Ronnie Robinson was an American basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player.

Robinson played high school basketball at Memphis Melrose High School

Melrose High School (Memphis, Tennessee)

Melrose High School is a public high school located in Memphis, Tennessee, in the Orange Mound area, serving 1557 students in grades 9-12. It is a part of the Memphis City School District.Melrose High School did not make AYP in 2007...

, where one of his teammates was his future college and professional teammate, Larry Finch

Larry Finch

Larry Finch was a player and coach for the University of Memphis men's basketball team. He is perhaps most famous for leading the Memphis State Tigers to the NCAA men's basketball championship game in 1973 in a heroic loss to the UCLA Bruins, led by Bill Walton.- Playing career :Finch was born in...

.

Robinson played college basketball in his hometown at Memphis State University. Robinson, Finch and Larry Kenon

Larry Kenon

Larry Joe Kenon is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'9" forward who had a productive career in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association , Kenon played for the New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and...

 led Memphis State to the 1973 Final Four

1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 10, 1973, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in St. Louis, Missouri...

; the Tigers lost to the undefeated, Bill Walton

Bill Walton

William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...

-led UCLA Bruins

UCLA Bruins men's basketball

The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...

 in the Finals. Robinson is one of eight University of Memphis Tigers basketball players to have his jersey number retired by the school.

A 6'8", 200 pound forward, Robinson finished his college career prior to the ABA-NBA merger

ABA-NBA merger

The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...

 and thus was selected in the fourth round of the 1973 NBA Draft

1973 NBA Draft

The 1973 NBA Draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 24, 1973 before the 1973–74 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...

 by the Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...

 and in the first round of the 1973 ABA Draft by the Utah Stars

Utah Stars

The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...

. Robinson opted for the American Basketball Association

American Basketball Association

The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...

 and began the 1973-74 season with the Stars. In January, the Memphis Tams

Memphis Tams

The Memphis Tams were an American Basketball Association team during the 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 seasons. The team had previously been the New Orleans Buccaneers for three seasons before moving to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Memphis Pros from 1970 through 1972. The team later became...

 traded Johnny Neumann

Johnny Neumann

Carl John Neumann is an American former professional basketball player and coach. At 6'6" and 200 pounds, he played the guard and forward positions.-High school and college:...

 to Utah for Robinson, Glen Combs

Glen Combs

Glen Courtney Combs is a retired American basketball player.A 6'2" guard from Virginia Tech, Combs was nicknamed "The Kentucky Rifle" for his long-range shooting...

, Mike Jackson and cash. With the Stars and Tams throughout the 1973-74 season, Robinson appeared in 62 games, averaging 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Robinson spent the 1974-75 season with the Memphis Sounds

Memphis Sounds

Memphis Sounds was the final name of a franchise in the American Basketball Association. The team had begun as the New Orleans Buccaneers, and after three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where it had occasionally played some home games in the past to reasonable crowds...

. With the Sounds, Robinson appeared in only 10 games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.