Chemainus basketball legend Bill Robinson, one of the greatest Canadian players in the pre-Steve Nash era, died following a stroke on Saturday. He had just turned 71 on Feb. 2.

Robinson put small-town Chemainus Secondary School on the map with his prolific play in high school and then took his talents to higher levels after graduation. He made it all the way to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and captained the underdog Jack Donohue-coached squad to a fourth-place finish on home court, narrowly missing an Olympic medal.

Robinson played four years at Simon Fraser University from 1970-1974 and he was named to the all-tournament team at the 1974 World Championships.

He finished his Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union career at Waterloo, Ont. for the 1974-1975 season that culminated in a national championship. He was a 1975 CIAU First Team All-Canadian and tournament all-star and then a member of the Canadian mensa国际传媒檚 national team.

Robinson honed his considerable skills in Chemainus. No one could shoot the ball as accurately from long range or dribble around and through opponents at the time like him.

From 1960 to 1968, Chemainus was a Vancouver Island powerhouse in basketball, with Robinson leading the way. He was the 1967 Vancouver Island most valuable player and B.C. all-star.

The accolades followed Robinson in later years wherever he went.

sa国际传媒淎s a youngster, I remember watching Bill Robinson play for Canada,sa国际传媒� said Jay Triano during the time he was head coach of the National Basketball Associationsa国际传媒檚 Toronto Raptors. sa国际传媒淗is play inspired me to chase a dream of playing for Canada.sa国际传媒�

Robinson once tried out for the Virginia Squires in the old American Basketball Association and made the team, but lost his place when the teamsa国际传媒檚 No. 1 draft choice, who was holding out, returned. Robinson got the call from the National Basketball Associationsa国际传媒檚 New York Knicks as an emergency roster replacement, but couldnsa国际传媒檛 play due to an injury at the time and never got another chance.

His height was always an issue for basketball, but he proved his skeptics wrong by rising to any challenge.

Local reaction has begun to pour in from people who knew Robinson well.

Ron Waller of Chemainus was a lifelong friend of Robinsonsa国际传媒檚, playing on the same teams as him in soccer, baseball and basketball.

sa国际传媒淚 have so many stories about Billy,sa国际传媒� said Waller.

sa国际传媒淗e was one of those rare people who came along and had a God-given ability in any sport he tried.sa国际传媒�

Waller and Robinson were both six years old when they started playing soccer together and they maintained their strong bond throughout the years, being five months apart in age.

sa国际传媒淚 was always there for sleepovers at the Robinson house,sa国际传媒� said Waller.

They devised nicknames for each other, Guillaume for Bill (the French equivalent), and Knobby for Waller.

sa国际传媒淓ven the last time I saw Billy a month ago, I gave him a hug and said sa国际传媒榟i Guillaume,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� noted Waller.

Robinson earned many prestigious honours, including induction into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, the Simon Fraser University Sports Hall of Fame and the North Cowichan/Duncan Sports Wall of Fame. A basketball hoop he devised with help from his dad to improve his shooting that was just large enough to fit the ball is in the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame as well.

Ernie Mansueti, general manager of community services for the Municipality of North Cowichan, organizes the North Cowichan/Duncan Sports Wall of Fame and remembers being immersed in the 1976 Olympics.

sa国际传媒淏asketball was one of the sports that attracted the most attention with the entire world watching,sa国际传媒� he recalled. sa国际传媒淐anada was really Billsa国际传媒檚 basketball team. He was the captain and his superior ball handling skills and uncanny ability to hit the tough shots under pressure proved that Bill was one of the best players in the Olympics.

sa国际传媒淎 few years later I was lucky enough to attend a Jack Donohue basketball camp where Bill was the head instructor and you just watched in awe on the things Bill could do on the court and how natural it came. Years later, playing in a senior basketball league with Bill, it was almost intimidating. He controlled everything and you needed to be ready at all times. Bill would snap these no-look passes that you either would catch or it would end up bouncing off your ear.sa国际传媒�

Stan Piper knew Robinson well from high school and they played on the same team in Pipersa国际传媒檚 Grade 12 year. The senior team was short of players so Robinson, in Grade 10 at the time, was added to the senior roster along with Gerry Plester and Richard Harbo.

sa国际传媒淭hey played for us and they were key members of our team,sa国际传媒� recalled Piper.

The junior team still won the Island title that year without the three players, giving you an idea about the depth of Chemainus basketball.

Piper said Robinson was sa国际传媒渙ne of those interesting individuals. A few come along in onesa国际传媒檚 life.

sa国际传媒淵ousa国际传媒檝e got to go back to Chemainus when basically you had baseball and some soccer that was organized for kids to play. And Bill was a very, very good soccer player.sa国际传媒�

Piper has never seen anyone as driven as Robinson to succeed.

sa国际传媒淏ill had the goal and he wanted to be good. And he worked at it.sa国际传媒�

Eventually, basketball became Robinsonsa国际传媒檚 main sport as the attention on it grew in the community. There was no gym at Chemainus Elementary School when Robinson attended the school, but he went to the high school and loved the atmosphere.

sa国际传媒淟ots of people were watching the games and the games were good,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� noted Piper. sa国际传媒淚t was pretty exciting. He started to focus his attention on basketball.sa国际传媒�

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Robinson played every chance he could, at the high school, at the old community centre and at his home. He would get the key whenever he wanted to go into the community centre.

sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 the kind of tenacity that existed for him,sa国际传媒� said Piper.

As Robinson later moved on to university basketball, sa国际传媒淚 ended up playing against him when I was at UVic,sa国际传媒� noted Piper.

The transition to the national team wasnsa国际传媒檛 the smoothest at first, but everything changed when Jack Donohue took over as coach. Robinson was Donohuesa国际传媒檚 kind of player.

sa国际传媒淗e just loved Bill,sa国际传媒� said Piper. sa国际传媒淗e loved everything about him.

sa国际传媒淭he thing that worked for the national team was that Robinson could shoot from so far out the guards had to come out and contest him. It opened things up for the forwards.sa国际传媒�

And that was in the days before three-point shooting. Robinson would surely have amassed considerably more points in todaysa国际传媒檚 game.

In later years after his attempts at playing pro ball finished, sa国际传媒渉e used to come back to Chemainus and hesa国际传媒檇 play on our mensa国际传媒檚 team,sa国际传媒� noted Piper.

sa国际传媒淲e had a lot of good players in the league. They loved the challenge of checking Bill.sa国际传媒�

Robinson is survived by his wife Sandi. David, his son with Caroline, was an outstanding basketball player in his own right at Ladysmith Secondary School.

Robinson had two daughters with his first wife Susan. Ella Robinson Backer and Leah Robinson Benazzi both live in Portland, Oregon.

Robinson also took great pride in his five grandchildren. In addition, hesa国际传媒檚 survived by his brother Dick Robinson of Chemainus.

Eldest daughter Robinson Backer, who was born in Newfoundland during many of her dadsa国际传媒檚 travels over the years, said sa国际传媒渉e was known for his charisma and humoursa国际传媒�, but he also sa国际传媒渓ived by his own rules.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淗e was very humble about his impact on basketball,sa国际传媒� added daughter Robinson Benazzi, who was born in Chemainus. sa国际传媒淗e said he wasnsa国际传媒檛 that big of a deal.sa国际传媒�

A celebration of life for Robinson will be held on Sunday, April 5 at the Chemainus Legion Hall from 1-4 p.m.