Going forward, primary schoolers at Maude H. Trefethen School will be greeted by the 80-inch-long cursive nаme of Duncan Robinson at half-court of the school’s kid-sized basketball court whenever they go outdoors for recess.

The Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) just retained 27-year-old Robinson with a $90 million, five-year contract.  On Thursday, he paid a return visit to the little island community in New Hampshire where he spent his formative years to receive an honor from the school he had attended.

Incredibly small? When Robinson’s 2006 sixth grade graduating class consisted of just four students, he made the quip, “You have to get along with everyone.”

During the dedication of Duncan Robinson Court at Maude H. Trefethen School in New Castle on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, resident Cricket Prevost poses for a photo beside Duncan Robinson and her autographed No. 55 T-shirt.

On Thursday, speeches and enthusiastic cheers were held to dedicate Duncan Robinson Court.

Truly, he is an exceptional human being. His former teacher, Debra Tillar, has known him since he was six years old. “I am at a loss for words to describe him; he is truly remarkable.”

Tillar stated that she had no doubt Robinson will achieve tremendous success in the future.

There are aspects in which she said it was predictable. You could always count on him to do whatever he set his mind to. A wonderful human being; he has our undying devotion.

Duncan Robinson Court at New Castle’s Maude H. Trefethen School was dedicated on Thursday, August 26, 2021, and during the ceremony, the 6-foot-8-inch signature of Duncan Robinson was exposed.

In preparation for Thursday’s celebration, we spoke with Robinson. One of the top three-point shooters in the NBA recently said:

Why is this recognition important to you?

When Robinson thinks back on his childhood, he is filled with nostalgia for the times he and his buddies would play basketball games in New Castle, such as “21” and 1-on-1-on-1, with anyone else who happened to be present.

At the dedication of Duncan Robinson Court at Maude H. Trefethen School in New Castle on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, Miami Heat star Duncan Robinson autographs an autograph for AJ Reinertson of York, Maine. The Middlesex Magic are Reinertson’s current AAU team, and Robinson was a member of that same squad when he was younger.

“This court gets a lot of shots,” Robinson commented. Whoever I could get out there—my dad, sister, mom, anybody—rebounded. All it really is, getting a ton of images from up there.

Robinson was able to achieve success in AAU basketball thanks to those hours of work. The following institutions: New Castle, Rye Junior High, The Governor’s Academy, and Phillips Exeter Academy for one year after graduation. He played in an NCAA Final Four after transferring from Williams, a Division III school, to the University of Michigan, a Division I school. Then, he made it to the NBA by a circuitous route: he went undrafted.

Robinson expressed his deep gratitude for the distinction, as his footsteps and handprints are now permanently imprinted in concrete at the New Castle school court.

Things are looking up. His upbringing was shaped by this neighborhood, he remarked. “Being back here and sharing the moment with all these truly remarkable people means a lot. I obviously spent a lot of time at this school and on this playground.” T

Look at the 80-inch autograph on the half-court tile! It goes with his 6-foot-8 frame.

As a child in New Castle, who were the people that supported you?

“All of my teachers really,” Robinson summed up. “The principal, Lynn Zacharias, my dad was a teacher here, Kristen Mullen, Deb Tillar—they were all there, continually encouraging and helping me develop the values that have stayed with me and guided me throughout my life.”

At this point, he is the role model.

On Thursday, August 26, 2021, during the dedication of Duncan Robinson Court at Maude H. Trefethen School in New Castle, sixth-grader Andrew Muldoon of Hampton proudly displays a newly autographed No. 55 Duncan Robinson playing card.

About sixty-five to seventy-five community members gathered under a shaded tree on Thursday for the court dedication, anxiоus to offer their congratulations to Robinson on his accomplishment.

In response to the query “Who’s ready to take pictures with Duncan?” a child raised their hand and shouted out “me!” in no time at all.

Is the contract still in play?

Robinson became the NBA’s highest-paid undrafted player with a $90 million contract. He participated in the NBA’s G-League development program in 2018 after going undrafted, and he impressed enough to sign with the Miami Heat in 2019.

Subsequently, Robinson became one of the best three-point shooters in the league and contributed to Miami’s 2020 NBA Finals run. In the past two years, he has averaged over 13 points per game. In 2020–21, he was fifth in the league with 3.5 3-pointers per game.

As a result of Robinson’s immense popularity among fans, the Miami Heat’s official Twitter account occasionally shares images of the player from his youth if he has a particularly productive shooting night from beyond the arc.

When the new season starts in the fall, Robinson will be under a lot of pressure to fulfill the terms of his contract. He was queried about the response he has received thus far on Thursday.

According to Robinson, his loved ones have been overjoyed for him.

“Just about everyone has been on board,” Robinson stated. Many of them have been with me from the beginning, long before this was considered. Therefore, it has been truly remarkable to share each milestone with them.

In response, Robinson said that he had always known exactly what he wаnted.

Was the NBA always something he considered?

“Probably not at the time… or perhaps I was naively believing I had a shot,” Robinson remarked while laughing. “Yeah, I’ll admit it; this is where my passion for basketball began and blossomed as my dedication grew.”

Recalling your first NBA game, what were the main points?

Episode 30 of Robinson’s “The Long Shot” podcast, which was released on August 26th, went over the following day’s team film session following his first preseason game with the Heat vs the San Antonio Spurs.

The play in which Robinson missed a wide-open shot in favor of passing was halted by Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra told Robinson he could play for Miami “We brought you here to shoot threes, not to kιck the ball out.”