Remembering Wyoming Basketball Legend Flynn Robinson
53 years ago today, Flynn Robinson broke the career scoring record at the University of Wyoming. Now third on the all-time list, the sharp-shooting guard averaged over 26 points per game for the Pokes, before the three-point shot was created.
While Robinson ranks among the greatest Cowboys of all-time, he is certainly the greatest player in the history of Casper College. The Chicago-area native spurned an offer from Southern Illinois University and led the Thunderbirds to the national tournament as a freshman. After one season in Casper, the University of Wyoming came calling. And the rest is history.
Robinson was an instant sensation in Laramie, scoring 26.2 points per game as a sophomore. As a junior, his legendary 48-point performance propelled to the Pokes to an upset win against #4 Arizona State. As a senior, Robinson averaged 27 points for a total of 2,049 points in only 78 games. Three decades later, Fennis Dembo needed 129 games to break Robinson's scoring record.
Known for his unorthodox behind-the-head delivery, "The Electric Eye" was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1965 and played eight seasons in the NBA and ABA. Robinson twice averaged over 20 points per game and was an NBA All-Star in 1970. In 1972, he played alongside Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, helping the Los Angeles Lakers win 33 consecutive games on their way to the NBA Championship. Robinson retired in 1978 with a career scoring average of 14.5 points per game.
Robinson's love for the game continued after his professional career. In 1994, he was inducted into the Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame. A decade later, the 60-year-old was still on the court, competing in the Senior Olympics.
Sadly, Robinson's health took a turn for the worse several years ago. The most prolific scorer in Wyoming history succumbed to cancer in 2013, at the age of 72.