A
University of Southern California alumnus, Robinson was drafted into the
National Basketball Association by
New Jersey Nets in 1979 with the 11th overall pick in the
1979 NBA draft. Cliff was the youngest player in the NBA two years running. He gave the Nets a solid rookie season, averaging 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. His 45 points against
Detroit on March 9, 1980, was the most ever scored in an NBA game by a teenager until
Cooper Flagg posted 49 on January 29, 2026. On June 8, 1981, Robinson was traded to Kansas City for
Otis Birdsong. Robinson would average a career best 20.2 points in 38 games for the Kings, before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In perhaps his best game as a Cavalier, on April 15, 1983, Robinson scored 40 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a 132–124 victory over the
Indiana Pacers. From 1979 to 1989, he steadily maintained his scoring average between roughly 18 and 20 points per game, despite playing for several teams. His best season (
1985–86) came in a
Washington Bullets uniform, as he achieved a career-high season total of 1,460 points in 78 games played, and shot a career-best 76.2% from the
free throw line. On December 12, 1985, Robinson scored 21 points and hit a game-winning jump shot with only 1 second left in overtime to beat the
Milwaukee Bucks by a margin of 110–108. That postseason, Robinson averaged 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2 steals in a hard-fought 3–2 series loss to the
Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. In 1986, he and
Jeff Ruland were traded to the
Philadelphia 76ers for NBA legend
Moses Malone. Robinson left the NBA in 1989, but later signed with the
Los Angeles Lakers for the
1991–92 NBA season. He finished his career averaging 17.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. ==Career statistics==