But what probably will test Roberson's comfort zone is working with Hawks coach Kirstin Daly-Taylor, who is vociferous and desperately in need of results, albeit as part of an incremental five-year plan.
The import observes Daly-Taylor's passion and is prepared to play under the first female coach in his career as the Hawke's Bay franchise tip off at 7pm against the Wellington Saints tomorrow in the capital where they will begin their New Zealand National Basketball League (NBL) campaign.
"For a coach that's very different, we see things different but we're in the same team and we just have to find the same result and I'm going to respect her just as she's like a male coach," says the 31-year-old from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who arrived here on February 21.
The Hawks finished last in the previous season in the seven-team format and were winless so any victory will be an improvement, although perennial favourites Saints will be a litmus test first up.
"She's my coach. I don't look at her as a female but as my coach. I don't see that as getting in the way," says Roberson. "Honestly, she's got a lot more passion than like any male coaches that I've had [so] I have to take that into consideration as well.
"She wants to win and she's from here and I understand where she's coming from so I don't want to make her job harder than what it already is."
He appreciates the opportunity Daly-Taylor is giving him to play in the NBL so whatever wrinkles they have on the court will be ironed out.
"This not my team, Bay Hawks. My guys in the team know that," he says, revealing that was transparent in a pre-season tourney the Hawks played in New Plymouth a fortnight ago.
His philosophy is to gain possession and then share it with everyone.
"I can't win the game by myself. I understand that as an experienced player so you need the team."
The University of Louisiana Lafayette graduate is versatile and can play shooting guard, small forward or power forward depending on what league he is in and what the coaches' dossier holds for him.
His US agent, Jeremiah Haylett, was a tremendous help in paving the way after some research through an extensive network that imports rely on revealed the Hawks' reputation.
Roberson's experience is impressive, having also plied his trade in Qatar, Ecuador, Austria, Chile, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, Slovakia and Finland.
"I approach every game with overdrive," says the bloke who represented the New Orleans Hornetts in an NBA mini-competition once.
"What makes me turn up, actually, is watching my teammates giving it their all. So, you know, when they need that extra push that's when I come in and I do what I have to do so we can get the victories."
His position overseas can be difficult because of his versatility as a forward.
"I'm really a swingman but since I'm tall I've run into a lot of coaches who want to put me in a forward position and not really let me play my game.
"I think that coaches who let me play my game - outside, inside - I was very, very successful in those situations.
"Coaches who don't let me do that - it's kind of difficult for me to do that because, you know, I'm not playing my position where I'm really comfortable with."
Roberson says it's common for imports to run into situations like that abroad.
"They [coaches] see videos and stuff but they don't really know and what situation you're coming into as well because it's a blind situation you're dealing with from a whole different side of the world."
The two-metre American says in such times players have to bring their professionalism to the fore for all the parties concerned to provide as transparent a platform as possible.
Running to his agent, when the proverbial hits the fan, isn't his style either.
"It's just for me and the coach to sort it out and talk because you don't need to get the management involved."
It's no different on the court where he feels it's more respectful that players resolve their differences because not even the coach is privy to what transpires on the floor.
His father played American football and mother softball but Roberson tried myriad sport.
"I was actually good at football [quarterback] and better at it than basketball," he says, but he got taller and slimmer so basketball beckoned at university.
