On Feb. 3, standout first-year guard Robert Hinton ’28 was awarded his sixth Ivy League Rookie of the Week honor of the season. His achievement came just days after a career-high 28-point performance in a win against Columbia. An aspiring lawyer and NBA player, Hinton has been an integral addition to the Harvard Crimson men’s basketball team. This latest achievement is just another milestone in his accomplished basketball career.
Hinton has been playing basketball since he was four years old. “A big reason why I love basketball is because I have an older brother… He’s always been a huge role model for me, and we’ve been playing it since I can remember,” he said. “I always looked up to him.” His brother Adam Hinton is a junior guard for Cornell.
The night after defeating Columbia, the Hinton brothers faced off on opposing teams for the first time in their careers. The game marked a defining moment for the family. Both Robert and Adam played strong games scoring eight and four points respectively. Despite Cornell beating Harvard 75-60, Robert expressed nothing but excitement to play against his brother: “Being suited up in different jerseys, playing against each other, that was an unreal feeling. Thinking after the game, the fact that I played against my brother in college basketball, and we’re both on our respective Ivy League teams… It was a dream come true,” he said.
The Hinton brothers played together for a year at Harvard Westlake High School. They also played together on the Chinese Taipei men’s basketball team at the William Jones Cup International Tournament two years in a row. Two years ago, the Chinese Taipei Basketball Federation reached out to the brothers after discovering their Taiwanese citizenship. “We have the top players in all of Taiwan that are professional players, and we play against a bunch of other countries with their top guys. So it’s been a great experience,” Robert Hinton explained. “The games are always packed out, so there’s thousands of people and there’s a lot of support from the fans.” In addition to the fan support, Robert also recalled the after-game press conferences as a highlight of his experience on the team. Robert won a silver medal at the 2024 William Jones Cup.
Following his notable performance with the Chinese Taipei team, Robert and his brother signed a groundbreaking international NIL contract with Nike in September. “I think for almost every athlete, regardless of sport, the dream is to become a Nike athlete,” Robert said.
NIL deals have only recently become available to collegiate athletes. They enable high-achieving athletes to harness their personal brands, allowing them to gain important recognition through advertising campaigns. “I think it’s extra affirmation of how good of a basketball player you are,” Robert added. Robert and Adam have appeared in ad campaigns across Asia since signing their deals with Nike.
“Before we got into Ivy League play, it was a little bit rocky, but our team’s so young, so we’re just getting used to things,” Robert said. The team has secured seven wins out of twenty games, with two of those victories coming in the past month against Columbia and Brown. “Now during Ivy League play, I feel like we’ve been growing a lot and getting used to things, and we’ve been playing pretty well,” he added.
Looking to the future, Robert has many aspirations both in the classroom and on the court. He is pursuing a degree in Sociology with a secondary in East Asian studies and plans to attend law school after graduating. “[One goal] would be definitely trying to play in the NBA,” he explained.
Robert has had several opportunities to play in front of NBA scouts, hoping these will eventually open doors to a professional basketball career. He also emphasized the importance of balance and time management as both a high-achieving student and a collegiate athlete: “I decide when I have to be studying and when I’m going to be in the gym or taking care of my body off the court,” he said. He plans to remain equally dedicated to his academic and athletic pursuits.
Playing against Adam was “a dream come true” for Robert. He will have the chance to relive this dream as the team prepares for their second game against Cornell on Feb. 14 where the brothers will meet on the court again.
Mia Wilcox ’28 (mwilcox@college.harvard.edu) played B-team basketball for her middle school.