “I tried to really show in the G League what I would do when I got that call-up. That’s what I would do to help the Milwaukee Bucks. That’s what I would do to help the Lakers or whatever team that was looking at me. I thought that I showed what I needed to show regarding being able to play off the team, All-Stars, and superstars, so I’m still gonna do what I do, do what I love, play my game, and be even more aggressive.”

Right now, Robinson is focused on showing everything he needs to to get that call from an NBA organization to return to the league. The ultimate goal is to see that number on the phone and have that conversation.

Another NBA chance “would mean a lot” to Glenn Robinson III

No matter the person, there are ups and downs in life, not everything is linear. In conversations with a mentor, Glenn Robinson III has honed in on what it would mean to overcome his current obstacles to achieve his goal of returning to the NBA using conversations with his mentor.

“It would mean a lot. I had a mentor who I’ve spent a lot of time with over the past couple of years. We often talk about it,” Robinson expressed. “When you see a person win a Grammy, when you see a person win an Emmy, why do they get on stage, and why do they cry? It’s because of all of the things they were able to get through, all of the roller coasters, all of the doubts. It takes time in order to do something.”

Before reaching the status of winning the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2017, Robinson spent many years throughout his childhood and young adult life working to reach that point. His dream was to pull it off, and he achieved it at 23. The process of reaching that goal is an example he uses now regarding everything that went into it, whether it’s the time it took or the physical or mental elements.

“I remember winning a dunk contest. That’s something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a kid,” Robinson shared. “I know all of the trials and tribulations, all of the DVDs I bought, all of the verticals, the shoes, the jumpsuit, everything that I did led to that moment. I feel the same about my comeback if you want to call it that. I know how much work that I put in, and a lot of it is mental. It’s like riding a bike, and that’s what has surprised me the most. I still put in the work, but I tell young guys, if your mind isn’t there, your game is not going to be there.”

From a day-to-day perspective, there is a significant difference between playing in the G League and the NBA, even if it’s simply looking at the logistics of traveling between games. This serves as an example of the mental adjustment it takes to get through a comeback journey. In the NBA, there are private flights and five-star hotels. Not so much in the G League. Robinson emphasized the value of finding the positive elements within such situations.

“Throughout everything last year with the G League, our first road trip, we got delayed in the airport for eight hours. There were several times when we had to catch bus rides,” Robinson recounted. “I’m used to catching the private flights and we are on the plane, and we get there. Even the guys at the hotel bring your luggage to your room. So everything is like A+ when you’re in the league. When you get out of the NBA, things can’t be A’s, but other things might be C’s, other things might be D’s, but there are A’s in there. So you have to look at the great things in life and remember who you are.”

After having a strong season with the Herd on an Exhibit 10 contract, Robinson felt he was close to receiving an opportunity at the NBA level. Instead of getting down about seeing other players receive a call-up he sought, he remains positive that the situation will take care of itself as long as he continues to show his game.

“It would mean a lot to me because I know how close that I was last season. I felt like I played great and didn’t let anything get me down,” Robinson expressed. “I didn’t let not getting that call up get me down. I just stayed true to who I was and, you know, did it for my reasons, and it would mean a lot getting back there because I know that’s where I belong. I won’t lie. I won’t say that it’s not tough seeing other guys get contracts or guys who I feel like I’m just as good as get opportunities, but I know that opportunity will circle back because I’m doing what I need to do, and I’m showing that my game is still there.”

Robinson, 30, sometimes feels that because his father, a basketball legend, is a name that’s been talked about for so many years, observers may view him as being older than he really is. He has a ton left in the tank.

“One thing that a lot of people don’t know is that I’m just 30. I’m not 35,” Robinson stated. “I think people have heard my name, heard my dad’s name for so long, they seem to tend to think that I’m a little older than I am. I know I’m still young enough to be able to compete with these guys, and I truly believe that, that opportunity will come.”

Managing to achieve a challenging goal looks much more straightforward when there are examples to inspire you. Robinson has watched some intriguing examples of players who went overseas or worked through the G League before returning to the NBA competition.

Recent comeback success stories inspire Glenn Robinson III

After dealing with injuries as a high draft pick and being traded and ultimately waived, Dante Exum played two seasons in the EuroLeague between his stints with FC Barcelona and Partizan Belgrade before receiving a two-year contract from the Dallas Mavericks. He filled an essential role throughout the season, emerging as a reliable third ball handler. He often referred to his time overseas as helping to build confidence after displaying a more consistent jump shot to tie together his game.

Exum is an example that Glenn Robinson III and his agent use as a reference for what the goal is for him to achieve.“My agent and I talked about Dante Exum’s situation quite a bit, and I’ve seen how he was able to go overseas, re-establish his career or whatever people thought about him, and then he was able to come back to the U.S. on the NBA roster,” he recounted. “Not only just make the roster, he helped that team at times this year. That was very exciting to see.”

After spending two seasons away from the NBA, Robinson isn’t ready to reveal everything about that situation. He wants to do so when the time is right, but he felt that stepping away for family reasons, particularly his daughter, was the right decision. He looks forward to sharing those details in the future.

“I knew that coming back after two years, there would have to be some things that I would have to re-establish,” Robinson stated. “I would have to get out of people’s minds that, like, ‘Hey, I didn’t quit on basketball.’ My number one reason was something that I felt was more important in life, more important than the game.

“I look forward to sharing my story when the time is right when I do get that comeback, and even if I don’t, I look forward to sharing my story about stepping away, handling what I had to handle with my family and my daughter,” he added. “Being there for my daughter at three years old, I think that, that’s the most important thing.”

Another source of inspiration building on Robinson’s perspective is Isaiah Thomas. After dealing with a significant hip injury that required surgery years ago, the undersized guard has continued to work hard to return to the NBA in a full-time capacity. Last year, he played five games in the G League before receiving multiple 10-day contracts before being signed for the remainder of the season.

Thomas remains motivated to use his determination as an example to teach his children some life lessons about perseverance and never giving up despite facing adversity. Robinson feels the same way about his journey and wants his daughter, who spends time with him while working out during this process, to benefit.

“Isaiah Thomas’s story was amazing to me because it was the same thing. He spent time with his kids. He spent time with his family and even came out and said, ‘If I quit now, what would my son think?’ And I think about that a lot with my daughter,” Robinson explained. “I take her to the gym with me. The last two summers, she’s been in the gym with me. Just yesterday, as I was preparing for the Philippines, she came to the gym with me, and she got to see how hard her dad worked and the things that I was trying to accomplish in my life.

“That will carry on to her as well, but if she grows older and she reads some of the things, some of the articles, or hears some of the things people say, she won’t see my work. I don’t know how that might play out,” he added. “So I really respect Isaiah Thomas’s story. Not only did he try to make a comeback, but he did it in five games in the G League? If that doesn’t tell you it’s possible, I don’t know what does.”

The next step in Robinson’s journey will be to depart for Manila later this week before adjusting to a new country, a different league, and a new set of teammates and coaches as he remains eager to showcase his abilities.