@MiamiHeat/Twitter Heat president Pat Riley greets forward Duncan Robinson at the FTX Arena before signing his new contract.
Miami Heat president Pat Riley was at the FTX Arena as players arrived to sign their new contracts on Friday, and the first person to ink his deal was Duncan Robinson, who agreed to a five-year $89 million contract with the team.
While Robinson was undoubtedly excited to ink his record-breaking deal, a new video posted on the Heat’s official Twitter account revealed that the 27-year-old forward received a major surprise before putting the pen to paper.
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In the viral video, Robinson almost “loses it,” he says, after learning his agent, Jason Glushon, secretly facilitated a plan for his parents, and Marta, his sister, to join him at the contract signing.
In the heartwarming video, his father, Jeffrey Robinson, and mother, Elisabeth Robinson, look to be the proudest parents in the world. Seeing their son go undrafted in 2018 to one of the best three-point shooters in the entire NBA, to signing a contract worth nearly nine figures — it’s nothing short of an amazing journey.
“I’m excited to have my family here,” Robinson says. “I’m completely surprised by that. Just feeling super blessed and humbled by this whole experience really. I had no idea. It was just truly a special moment.”
Riley Deemed Robinson a ‘Critical’ Part of the Heat Roster
After Robinson signed his contract, Riley put out a powerful statement explaining why they offered the 6-foot-7 forward such a massive pay rise.
“Duncan is the epitome of everybody who’s ever had a dream about being a great NBA player,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement, per the Miami Herald. “I have never been around a player who worked as hard, fastidiously working on what he needed to do in order to improve his game. Not just his shooting, but his overall game. Having Duncan back was very critical for us.”
The Michigan alum’s contract stands as the biggest deal ever offered to an undrafted player in the NBA. In the past two seasons combined, only two other players have scored more threes than Robinson (520), Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard (545), and Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield (553).
Robinson’s Unexpected First Purchase After Learning About His Huge Pay
Duncan really let loose after signing his $90M contract
While most NBA players purchase an expensive watch, car, or home after learning they’re about to make bank, Robinson just had one thing on his mind: tacos.
“I stopped by Locos Cocos Tacos in Kittery, Maine, and picked up some good ole… New England Mexican food for the family. So, if you’re thinking I was going to do some lavish dinner at Carbone? Or something really spicy… No. Just some classic New England tacos.”
Robinson admits that the insane new money he’s about to receive — the reality of the situation hasn’t quite sunk in just yet.
Robinson said, “Truth be told, it hasn’t quite hit me. I’m still wondering as to when it will because as of right now, my life really hasn’t changed at all other than people like now know how much money I’m going to make very publicly.”
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