Frederick Robert "Rick" Robey (born January 30, 1956) is an American former

college A college ( Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

and professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player. At 6'11", he played the center position for the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...

, and the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA).

Early life

Born in

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...

, Robey's family moved across America as he grew up. Robey remembered "I lived in Coral Gables and Jacksonville, Florida until I was about five, then in Memphis (Tennessee) until I was 8 1/2, in Alaska until I was 11 and in New Orleans ever since". Robey's interest in basketball started early. The Robey family lived in Kodiak, Alaska for two years where Robey's father worked at the Kodiak Naval Operating Base. His father, Fred Robey was a civilian employee of the US Defense Investigative Service who said Robey's interest in basketball "...started very young, about five or six. He'd say 'Dad, come out and throw the ball to me' and I'd do it. Then he started saying 'Dad, let's go out and shoot baskets' and I'd do that too". Robey started playing basketball in the naval station's gymnasium every day, competing with much older sailors and marines. Robey's father said "they were all so much bigger and better than him that he learned he just had to be aggressive".

High school career

Robey played high school basketball as a center for the

Brother Martin High School Brother Martin High School is a private, Catholic, all-male college preparatory school run by the United States Province of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was established by the brothers in 1869 as St. Aloysiu ...

Crusaders in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Andy Russo Andy Russo (born May 26, 1948) was a college basketball coach at Louisiana Tech and at Washington. He compiled a 60–61 record through four seasons at Washington, and resigned at the end of the 1988-89 season after he led the Huskies to a pair of ...

said of Robey "...one is a sophomore, Rick (Robey) is 6' 9" and weighs 215 pounds. He has never played high school ball, but when Marquette was in New Orleans to play Tulane, coach

Al McGuire Alfred James McGuire (September 7, 1928 – January 26, 2001) was an American college basketball coach and broadcaster, the head coach at Marquette University from 1964 to 1977. He won a national championship in his final season at Marquette, an ...

had Rick out to dinner. I don't know how he knew about him, but that's the kind of prospect Rick is. And he (Robey) hasn't even bounced a ball for us, yet." After joining the team, Robey lost a season due to leaving his home school district. In the year he sat out, Robey said "I grew five inches - up to 6' 10" inches. And I did get to practice and dress for games". Beginning to play as a high school junior, Robey quickly became the team leader in scoring, averaging 16.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Tom Kolb, Robey's high school coach during his senior year at Brother Martin said "When we got to the state playoffs... the true Rick Robey came out. Over the final five games, he averaged 28 points and 23 rebounds". During the 1974 Louisiana Top Twenty high school basketball playoffs, Robey was described by Town Talk sports editor William F. "Bill" Carter as "the most awesome basketball player I have seen... Robey does it all... he has learned to shoot the basketball from any spot."

Louisiana state championship and accolades

As a high school senior, Robey led the Brother Martin Crusaders to win the Louisiana Class AAAA basketball state championship 67-56 over district rival

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast ...

. Robey scored twice in the last 39 seconds of the game, earning a total of 21 points and 18 rebounds during the game. Robey was voted Most Valuable Player of the state AAAA championship game. Robey was voted Most Valuable Player in Louisiana for scoring 51 points and 38 rebounds during the tournament by the reporters and broadcasters who covered the games. Robey was named the Top Twenty tournament's "Outstanding Player" by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Robey was a unanimous selection to the Louisiana All-State basketball team.

National honors

In 1974 Robey was named to the All American Basketball Squad by Coach & Athlete magazine. Robey was selected to the

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

's Dixie Dozen and All-Southern teams. Robey was named one of "The Nation's Top 25" high school basketball players by the St. Petersburg Times. Robey was also selected to All-Star teams by Basketball News, Basketball Weekly and Parade magazine as well as chosen for the Family Weekly College Coaches All-Future team, Sporting News "Super Twenty" team and the Senior Scholastic All-American team.

Collegiate prospect

Robey was chosen as one of 1974's "30 hottest college prospects" by five well regarded college basketball coaches. Coaches

Gene Bartow Bobby Gene Bartow (August 18, 1930 January 3, 2012) was an American men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years. In 1972 Bartow coac ...

of Memphis State,

Don Haskins Donald Lee Haskins (March 14, 1930 – September 7, 2008), nicknamed "The Bear", was an American basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for three years under coach Henry Iba at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University). He wa ...

of the University of Texas at El Paso, Dick "Digger" Phelps of Notre Dame, George Raveling of Washington State and

Norm Sloan Norman Leslie Sloan Jr. (June 25, 1926 – December 9, 2003) was an American college basketball player and coach. Sloan was a native of Indiana and played college basketball and football at North Carolina State University. He began a long career a ...

of North Carolina State selected Robey as one of the six most promising centers in America. Averaging 19.9 points and 15.9 rebounds per game as a high school senior, it was reported Robey had "college coaches drooling" over the prospect of recruiting him.

Invitational tournament play

Kentucky Derby Classic

Robey was one of ten national high school basketball stars on the US All Stars team during the 1974 Kentucky Derby Classic held in Louisville, Kentucky's

Freedom Hall Freedom Hall is a multi-purpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is best known for its use as a basketball arena, previously serving as the h ...

on April 28, 1974. Robey's team competed against the Kentucky-Indiana team, which featured five Kentucky and five Indiana high school stars. Robey's team's coach was Paul Walker who had been voted 1974 National High School Basketball Coach of the Year. Walker said Robey was "an animal - he's so aggressive, he just beats the heck out of you". Robey scored 16 points and made eight rebounds during the game. Aware Robey would soon sign on at the University of Kentucky, the 14,000 plus fans gave Robey a ten-minute standing ovation when he was introduced.

Capital Classic

Robey played against the Capital All-Stars team in the first Capital Classic along with his US All-Stars teammates Mike Phillips,

Butch Lee Alfred "Butch" Lee Jr. (born December 5, 1956) is a Puerto Rican retired professional basketball player. Lee was the first Puerto Rican and first Latin American-born athlete to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), accomplishing thi ...

and

Moses Malone Moses Eugene Malone (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A cen ...

. The match-up, held in the

Capital Centre Capitol Center or Capitol Centre or Capital Center or Capital Centre may refer to: Singapore *Capitol Centre, Singapore United Arab Emirates *Capital Centre (Abu Dhabi) United Kingdom *Capitol Centre, Cardiff, a shopping mall United States * Ca ...

in Landover, Maryland drew a crowd of over 11,000 – an all-star attendance record at that time. Anticipating a small turnout, officials actually sold close to 7,000 walk-up tickets. The Beltway had a reported five-mile traffic backup, delaying the game for more than a half-hour. Malone and Robey combined for 14 points and 26 rebounds to lead the US All-Stars to a 101-82 victory. Capital All-Stars'

Kenny Carr Kenneth Alan Carr (born August 15, 1955) is a retired American basketball player. Carr was the 1st round (sixth overall) pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1977 NBA draft. A 6'7" forward from North Carolina State University, Carr won a gold ...

said of Malone and Robey “They just beat everybody in the head”.

Louisiana All-Star Game

Although invited, Robey was not allowed to play in the 1974 Louisiana All-Star game due to a state rule that prohibited athletes from competing in more than one All-Star game. Robey had already participated in two and thus was ineligible to play. Tom Kolb, Robey's high school coach (who would have coached him in the All-Star game) defending Robey's decision to play in the other tournaments, saying "Can you blame him (Robey)? He wants to know how good he is and the only way he's gonna find out is to play against the best players in the nation. So that's what he did".

Pan American Games

Robey won gold as a member of the 1975 Pan American Games when he was just 19.

College career

Robey, then ranked fifth in the nation, estimated 210 college basketball programs had approached him to join their teams. The media closely followed Robey as he narrowed his choice of teams for his college basketball career. In early 1974, it was reported that Robey would choose either

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pu ...

, the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

or the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state's ...

. In April, 1974 Robey chose UK, accepting a scholarship offered by Coach

Joe B. Hall Joe Beasman Hall (November 30, 1928 – January 15, 2022) was an American college basketball coach. He was the head coach at the University of Kentucky from 1972 to 1985, leading the Wildcats to a national championship in 1978. Biography Hall p ...

. Hall also recruited Jack Givens, James Lee and Mike Phillips to 1974 UK lineup. Robey and Phillips were often referred to as "the Twin Towers" while playing together at UK. Robey said his decision was influenced by Kentucky's love of basketball. "I felt the coaches here were really good people and of course the fans are tremendous". Coach Hall was pleased with Robey's performance at UK saying "...Rick is not the kind of guy who pouts. He took the elbows, smiled and learned his lessons". Robey was a member of UK's 1974-1975 team that was the 1975 NCAA Championship Runner Up and UK's 1977-1978 team that won the 1978 NCAA Championship.

1978 NCAA Championship

While Kentucky's 1978 championship 94-88 win against the Duke Blue Devils is often remembered for Jack Givens' 41-point outburst,

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice ...

magazine said Robey "made the most spectacular play of the game. With 7:39 to go, (UK Coach Joe B.) Hall charged onto the court during a brief stop in play to chide Robey for some indiscretion. Seconds later Robey responded by grabbing a missed shot and jamming it into the basket in one motion". During the championship game, Robey shot 8 of 11 from the floor, scored 20 points and led the team with 11 Kentucky rebounds. While a student at UK, Robey was a member of

Delta Tau Delta Delta Tau Delta () is a United States-based international Greek letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, (now West Virginia) in 1858. The fraternity currently has around 130 collegiate chapter ...

fraternity, along with fellow UK star Mike Phillips.

Professional career

Robey was the third overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, selected by the

. Halfway through his rookie season, Robey was traded to the Celtics for former ABA All-Star Billy Knight. Robey played eight seasons (1978–86) in the

. After being a member of the Indiana Pacers and

, he was traded to the

before the 1983-84 season in exchange for

Dennis Johnson Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18, 1954 – February 22, 2007), nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a coa ...

. He scored 3,723 points in his career and was a member of the 1981 Celtics championship team.

Career after retirement from pro sports

Robey returned to the Louisville area after his pro career and became a

real estate broker A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

. Robey now has his own real estate team a
EXP Louisville
Robey's son Sam played on the offensive line for the University of Florida football team.Rivals.com profile of Sam Robey
/ref>

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robey, Rick 1956 births Living people All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players at the 1975 Pan American Games Basketball players from Miami-Dade County, Florida Boston Celtics players Brother Martin High School alumni Centers (basketball) Indiana Pacers draft picks Indiana Pacers players Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in basketball Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Phoenix Suns players Power forwards (basketball) Sportspeople from Coral Gables, Florida