LAWRENCE, Kan. — It’s official – University of Kansas junior forward Thomas Robinson is moving on to the NBA.
Robinson and KU men’s head basketball coach Bill Self made the announcement on Monday at a press conference in Allen Fieldhouse.
Robinson’s 9-year-old sister Jayla purposefully sat on the other side of him. In a span of a month last season, Robinson and Jayla lost both of their grandparents, then their mother, Lisa.
“Of course this reason would be for me to be able to put in a position for me to take care of my family, my little sister and everything and everybody else,” Robinson said.
“And I just wanna thank Coach Self,” Robinson said with emotion. “He never let up on me. And at times I hated it, but it was the best for me. It helped me get where I’m at now. Thanks to him I’ve got a chance to take care of my family.”
The 6’10” Robinson was a first-team consensus All-American last year for the Jayhawks, averaging 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds a game as he led KU to the NCAA championship game against Kentucky.
Robinson was the runner-up to Kentucky’s Anthony Davis for the Wooden Award and AP Player of the Year.