Khalid Robinson couldn\u2019t leave basketball. But he never knew coaching would be in his future.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Robinson stepped foot on Fordham\u2019s campus, his plan already was known. Robinson, a Political Science major, had his sights set on law school until he began studying for the LSATs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just realized this is not what I\u2019m passionate about,\u201d Robinson said to NBC Sports Bay Area. \u201cAnd I said, \u2018What in life am I passionate about?\u2019 It\u2019s basketball. That\u2019s kind of where and when I decided to make the shift to try and get into coaching.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Robinson walked onto Fordham\u2019s basketball team as a sophomore after taking one year off as a player. The New York native describes his old playing style as a \u201cdo-it-all, high energy player.\u201d Willing to make the right play, do the dirty work, crash the glass and be a fierce defender, Robinson played 40 games in four years at Fordham and started six of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He scored a total of 13 points in his college career, yet earned the respect of teammates and coaches so much that Robinson was named a team captain in each of his last two seasons. Even then, all the traits of what it takes to be a great coach were clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now as he enters his 11th season with the Warriors, Robinson is about to step into a new role as the team\u2019s NBA Summer League head coach. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr met with Robinson after the season ended and told him the news, and that he thought manning the sidelines throughout summer league would be a great opportunity for Robinson’s personal and professional career development as the next challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naming Robinson as the Warriors\u2019 summer league head coach falls in line with how Golden State has gone about business in getting coaches to the next step. Like the Warriors\u2019 last three summer league head coaches, Jacob Rubin, Anthony Vereen and Lainn Wilson<\/a>, Robinson has gone from being a video intern a decade ago, to one season as assistant video coordinator, six seasons as special assistant to the head coach and was promoted to assistant coach going into the 2024-25 NBA season.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Robinson, 35, prepares for his first chance to be a head coach, he has picked the brains of Rubin, Vereen and Wilson about their experiences, including what they would have done differently after going through the process, along with communicating with Kerr about what he wants to get done in the summer to help get ready for next season. The best advice he has received is probably the most obvious.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cKeep it simple,\u201d Robinson says. \u201cIt\u2019s a new group that for the most part hasn\u2019t played with each other, so simpler is better. Simple allows the guys to play harder with more focus. You just want the guys to be organized. If they\u2019re organized, they can play harder and be more effective.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n