Duncan Robinson is smart enough to know the high end is beyond his means. So he has ceded that position to Miami Heat teammate Jimmy Butler.
At least when it comes to coffee.
With Butler set on nothing short of world domination with his Big Face Coffee brand, having shut down a challenge by the Little Face Coffee competitor started by Heat trainer Brandon Gilliam during the Disney pandemic bubble in 2020, Robinson is charting an alternate java path: coffee man of the people.
“I’m just more about providing some sustenance, some fuel to keep going,” Robinson said with a laugh to the Sun Sentinel during the Heat’s five-game western swing, as they move on to Monday night’s trip finale against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “I think he’s got something on his website that’s like $200,000 or something like that, and like $40 cups. Not everybody can afford that.”
To that end, Robinson is upping his partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts. For every 3-pointer Robinson converts this season, Dunkin’ Donuts will donate three pounds of coffee to Miami’s local food bank, Feeding South Florida.
“Dunkin Donuts and Duncan, myself, is about getting coffee to people who work their butt off,” Robinson said, “do what they’ve got to do to put food on the table.”
For Robinson, there again is an opportunity to exhale and enjoy the perks (and percolating) of NBA life, after scoring 22 points and shooting 6 of 11 on 3-pointers in Saturday’s 111-105 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Robinson, who signed a five-year, $90 million free-agent contract during the offseason, said while there is a marketing element to the partnership with his namesake coffee, he appreciates the outreach, which will include donations to various groups.
“Mostly because not anything necessarily that I could gain from it, but just the opportunity to give back to various groups that have helped me along the way,” he said. “We did some stuff with the league office and league employees this past week, as well as first responders.”
Supporting Feeding South Florida also stirred his interest. In 2020, the food bank distributed over 176 million pounds of food to over one million people.
“My goal,” Robinson said, “is to try and surpass last season’s totals to help benefit food-insecure families in South Florida.”
As for Butler’s emerging enterprise, Robinson said there is nothing wrong with a team fielding dual baristas.
“I think Jimmy will be all right,” Robinson said. “I think his business is booming, I’m pretty sure. It’s more so of the fact that not everybody can afford his coffee.”
As for his own game, Robinson finds himself again well positioned, after recent uneven moments against the Lakers and Clippers.
“I mean I always try to stay even keel,” he said. “The reality is when we lost those two in L.A., that hurts because we lost. It’s one thing to miss shots. But it’s another thing to miss shots and feel like doing something different could have changed the outcome of the game.
“To be honest with you, after going through those two, part of me is just impervious to missing. Just go out there and let it fly. Just kind of how I’m built. I do get negative on myself, but it’s a competitive kind of like, ‘expect more.’ But that’s when I kind of lean on other people to pull me out of there and I got some great people in my corner, but also great teammates.”
Included in that group, he said, is his high-end coffee competitor.
“Jimmy didn’t even play [Saturday],” Robinson said, with Butler out with an ankle sprain, “but the impact he had on the game, just for me, between my ears, meant a lot.”
Garrett back from G League
The Heat have recalled undrafted rookie guard Marcus Garrett from their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Garrett, who is on a two-way contract, appeared in three games for the Skyforce, averaging 14.7 points, 11 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
The Heat are listing guard Jimmy Butler (ankle) as questionable for Monday night’s game against the Thunder, with center Bam Adebayo (knee) probable.
Away from the Heat are forward Markieff Morris (neck) and guard Victor Oladipo (knee).
