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Gary Voices: Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson Gary has always been a basketball city. From the Eastside courts to the Westside, from Miller to Glen Park, basketball has lived in the parks, school gyms, and neighborhood courts where young players chased their hoop dreams. That environment helped shape one of Gary’s greatest basketball stories. Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson. Robinson grew up on Gary’s West Side, living right across the street from Roosevelt High School, with the Delaney area just down the street from his home. Like many players growing up in the city, he spent countless hours playing ball in the inner city, competing on neighborhood courts where the games were serious and the competition was real. Those early battles helped develop the skills that would eventually take him far beyond Gary. At Roosevelt High School, Robinson became one of the most dominant players in the state of Indiana. In a state where basketball is deeply rooted in the culture, he earned one of the highest honors a high school player can receive — Indiana Mr. Basketball. That same season, Robinson led Roosevelt High School to a state championship, bringing the title back home to Gary and securing his place in the city’s basketball legacy. From there, Robinson took his talents to Purdue University, where he quickly became one of the most unstoppable players in college basketball. His dominance on the court eventually led to the 1994 NBA Draft, where Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson was selected #1 overall. A kid from Gary. Built on inner-city courts. State champion at Roosevelt. Indiana Mr. Basketball. And the top pick in the NBA Draft. His journey remains one of the greatest basketball stories to come out of Gary. “Before the NBA spotlight, Glenn Big Dog Robinson was just another kid putting in work on Gary’s inner-city courts.” #GaryIndiana #GaryVoices #TheG #NorthwestIndiana #GI #RegionNews #GaryPride

For a long time, Gary, Indiana has been discussed more for its struggles than for its potential. But something is starting to shift. Since taking office, Mayor Eddie Melton has been pushing a vision centered on revitalization, investment, and bringing new energy back into the city. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but there’s a noticeable effort to move Gary forward in a way that reconnects the city with opportunity. One of the most visible signs of that energy is the Hard Rock Casino. The venue has begun bringing major entertainment acts and events into Gary—something that not long ago many people would not have imagined happening here again. Concerts, shows, and visitors coming into the city represent more than entertainment. They represent movement, attention, and the possibility of economic activity returning to the area. It’s a reminder that Gary still has the ability to attract people. But while new development matters, there’s something else about Gary that often gets overlooked. The greatness that has already come from this city. Gary gave the world the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson—artists who changed music history. The city has produced professional athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, and leaders who carried Gary’s name far beyond Northwest Indiana. For decades, that legacy hasn’t always been talked about the way it should be. Instead, conversations about Gary often focused only on what went wrong. But if you’re from Gary, you know the story is bigger than that. This is a city that built talent. A city that built toughness. A city that built people who learned early how to fight for opportunity. The truth is, Gary has never lacked potential. What it has needed is momentum, investment, and belief that the city can move into its next chapter. That’s where conversations like this begin. This series will talk about Gary the way it really is—no fluff, no pretending, and no ignoring the past. #GaryIN #GI #CJMoneyway