Justin Robertson

FanSided • 23rd June 2022

Walt Lemon Jr. is still banging on the NBA’s door

Walt Lemon Jr. has always had NBA talent. At 29, he’s still grinding away, trying to find the right NBA opportunity. I caught up with him in Ottawa for Fansided to learn more about what keeps him going.

Complex • 22nd June 2022

What Does the Next NBA Phenom Look Like?

The next crest of modern NBA players are emerging at light speed. They can hoop. They are armed with length, athleticism, speed, high IQ, defensive chops, long-range shooting. It sounds much the same as what we’re used to seeing in the NBA. For Complex I looked into will make the next NBA phenom?

ESPN.com • 4th April 2022

'I contemplated leaving the team': Mitchell's rocky journey in Australian basketball

When #Indiana Fever and #WNBL player Tiffany Mitchell landed in Australia she ended up having to stand up and fight against Basketball Australia for racial discrimination when they asked her and a teammate to tie their braids up or they couldn't play. Through an unfortunate situation, I wrote about how Mitchell has inspired others to fight for what they believe in for ESPN.

thestar.com • 18th February 2022

Fourth Antetokounmpo brother writing his own basketball story with Raptors 905

It can be hard to walk in the shoes of the youngest Antetokounmpo brother. For the Toronto Star I wrote about how Alex is learning to forge his own path and being ok in his own skin.

Complex Mag • 20th January 2022

Patty Mills Has to be The 2022 Australian Of The Year

For Complex Magazine I wrote about Australian of The Year finalist Patty Mills. He has exploded in the last 12 months. He's lifted people up. He realized a dream. It's time to take stock of how he transcends basketball and how he's changed the way we think about our national sports heroes.

Complex • 19th January 2022

How Javin DeLaurier Kept Believing in Himself to Reach the NBA

For Complex Magazine I wrote about 23-year old Javin DeLaurier who became the first Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) player to earn an NBA contract with the 2021 Champions Milwaukee Bucks and realized a dream he’s held onto since he was 15.

The Roar • 30th July 2021

Aussie Josh Giddey comes from the clouds to make the NBA

The meteoric rise of Josh Giddey is a fairytale.Two years ago he was only just 16-years-old, not even old enough to drive a car on his own.Now, at 18, walking in the shoes of an oversized guard standing at 6-foot-8, he gets the opportunity to ply his trade with the Oklahoma Thunder after being selected at pick No.6 at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn.

ESPN • 19th June 2021

One year on from the AFL's Black Lives Matter protests: what's changed?

It’s been more than 12 months since AFL players took a knee in solidarity of the BLM movement. For ESPN I spoke with players, league executives, activists, to find out what's changed since then and where football goes from here.

ESPN • 28th May 2021

What's it like to be an Indigenous AFL player in 2021?

Ahead of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, for ESPN, I spoke to four Indigenous footballers from the AFL and AFLW -- Ben Long, Bobby Hill, Kitara Whap-Farrar and Cam Ellis-Yolmen -- to learn more about what it means to be an Indigenous player in 2021.

ESPN • 28th May 2021

Behind every great footballer is a selfless, hard-working, and loving mum

Mother's Day is perfectly positioned in the early stages of the AFL season to give us time to pause, celebrate and acknowledge the mothers of all footballers. They volunteer, coach, clock up mileage, make lunches, and host barbecues. They are mentors. For ESPN I profiled four mums to learn more about how they shape the careers of AFL players.

thestar.com • 26th February 2021

A horrific fall should have ended Mike Tuck’s career before it started. He became a British basketball icon.

For the Toronto Star I wrote about Mike Tuck's British basketball journey, a path he conquered after recovering from what could have been a career-ending injury in high school. "“I couldn’t remember what year it was. Waking up in a hospital and not knowing how you got there is a scary thing."

ESPN • 7th January 2021

Inside the evolving culture of death threats, hate speech in the AFL

AFL players have been stalked and trolled since the 1960s, when death threats were sent through the mail in the form of cut-out letters or came via phone calls. Now with platforms like Twitter, identity and handles look more like credit card numbers than usernames. For ESPN I explored the world of death threats in football and the AFL's war on trolls.

ESPN • 25th September 2020

An oral history of Essendon's 2000 season: "It was like watching perfection."

This year marks 20 years since Essendon claimed Premiership no.16. For ESPN I tracked down 20 key figures from that incredible year, including coaches, fitness staff, journalists and prominent fans to put together an oral history of that season.

Complex Mag • 14th July 2020

Meet the OKC Thunder's Secret Weapon: Montreal's Luguentz Dort

In 2019 Lu Dort fast became a the OKC Thunder's secret weapon no-one really heard about. And now, he's looking to become a two-way combo-guard that shoots threes and is an elite stopper. For Complex Mag I wrote about his path to the NBA from Montreal to Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Bleacher Report Mag • 17th April 2020

Chase Claypool: "I Just Want to Make Her Proud".

For Bleacher Report Mag I talked to Canadian Chase Claypool ahead of the NFL draft about his journey to Draft Day and how his sister Ashley inspired him to great heights.

Bleacher Report Mag • 10th December 2019

'He Was an Underdog:' the Inspiring Life and Puzzling Death of Rasual Butler

For Bleacher Report Mag I looked into the tragic death and life of Rasual Butler, speaking to family, coaches, trainers, friends, former teammates, to piece together what happened the night he crashed his range rover in Studio City, L.A.

theScore.com • 1st August 2019

The NBA fantasy league that's been operating for 37 years

A few days before the 1982 NBA season opener between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, a dozen guys in their late 20s gathered in a boardroom of a downtown Seattle law firm on a Saturday night. The men were a mix of lawyers and reporters. Their fantasy league still lives on.

Complex • 8th March 2018

Inside the NBA Journey of Sudanese-Australian Mangok Mathiang

For Complex Mag I detailed Mangok Mathiang's journey from Sudan to the NBA G-League and his dream of become the next NBA talent.

Vice • 1st May 2017

How Canadians Are Helping in the Fight Against Concussions in Sport

Concussions keep popping up in sport. CTE is not going away, either. I investigated how Canadian contact sport leagues are handling concussion. For VICE I spoke to lawyers, doctors, league heads, former NHL players, and included the most recent studies at that time.

Vice • 1st May 2017

Why Can't The AFL Get A Handle On Its Racist Redneck Problem?

In the past two years it appears racism at football matches is a growing trend. For VICE I wrote about how the AFL has a lot of work to do to fix racist crowds at football games.