Road to Duke
Justise Jon Winslow was born March 26, 1996, in Houston, Texas, the youngest of five children. His father, Rickie Winslow, played basketball at Houston from 1983 to 1987 as part of the legendary Phi Slama Jama teams alongside Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Rickie was drafted 28th by the Bulls in 1987 and played professionally in Europe until 2000. Sister Bianca played basketball at Houston. Brother Josh played football at Dartmouth.
But Justise didn’t cling to basketball because of his father. Rickie and his mother Robin Davis divorced when Justise was in grade school. Robin got full custody and raised all five children with an African proverb as her philosophy: It takes a village to raise a child.
Beverly Mosby was part of that village. Miss Bev was the unofficial team mom for the Houston Jaguars, Justise’s third-grade traveling team. She drove kids to practice, gave money to players who couldn’t afford food on road trips, and told Justise there were no limits. She died in 2012. When Winslow announced his Duke commitment, he choked back tears: ‘She really just found this dream inside of me. I dedicate my life in basketball to her.’
Steve and Leticia Trauber became his godparents in sixth grade. ‘If anything ever happened to me, they would be in control.’ They designated a room in their home for Justise. Steve once drove him to the movies and laughed from the back row when the gangly teenager got rejected trying to put his arm around his date.
John Lucas — former Rockets player, longtime NBA coach, Houston basketball godfather — became another mentor. At St. John’s School: four-year starter. Senior: 27.5 PPG/13.6 RPG/3.5 APG/2.1 BPG. Gatorade Texas POY. McDonald’s All-American. Jersey #42 retired.
The college decision: Robin pulled Justise from class the day before the signing period. They sat at a picnic table for three hours. On his first Durham visit at fifteen, they stopped for potato chips and onion dip at the Washington Duke Inn at 11 p.m. ‘If you want to commit now, you can,’ Robin said. Justise smiled: ‘Mom, we’ve only been here for three hours. The visit hasn’t even started yet.’ He took two more years. Then chose Duke.
At Duke
Winslow arrived as the “forgotten freshman.” Okafor was the #1 recruit. Tyus Jones was the #1 point guard. They committed as a package deal. Winslow committed a week later, almost an afterthought. But Coach K compared his game to Tommy Amaker and Grant Hill.
Jeff Capel saw something deeper: ‘He sees the world in a very mature way. He has an old soul. It’s almost like he’s been here before.’ At seventeen, playing for USA Basketball in Prague, Winslow spent his downtime visiting museums and photographing the city. He became interested in art through documentaries.
12.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.3 SPG. The do-everything wing who could guard four positions. Scored in double digits in Duke’s final five tournament games. Against Utah in the Sweet Sixteen: 21 points, 10 rebounds. Played through rib and shoulder injuries. In the championship game vs Wisconsin: 11 points, but his defense and rebounding let Tyus Jones and Okafor do their damage. Duke won 68–63.
During a late-game moment, Jon Scheyer’s mother tapped Robin Davis on the shoulder in the stands: ‘Look. Justise is smiling.’ The afterthought had become the championship’s most indispensable player.
After Duke
Miami Heat, 10th overall, 2015. Five seasons in Miami. Raw rookie (6.4 PPG, All-Rookie Second Team). Career-high 28 points vs Lakers (December 2018). Reimagined as a 6-6 point guard when Dragić went down — 24 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists in his best game.
But injuries devastated his trajectory. Torn labrum (2017). Knee strains. Back problems. Only 11 games in 2019–20. Traded to Memphis. 26 games over two seasons. Clippers. Portland — 11 games before another season-ending injury. Eight seasons, six teams, ~$45M career earnings. The body that was so durable in college kept breaking.
After Hurricane Harvey destroyed Houston in 2017, Winslow donated $100,000 through Robin’s House Foundation. $50,000 to Small Steps Nurturing Center for at-risk children. Organized a charity event at Cameron Indoor with Duke. Personally donated cars to two families who lost vehicles. Lanesha Dabney, a 24-year-old single mother of two, received a Chevy Equinox: ‘It feels so good to know I have a safe car to drive to work.’ Winslow: ‘These families were hurt hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation for the city and what it’s done for me.’
Where Is He Now
Justise Winslow is 29. He last played for the Wisconsin Herd (G League) in 2024, still chasing a return. Has a son, Niko Tosoani Winslow (born 2021, with partner Kristina Escobar). Pursuing media and entertainment — drawn to storytelling and sports documentaries, the same impulse that sent him into Prague’s museums at seventeen. Favorite athletes growing up: Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali.
The Robin’s House Foundation continues — free annual basketball camps, the D.R.E.A.M. Showcase talent show for under-resourced children in Miami. Named after his mother.
He was the youngest of five from a broken home in Houston. His father played on Phi Slama Jama but wasn’t around much. His mother raised him with a village — Miss Bev, who paid for his meals and died in 2012; the godparents who designated a room in their home; John Lucas, who opened the door; Coach K, who compared him to Grant Hill. He sat at a picnic table with his mother for three hours and chose Duke. He was the forgotten freshman who became the championship’s most versatile player — the one Scheyer’s mother noticed was smiling during the biggest game. Drafted 10th. Injuries stole his prime. Donated $100,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief because Houston raised him. Visited museums in Prague at seventeen because he has an old soul. Named his foundation after his mother.
It takes a village. Robin Davis built one. And Justise Winslow has spent his whole life trying to build it for everyone else.