Oliver Robinson facts for kids

Oliver Leon Robinson Jr (born March 13, 1960) is a retired American basketball player. He played as a shooting guard for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs.

After his basketball career, he became a politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Alabama House of Representatives. He represented Alabama House District 58 in Birmingham from 1998 to 2016.

Early Life and Education

Oliver Robinson graduated from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham in 1978. He then attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

After playing professional basketball for a short time, he returned to UAB. He earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Urban Affairs in 1987. He also studied political science, business, and sociology.

After college, Robinson worked at AmSouth Bank. He was a vice president and managed the Office of Community Affairs. In 1999, he co-founded ABI Capital Management. This was an investment advisory firm.

With his wife, Sakina, he also started Robinson & Robinson Communications. They published a magazine called Community Reinvestor.

Basketball Career Highlights

Oliver Robinson was a 6-foot-4-inch guard from Birmingham, Alabama. He played college basketball at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He was the first player to ever receive a scholarship from the school.

At UAB, Robinson was a top player.

• He was named First-team All-Sun Belt Conference twice (1981, 1982).
• In 1982, he was the Sun Belt Player of the Year.

In his final year, Robinson led the Blazers to a great season. They won 25 games and lost only 6. They even beat the No. 1 seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament. This helped them reach the Mideast Regional Final. Robinson was named the Regional MVP. Later, UAB retired his jersey number to honor him.

Professional Basketball

After college, the San Antonio Spurs drafted Robinson. He was the 24th pick in the second round of the 1982 NBA draft.

Robinson played in 35 games for the Spurs during the 1982–83 NBA season. He averaged 2.9 points per game. After his time in the NBA, he played for teams in the Continental Basketball Association.

In 2008, Oliver Robinson was elected to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. This recognized his achievements in basketball.

Political Career

Oliver Robinson served in the Alabama House of Representatives. He represented the 58th District from 1998 to 2016. This district is located in Jefferson County.

During his time in the House, he held important roles. He was the vice-chairman of the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation. He also served on several committees, including:

• Banking and Insurance
• House Education Policy
• Financial Services
• Military and Veterans Affairs
• Rules

He also chaired the House Government Operations Committee.

In November 2016, Robinson announced he was leaving his seat. He explained that his daughter, Amanda Robinson, had a new job. She was appointed as a liaison between the Alabama legislature and Governor Robert Bentley's office. He wanted to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. He noted that his daughter was the first African American and first female to hold that position. He said he wanted to give her "every opportunity to succeed." He also planned to focus on helping children in his old neighborhoods.

In June 2017, Robinson announced his full retirement from politics.

See also

In Spanish: Oliver Robinson para niños