Not too very long ago I was coaching Y ball and was stunned to look at the opposing bench to see Ronnie Robinson. Dwight Boyd was the ref that day. Easterwood was in that league too. We lost the Big Cat ten years ago today.

Wow. I didn't realize it had been that long. We were in school at the same time.

I was looking through the obit page of the CA this morning and saw this in the 'In Memory' section:

Ronnie was one of the nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure to have known.

RIP

Helluva player, and a great guy. He, and Larry and I took quite a few classes together. He was a rebounding machine.

I saw that in the CA today. RIP.

I remember playing in a pickup game with Larry and Ronnie. Man, they could play some basketball. Back in the mid 1970's, Larry was living in the same apartments where I lived, ( Americana's in Whitehaven ) The apartments had a blacktop basketball court in the back. A buddy and I had already played with Larry a few times. One day Larry said he had a couple of friends coming over and we were going to play some ball. One of his friends was Ronnie Robinson. It was a day I will never forget.

Rest in Peace Larry and Ronnie.

Ronnie still holds the single game rebounding record of 28. I doubt it will ever be broken. He was the "Big Cat".

The following was posted by Ronnie Robinson's daughter Ashley on Facebook. I got her permission to share here:

Quote:On Friday, May 7, 2004 I came home from college after finishing my Freshman year at MVSU. I were suppose to be on the bus with the track team headed to Houston for the SWAC Championship but I told my coach I wanted to go home because it's Mother's Day weekend and my grandmother had been very ill and I didn't know how many more she would have. Coach understood and and I was on my way to Memphis. When I got home my dad was there and he was shocked to see me. He said, I thought you were in Houston?! I hugged him for a long time and didn't want to let him go. Y'all I was so happy to be home! So, what do we do before I unpack? We go and.......eat! Lol and if you know the Robinson's, you know we love to eat! Lol So, we 4 (dad, Sharonda, lil Ron and myself) load the truck and took my brother to work and ate at his job which was Interstate Barbecue. On the way, I remember my dad talking about how he was going to rent a RV and we were going to travel the whole country. He also mentioned how he wish I were at the University of Memphis. We ate, talked and laughed. We head home and it was off to bed to get up early and head back to Valley to attend the graduation ceremony. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. On this day, May 8, 2004, it was a beautiful Saturday morning, I was awaken by screams and everyone running through the house saying, call the ambulance! Mom said, Your daddy in the bathroom passed out! I rush into the bathroom and my daddy's eyes had rolled to the back of his head. Y'all my daddy died....
The reason I came home was for my grandma and not knowing it would be my daddy. I was so hurt and I still hurt 10 years later. Words can't express how i truly feel. Sometimes I just sit and don't say a word, I just think of all the amazing times we had and the way my daddy would laugh and tell jokes. He was such a comedian. Oh wow...but 10 years?! Seems like yesterday.
These past few years I've smiled more than I've cried and laughed more than I've smiled. It feels good to do them all. I use to be so angry and mad all the time and that was the wrong way to express my feelings. But I'm so much better. Look at God! I want to let you all know I had an AMAZING father. I am so proud to be Ronnie Robinson's baby girl. I have an angel watching over me and I call him DADDY.

(05-09-2014 06:54 AM)Latilleon Wrote:  The following was posted by Ronnie Robinson's daughter Ashley on Facebook. I got her permission to share here:

Quote:On Friday, May 7, 2004 I came home from college after finishing my Freshman year at MVSU. I were suppose to be on the bus with the track team headed to Houston for the SWAC Championship but I told my coach I wanted to go home because it's Mother's Day weekend and my grandmother had been very ill and I didn't know how many more she would have. Coach understood and and I was on my way to Memphis. When I got home my dad was there and he was shocked to see me. He said, I thought you were in Houston?! I hugged him for a long time and didn't want to let him go. Y'all I was so happy to be home! So, what do we do before I unpack? We go and.......eat! Lol and if you know the Robinson's, you know we love to eat! Lol So, we 4 (dad, Sharonda, lil Ron and myself) load the truck and took my brother to work and ate at his job which was Interstate Barbecue. On the way, I remember my dad talking about how he was going to rent a RV and we were going to travel the whole country. He also mentioned how he wish I were at the University of Memphis. We ate, talked and laughed. We head home and it was off to bed to get up early and head back to Valley to attend the graduation ceremony. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. On this day, May 8, 2004, it was a beautiful Saturday morning, I was awaken by screams and everyone running through the house saying, call the ambulance! Mom said, Your daddy in the bathroom passed out! I rush into the bathroom and my daddy's eyes had rolled to the back of his head. Y'all my daddy died....
The reason I came home was for my grandma and not knowing it would be my daddy. I was so hurt and I still hurt 10 years later. Words can't express how i truly feel. Sometimes I just sit and don't say a word, I just think of all the amazing times we had and the way my daddy would laugh and tell jokes. He was such a comedian. Oh wow...but 10 years?! Seems like yesterday.
These past few years I've smiled more than I've cried and laughed more than I've smiled. It feels good to do them all. I use to be so angry and mad all the time and that was the wrong way to express my feelings. But I'm so much better. Look at God! I want to let you all know I had an AMAZING father. I am so proud to be Ronnie Robinson's baby girl. I have an angel watching over me and I call him DADDY.

Thank you for sharing that Lat...it moved me deeply. This is a young woman I would love to meet. I am old..ergo..I watched/attended and loved all the players on this team. It broke my heart how much Coach Finch suffered before he went to (I have no doubt) his heavenly reward. Don't you know Ronnie and Larry are having a ball!

Dang, that FB post got me. It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since he passed away. His playing days were fun to witness.

(05-08-2014 08:56 PM)Redbanksdog Wrote:  I saw that in the CA today. RIP.

I remember playing in a pickup game with Larry and Ronnie. Man, they could play some basketball. Back in the mid 1970's, Larry was living in the same apartments where I lived, ( Americana's in Whitehaven ) The apartments had a blacktop basketball court in the back. A buddy and I had already played with Larry a few times. One day Larry said he had a couple of friends coming over and we were going to play some ball. One of his friends was Ronnie Robinson. It was a day I will never forget.

Rest in Peace Larry and Ronnie.

You lived in the Americanas? There were some nice pick up games there, and at Winnbrook also. That's going back a few years.

(05-09-2014 02:28 PM)KRB Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 08:56 PM)Redbanksdog Wrote:  I saw that in the CA today. RIP.

I remember playing in a pickup game with Larry and Ronnie. Man, they could play some basketball. Back in the mid 1970's, Larry was living in the same apartments where I lived, ( Americana's in Whitehaven ) The apartments had a blacktop basketball court in the back. A buddy and I had already played with Larry a few times. One day Larry said he had a couple of friends coming over and we were going to play some ball. One of his friends was Ronnie Robinson. It was a day I will never forget.

Rest in Peace Larry and Ronnie.

You lived in the Americanas? There were some nice pick up games there, and at Winnbrook also. That's going back a few years.

While y'all were playing ball with Larry while he lived in the Americanas, we lived a block down the street in the Benbow apartments. We couldn't afford the Americanas at the time.

(05-09-2014 02:28 PM)KRB Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 08:56 PM)Redbanksdog Wrote:  I saw that in the CA today. RIP.

I remember playing in a pickup game with Larry and Ronnie. Man, they could play some basketball. Back in the mid 1970's, Larry was living in the same apartments where I lived, ( Americana's in Whitehaven ) The apartments had a blacktop basketball court in the back. A buddy and I had already played with Larry a few times. One day Larry said he had a couple of friends coming over and we were going to play some ball. One of his friends was Ronnie Robinson. It was a day I will never forget.

Rest in Peace Larry and Ronnie.

You lived in the Americanas? There were some nice pick up games there, and at Winnbrook also. That's going back a few years.

Yep, I lived in the Americana's back in 1975 or 76, 77. I believed I lived there for about two years. I had a good time living there. Whitehaven is some old stomping grounds for me.

(05-09-2014 06:52 PM)oldtiger Wrote:  

(05-09-2014 02:28 PM)KRB Wrote:  

(05-08-2014 08:56 PM)Redbanksdog Wrote:  I saw that in the CA today. RIP.

I remember playing in a pickup game with Larry and Ronnie. Man, they could play some basketball. Back in the mid 1970's, Larry was living in the same apartments where I lived, ( Americana's in Whitehaven ) The apartments had a blacktop basketball court in the back. A buddy and I had already played with Larry a few times. One day Larry said he had a couple of friends coming over and we were going to play some ball. One of his friends was Ronnie Robinson. It was a day I will never forget.

Rest in Peace Larry and Ronnie.

You lived in the Americanas? There were some nice pick up games there, and at Winnbrook also. That's going back a few years.

While y'all were playing ball with Larry while he lived in the Americanas, we lived a block down the street in the Benbow apartments. We couldn't afford the Americanas at the time.

The Benbow apartments wasn't that bad, I had a couple of friends that lived there. I moved up when I moved out and had my own place in the Cabana's.