Graney: Ex-Bishop Gorman, UNLV player finds new path to NBA
He played, as Noah Robotham says, until the ball stopped bouncing. But that didn’t pause his hoop dreams. It didn’t halt his pursuit of chasing a place in the NBA.
It’s just that his primary goal became about instructing the game instead of competing in it.
Robotham is a former Bishop Gorman High and UNLV point guard who has found his long-term calling. He’s a part of the Golden State Warriors’ coaching staff at the Las Vegas Summer League, his eyes on continuing such a role in the future.
It’s funny. Robotham, 28, is helping lead several players whose odds are miles long in eventually making an NBA roster. Many say it’s the same for those who want to coach in the league. Just as hard to latch on.
“It’s very difficult,” Warriors summer coach Anthony Vereen said. “It’s about building relationships and grinding outside of what’s expected of you. You have to put a lot of work in to make it happen.
“Noah is amazing. I could see him being a coach or general manager working in a front office. He has a bright, bright future ahead of him. He has bought in more than we could have ever asked. It’s a pleasure to have him.”
Maybe everyone should have seen this long ago.
Winning at Gorman
You don’t just begin a four-year varsity career as a freshman at the prep power that is Gorman. Too many good players. Too many upperclassmen who have paid their dues.
But that’s what Robotham did at age 14, helping direct a team that had its share of Division I talent with NBA aspirations. And they respected and followed him from the jump. He attended the school’s camps since the second grade. Was always going to be a Gael.
He became one of the winningest players in Gorman history with 112 victories and as a senior earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He then headed to Akron, where he was a 38.5 percent shooter on 3s over three seasons. He transferred to UNLV for his senior season under coach Marvin Menzies. Had thoughts about playing overseas.
It wasn’t to be.
“COVID happened, and things got difficult over there, so I just shifted my focus,” Robotham said. “I’ve always wanted to work in the NBA. I always wanted to be part of basketball in any capacity. The NBA was attainable if I worked hard and set my sights on it.
“It’s tough, but once you get your foot in the door, relationships happen organically. You just have to take it one step at a time and let the chips fall where they may. I just decided to try (coaching) at a younger age because it’s what I want to do for a very long time.”
He began working remotely as a video and data analyst for the Thunder, allowing him that foot in the door to chase his ultimate dream.
He was then hired by the Warriors and worked in basketball operations for their G-League team in Santa Cruz, California, before becoming a coaching associate with the big club. It’s about small steps, for sure.
You don’t usually go from walking away from the game as a player and soon sit next to Steve Kerr while helping diagram plays for Steph Curry. These things take time, and Robotham knows it. He’s also willing to put forth the effort.
Sky is limit
“It doesn’t surprise me that he has been successful and is working his way up,” Gorman coach Grant Rice said. “He always had those leadership qualities. We saw it in him right away.
“He might not have always known what he wanted to do, but he definitely had the coaching bug in him. He has worked really hard. The sky is the limit for him. I think he’ll continue to grow and move up in the NBA.”
The ball stopped bouncing, and Noah Robotham shifted his focus.
He’s about instructing the game now instead of competing in it.
Should have seen it a long time ago.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.