Who is Robert Covington and why is he so good for the 76ers?

The transaction didn’t exactly sent shockwaves throughout the NBA world.

On Nov. 15. the 76ers signed undrafted free agent forward Robert Covington from Tennessee State.
Who?

In his fourth game with the Sixers, Covington scored 14 points at New York.

Over the last three games – including victories at Minnesota and Detroit – Covington has been terrific with a total of 63 points. He had 17 in the win over the Timberwolves, highlighted by a clutch 3-pointer down the stretch.

Covington followed with 21 points in a home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday night. In a tough back-to-back situation, he poured in 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting against the Pistons Saturday night.

Maybe the Sixers have found something here.

“I just come in ready to work every day,” Covington said. “I know I have to prove myself every day. There’s nothing guaranteed for me. I have to earn it. I want to keep showing the Sixers what I can do. I’m confident because of the work I put in the gym every day.”

Covington played in seven games for the Houston Rockets last season after starring for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League. In 42 games, Covington averaged 23 points and nine rebounds per game.

Some players might get frustrated in the D-League.

Not Covington.

“My dream is to stick in the NBA for a long, long time,” Covington said. “I’ll put in the work in the D-League or anywhere that gets me to the NBA to stay. Having the chance to play helped me. It gets you competing every night and prepares you for the next step. I know it helped with my confidence. It carried over and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”

Covington was a Second Team All-Ohio Valley Conference player as a senior at Tennessee State but went undrafted.

He went on to become the D-League Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game with a stellar 33-point performance.

Yet there was so much more to prove.

“I think I’m always going to have prove myself and that’s OK with me because it keeps me motivated,” Covington said. “It won’t allow me to relax. It pushes me to keep working. I want to play in the NBA for as long as I can. There aren’t that many jobs and I’ve got one of them. It’s a very small percentage. I want to maintain it and stay here. That’s a big challenge and I’m excited about the chance I have here. It’s a very good situation for me.”