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A 13-year-old Jaxson Robinson trains with his aunt, former WNBA player Crystal Robinson, in a gym in southern Oklahoma. Crystal was teaching her nephew how to take more shots, not just safe shots. She wanted to work with Jaxson on moving without the ball in his hands. That wasn’t something Jaxson wanted to do.
“I don’t want to work on that today,” Crystal recalls Jaxson saying.
“Well, that’s what we’re going to work on,” Crystal rebutted.
“No, we’re not,” Jaxson said.
It was at that point that Crystal just walked out of the gym. She didn’t offer an explanation or even say a word.
“He thought I was coming back,” Crystal said. “I never came back.”
But Jaxson kept working. Now, nearly eight years later, Robinson is set to play on college basketball’s highest stage at the University of Kentucky.
“We work really, really hard,” Crystal said in an interview with KSR+. “Jaxson works really hard on his game. He’s self-motivated. He doesn’t need anybody to make him go do it. It’s what it is. He gets his work in and he knows that to be prepared, he has to work at the level of the game. That’s something that I’m proud of him about. He works hard and doesn’t expect anything to be given to him.”
Learning Basketball From the Ground Up
It’s not uncommon for an aunt to want to coach their nephew growing up, especially if they’re pursuing the same sport in which you competed as a pro. However, Crystal’s motivation for coaching Jaxson’s travel team for three summers was perhaps a bit out of the ordinary.
“I literally coached him to yell at him and be mean to him to get him a little tougher,” Crystal said.
Jaxson, an only child, relied on his mother and aunt to teach him toughness during those summers. It played a huge role in making Jaxson the man he is today.
“Quite frankly, when Jaxson gets mad or angry, he just elevates his level of play to something different,” Crystal said. “I just tried to poke the bear a little bit and he’d elevate his level of game and do really, really well.”
With two women teaching him the game, Jaxson learned the game a “little bit differently than from a male perspective,” Crystal said. He learned how to play “from the ground up.”
“He learned a lot of things like how to think through the game and beat people through actions,” Crystal said. “When you start dunking the ball at 12 or 13, you start playing above the rim. Jaxson went through the process of really learning how to play the game from the floor up.”
Blindly Chasing His Goals
Jaxson Robinson has learned a lot from his basketball journey. Much of that can be attributed to his aunt.
“Through this process, Jaxson has learned that when you really want something, you really have to blindly chase it,” Crystal said. “You have to chase it when it’s hot, when it’s cold, when you don’t feel good, and when things aren’t going your way. You can’t lose this confidence in yourself.”
Crystal has tried to instill a level of consistency in her nephew. That’s more about mindset than any actions on the court.
“Don’t get too happy when things are going well and don’t get too low when things are going bad,” Crystal said. “Things can turn in an instant. It’s usually your attitude that determines whether you’re ready for those things to turn. If your attitude is in a bad place when things shift, you’re never going to come out of it.”
What Kind of Player is Jaxson Robinson?
Jaxson Robinson is known for his shooting, but his game is much more layered than just that. He’s not a one-dimensional player.
“Yes, he can shoot the ball, but he’s also really good about diming people up,” Crystal said. “Jaxson is one of the best passers at his height and that’s something people don’t talk about that much about him. He’s really, really unselfish. He makes basketball plays and that doesn’t always include him doing it for himself. That’s pretty special when you can make other people around you better.”
Growing up, Jaxson often got down on himself when he would miss shots. It’s something he’s worked over the years to eliminate from his game.
“If he misses a shot, he’s going to come right back and take the next one,” Crystal said. “If he misses the next one, he’s going to find ways. He’s learning to find ways to be impactful to the game even if it doesn’t include that you’re scoring.”
However, when you ask Crystal what she is most proud of about Jaxson, it has nothing to do with his play on the court; it’s about his kindness off of it.
“He has a really good heart. That’s what I love the most about Jaxson,” Crystal said. “Jaxson is going to take the time out for the little kid, the handicapped person, but with a genuine time out. He’s not just going to sign something and scribble. He’s very good about getting to know people. That makes me proud.”
Who’s the Best Athlete in the Robinson Family?
Basketball is known to get pretty competitive in the Robinson household. However, after three total knee replacements in her right leg, Crystal Robinson is far past the days of playing against her nephew. That doesn’t mean Jaxson has the upper hand.
“Jaxson has never beaten me in horse and we used to play one-on-one in front of the rim with no dribbles a lot just to work on finishing around the rim,” Crystal said.
While Crystal may not run and jump like she used to, she says there’s no question where Jaxson ranks among the best athletes in the family; it’s not first.
“Second. That’s all I’m going to say. He ranks second behind me. When Jaxson’s stats equal mine or he gets close to my stats. I’m in the statistics book, the big, big statistics book. I’m the most efficient WNBA player,” Robinson said, before immediately sending the following two images via text message.
Jaxson Robinson Has a Long Way to Go to Surpass His Aunt
While Crystal and Jaxson might top the list of best athletes in the Robinson family, Jaxson’s mother, Brandi Robinson-McWilliams isn’t a slouch either. She was an All-American at Southeastern State. Crystal maintains that her sister is the most competitive of the bunch.
“She’s probably the most competitive person I know,” Crystal said. “We compete about everything from clothes to who’s going to get to the door the fastest.”
Crystal Robinson’s list of accolades is numerous. We had a separate story on KSR+ explaining why she’s the greatest women’s player to ever come out of the state of Oklahoma.
“That’s the stuff I use against Jaxson. He definitely has a better skill set than me. He definitely can do things that I couldn’t do,” Crystal said. “I tell him, I’m not going to count that until you do some of the things I’ve done.”
Crystal even teased her nephew a bit when he took home his first award as a college basketball player. Jaxson was selected as the Big 12 Conference Sixth Man of the Year during the 2023-24 season.
“When he got sixth man of the year, I texted him and said, ‘Dang, you finally got an award that I don’t have,’” Crystal said.
There’s Nothing Like Big Blue Nation
Crystal Robinson has spent most of her life playing in front of fans of all different backgrounds. In addition to her ABL and WNBA career, Robinson has played professionally in Ramla, Israel, and Moscow, Russia. She’s encountered fan bases from all across the globe.
“I know the Kentucky fan base is different,” Robinson said. “They really support, support, support. I’m excited for him to get a taste of what it’s like.”
Robinson knows that this will be a whole new experience for Jaxson. It’s nothing like what he had at BYU.
“It’s not that BYU didn’t have great support, but Kentucky basketball is a little bit different,” she said. “I’m excited for him to be able to play there for the Big Blue Nation. He’s going to do well there.”
Crystal didn’t talk with Jaxson a lot during the NBA Draft and transfer process. However, once it got down to the end, the two had a conversation about his impending decision.
“He did what he felt was best for him and what was in his heart,” Crystal said. “I definitely support what he’s doing. A little more playing experience can’t hurt anybody.”
Jaxson Robinson’s Familiarity with Mark Pope’s System
Jaxson Robinson’s decision to commit to Kentucky was met with full support from his entire family. It certainly helps that new head coach Mark Pope has built a bond with Jaxson, Crystal, and Jaxson’s mother, Brandi.
“Brandi has a really good relationship with him. If she didn’t, he wouldn’t be back there,” Crystal said. “Jaxson knows what to expect and knows how he’s going to be coached. He’s a part of it. There’s no second-guessing what’s going to be in store for them and the team.”
As an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, Crystal knows first-hand the importance of having players who are familiar with your system and style. Jaxson being the only former BYU player on Kentucky’s roster next season gives Pope some backup in the locker room.
“Sometimes, when your players don’t listen to you, they listen to their teammates,” Crystal said. “It helps you teach your offense a lot faster. It helps you teach things when you have players who have been in your system. You’re not teaching things from the ground up.”
As evidenced by his Sixth Man of the Year Award, Robinson has already shown that he can be successful in Pope’s system. That shows a lot to the other players on the team.
“That’ll mean everything to get the other guys to buy in,” Crystal said. “If you’ve never played for a coach, you don’t know what he’s about. Now, he has someone in there that can help him with that.”
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