Former Portland Trail Blazers forward and Connecticut alumnus Clifford Robinson died Saturday at the age of 53 after a yearlong fight with Lymphoma, his family confirmed in a statement to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

After a stellar four-year college career with UConn, Robinson was drafted by Portland in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft. His accolades include a Sixth Man of the Year award in 1993 and an All-Star appearance in 1994.

"He was our first great player ... he came from a difficult background in Buffalo, I watched him evolve as a man ... he was a good man, had a great career, and was instrumental in a lot of the great things that happened at UConn," former Huskies head coach Jim Calhoun said of Robinson, according to Hearst Connecticut Media's David Borges.

Robinson spent eight seasons with the Trail Blazers before moving on to play for the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and New Jersey Nets. The 18-year NBA veteran finished his career with averages of 14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 30.8 minutes per game.