No Experience Necessary

"And do you have any experience playing power forward?"

"Yes, I do. As I said, I played two years at Purdue. I was a power forward both years."

"I meant professional experience. Perdue—Purdue—is, as you said, a university. You're playing with amateurs, young men all your age, learning the game. I mean, have you ever played basketball for money? Have you ever played a full 82-game NBA season, plus about 20 exhibitions, plus a potential 100-or-so playoff games at the end? Have you ever driven to the basket, say, against Patrick Ewing at Madison Square Garden in New York? Have you ever tried to box out Charles Barkley for a rebound in Phoenix? Have you ever even dribbled through, say, the Golden State Warriors? That's the kind of experience we like to see."

"I was very good at Purdue."

"Professional experience, Mr. Robinson."

"Well, actually, none."

He can see the personnel director write "none" on the side of the paper. The personnel director makes other notations after Robinson admits that he has never won an Olympic gold medal, has never played on a world amateur champion, has never even won an NCAA championship. "What has he really done?" the personnel director writes at one point. Robinson can read the words upside down.

"Now for the interesting part." the personnel director says. "Anticipated salary."

"Yes?"

"You have put down $100 million for 13 years."