By Nikola Miloradovic/ info@eurohoops.net
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl won a U19 World Cup title in Greece alongside Tyrese Haliburton, Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley. Seven years later, he has returned to the country for a new challenge, emerging as a central figure in Aris Thessaloniki’s perfect BKT EuroCup start.
With five rounds completed, Vassilis Spanoulis’s team stands at 5-0, alongside Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem and Napoli Basketball as the competition’s only unbeaten sides. Robinson-Earl is averaging 15.4 points and a league-leading 10.4 rebounds, while his average PIR of 22.2 ranks eighth.
The consistency is striking. He has scored in double figures in all five appearances and registered four double-doubles, finishing one rebound short of another.
He has also been efficient, shooting 64.9% on two-pointers, 43.7% from three-point range and 80% at the free-throw line. Alongside three offensive rebounds per game, he contributes 1.8 assists, one steal and 0.6 blocks in just under 30 minutes.
Robinson-Earl arrived with substantial NBA experience, including two seasons each with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans. As a Thunder rookie, he started 36 of his 49 appearances, averaging 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Yet his familiarity with Spanoulis extended beyond knowing his reputation. After arriving in Thessaloniki in August, Robinson-Earl revealed that New Orleans regularly ran a play named after the Greek great for C.J. McCollum.
Conversations with Spanoulis and general manager Nikos Zisis helped convince him to join Aris. At September’s media day, he described a shared outlook on the team’s ambitions and confidence in his role.
“They believe in me, and I believe in them,” Robinson-Earl said.
He also spoke positively about European basketball’s emphasis on fundamentals and team play, welcoming its physicality and intensity. On leadership, he stressed the value of both setting an example and learning from teammates.
That earlier success in Greece, at the 2019 U19 World Cup, came with a United States roster featuring several future NBA stars. Robinson-Earl averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds during the tournament.
Now, his first EuroCup campaign is providing another productive Greek chapter. Five games do not define a season, but four double-doubles and the competition’s best rebounding average have made him one of the early standouts of Aris’s unbeaten run.
Make 
Your Preferred Basketball Source.
Add Eurohoops to Google