PORTSMOUTH — Duncan Robinson, a Seacoast native who plays for the Detroit Pistons, is returning to the South Mill Pond Playground basketball courts this weekend in honor of Eli, his late brother.
Duncan Robinson, 32, a 6-foot-7 forward, said the July 18-19 event featuring a tournament and a kids clinic is about “honoring family, supporting mental health awareness and investing in the next generation of basketball” in the name of the Robinson Family Foundation.
Eli Robinson died by suicide in 2025 after battling with schizophrenia, addiction and mental illness. His family is ensuring his legacy lives on through the foundation.
“It’s super important to my family and I based on what we’ve been through with my brother,” Duncan Robinson said. “And one thing that we’ve really realized is how much his story and his struggle and challenges resonated with other families. … There’s so much that we can gain from coming together and talking about these things.”
Details on 3 v. 3 tournament and clinics for kids
On Saturday, the Eli Robinson 3v3 Memorial Tournament will be played at South Mill Pond Playground, and is open to ages 18 and older. The tournament will consist of 16 teams with every team registration and point scored to help support the Robinson Family Foundation.
“We’ve got a really good group of players coming in to compete and play,” Duncan Robinson said. “And we also just have some other basketball figures in the community … they’ll be here supporting and continuing to push this mission forward. It’s going to be a great weekend.”
Sunday is geared towards the younger kids with the Duncan Robinson Skills Camp at the Connie Bean Community Center, for young athletes in grades 5-12.
The skills camp will feature hands-on instruction from high school, collegiate and NBA-level coaches and players. The players will learn about skill development and how to be a great teammate, according to Robinson. The morning session is from 9 to 11:30 a.m., for grades 5-8. The grades 9-12 session will run 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Registration is at r-ff.org/events.
Robinson brings mental health awareness to Seacoast community
Duncan Robinson, who grew up in neighboring New Castle, said Portsmouth and the South Mill Pond Playground were instrumental in his basketball journey that brought him to the NBA, where he’ll play his ninth season in 2026-27.
He said he is “really excited” for the Portsmouth event, adding he wants “to create a community environment where the whole community can come together, have fun, compete and be together and then also continue to push this conversation forward around mental health.”
It’s vital, he said, for people in the community to understand they have “others who they can rely on when going through life’s challenges.”
All funds raised by the event will directly benefit the foundation’s programs.
Robinson said he spent a lot of hours playing at the courts at South Mill Pond as a youth.
“So to be able to host something here in my community that has given so much to me, as far as support and just being in my corner throughout my career (is great),” Robinson said, adding he wants “to give back and create an environment where people can come together, compete and have fun and just be around each other and enjoy a beautiful weekend here in the Seacoast.”
If you need help
The National Alliance on Mental Illness – New Hampshire offers the following resources to those in distress:
- NH Rapid Response Access Point – Call/Text 1-833-710-6477 – If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. You’ll be served by compassionate providers from mental health centers in your community who can help you access vital resources in an emergency.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 for 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. (Chat option is also available at 988lifeline.org.)
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Duncan Robinson back in Portsmouth for Eli memorial hoops event
