Glenn Robinson III Beat His Dad One-On-One, And Never Played Him Again

Indiana Pacers guard Glenn Robinson III talked about finally beating his father in basketball during an appearance on Highly Questionable.

For anyone, beating their parent at a sport or game for the first time is a special moment. For Indiana Pacers guard Glenn Robinson III, beating his father in basketball was a little more special because of Glenn Robinson’s NBA career.

So did dad ever get a chance to get young GR3 back?

Nope.

“We haven’t played one-on-one since. Nope, no, I took that W and I left,” Robinson III said during his appearance on ESPN’s Highly Questionable.

GR3 also talked about how competitive his family is, the weight of his father’s name, creating your own path, and a Panda Express addiction (he isn’t the only Pacer with a food addiction) in high school.

Father vs Son, Father vs Daughter

Getting back to playing your parent, and beating them, I can relate to that. Even if your dad isn’t in the NBA, beating him is still a milestone

My father and I played countless games in the driveway, most of which he won because he was an excellent shooter. I could have won more if I took fewer 3-pointers and used my size to my advantage, but for some reason, I just kept firing off from beyond the arc, or in our case, the line in the cement.

More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

• 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
• Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
• 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
• 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
• Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?

I don’t really remember the exact day I beat him for the first time, but I remember the feeling of finally overcoming that obstacle. He taught me how to play the game, and finally, I learned enough to earn a victory over him.

Regardless of how many I won or lost (he won more), that was what we did together. He had also been my coach in little league one year (I made the all-star team!), so basketball was something we could easily converse in. It opened the door to conversations we may have struggled to start had we not been doing something together before.

We didn’t need a lot of words, but we built a bond with each other. It was just one of the way your dad lets you know he loves you without ever saying the words.

I’m sure he misses those games as much as I do.

Now that I’m a father, I look forward to playing my daughter Naomi one-on-one in the driveway in the years to come. She’s only seven months old now, but with me and my wife Amber’s height, I’m projecting her as a center, if she wants to play basketball.

Sure, we’ll do tea parties, all the things most girls are into, but she better work on her shooting if she ever wants to beat me. I look forward to the day she does, but I won’t let that day come one day sooner than it has too.

Regardless of who wins, I just hope basketball can be something we share together. I hope it brings me and her closer, just like it did with my father. It isn’t something you can measure, but I know those games played a role in our relationship as father and son. I want them to be the same for me and Naomi as father and daughter.

Next: The Series-Changing Win That Never Was

Hopefully, my dad gets to watch a few of these games, and I know he will be cheering for his granddaughter to put me in my place.