Deivon Smith had started strong in the California Classic but slipped out of Khalid Robinson’s Warriors Summer League rotation. As the 6-foot guard from Loganville, Georgia, sat on the bench in back-to-back games in Las Vegas, Robinson told him to stay ready.
Then, in the championship, the coach tapped Smith. The decision worked.
Smith erupted for 21 points off the bench, hitting 9 of 14 shots and adding nine rebounds. Behind Smith and Summer League MVP Yaxel Lendeborg, the Warriors beat the Grizzlies 94-90 in the title game.
Trusting Smith was a downright Kerrsian move, and that’s no coincidence. Few have worked more closely with Steve Kerr than Robinson, who has served as the head coach’s special assistant since 2018.
Robinson’s duties include organizing Kerr’s personal and professional schedule so the head coach can focus on the Warriors without needless distractions. Robinson corresponds with members of Congress and local politicians while running practices; he, not Kerr, is the one with the whistle, transitioning the team from drill to drill.
“He’s just got a natural way about him that everyone likes,” Kerr said. “He’s so understated and humble, but smart. He has conviction. He loves life, he’s a great guy to hang with.”
Robinson’s unique position allows him to pick the nine-time NBA champion’s brain about basketball and the world — what they see in film sessions and what’s in the news. Robinson has taken handwritten notes through the years, documenting how Kerr — and former top assistants such as Mike Brown and Willie Green — navigate difficult situations.
“I just think I’m in this classroom where I get these daily lessons,” Robinson said. “To me, it would be a disservice to this opportunity if I don’t try to pick up on the game.”
Robinson joined the Warriors’ video room in 2016 and started as Kerr’s special assistant two years later, taking over from Nick U’Ren. He’s seen everything since — winning streaks, losing streaks, championships, devastating injuries, locker room turmoil, contract drama. Through it all, he’s noticed how Kerr inspires belief in his vision.
Although Summer League was fairly smooth sailing, Robinson applied those lessons.
“He and his staff did a phenomenal job of getting those young guys ready and kicking ass,” Kerr said. “We need to win. Like, we need to win Summer League games, we need to win preseason games, we got to get back to winning and being competitive as hell. That group set the tone, and Khalid led the way.”
Khalid Robinson, left, led Will Richard and Warriors youngsters to a Summer League title. | Source: Ian Maule/Getty Images
Robinson introduced many of the Warriors’ young players to the new five-out concepts on offense. Influenced by Kerr, he focused on his messaging to the team from a day-to-day and big-picture perspective. Robinson said it was key to relay not just the game plan but the “overarching purpose” behind it.
“He kind of approaches it the way Steve does,” said guard Will Richard, who played on the Summer League championship squad and studies film with Robinson. “He lets his guys on the court kind of lead, but when it’s his time to take control and lead, he does a great job of that.”
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The idea of a special assistant role came from Kerr’s former agent, Mike Tannenbaum — the former Jets GM who now works at ESPN — who recommended it as a way to carve out an extra spot on the staff instead of hiring a traditional secretary.
U’Ren, now the Phoenix Mercury GM, was Kerr’s first special assistant. He had Kerr’s ear to the degree that it was his idea to start Andre Iguodala in Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Finals, swinging the series.
Robinson played from 2010 to 2014 at Fordham, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications. He went from there to Ulster University in Northern Ireland for a master’s degree in sports management.
Like U’Ren, Robinson earned Kerr’s trust with his quiet, confident temperament.
“Somebody everybody really respects,” Kerr said. “And it’s important, because he’s got so many people coming at him, trying to get to me for one thing or another, it’s important for me to have somebody I feel represents me. With the values that I believe in. A sense of humility, and so he’s perfect for that role.”
Kerr put so much trust in Robinson that he brought him to the 2024 Paris Olympics. As with the Warriors, Robinson ran practices there, taking the vocal stress off Kerr. “It’s his voice, his whistle,” Kerr said.
Robinson was part of Kerr’s Team USA coaching staff for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. | Source: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
It doesn’t surprise Robinson when Kerr uses his platform to rail against the Trump administration or lobby for gun safety policy. That’s just who Kerr is.
“His parents, Ann and Malcolm, just instilled a set of values in him and all his siblings,” Robinson said. “And they all live lives where they’re trying to do the best for the community around them, use what they have in their lives to uplift people. And it comes in many shapes and forms.”
Robinson said he and Kerr agree on many issues. Robinson’s role affords him the opportunity to help the head coach work toward the type of progress he seeks.
“It allowed this to be more than basketball,” Robinson said.
This summer, Robinson’s notes, emails, and meticulous attention to the calendar paid off with a Summer League title. So did the conversations.
“Obviously, he’s a great tactical mind with the game, and I’ve learned a lot there, but I just think the biggest lesson I’ve learned from him is the human aspect,” Robinson said.