David Robinson

David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003. Nicknamed "the Admiral" for his service with the U.S. Navy, Robinson was a 10-time NBA All-Star, the 1995 NBA MVP, a two-time NBA champion (1999 and 2003), a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner (1992, 1996), a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2009 for his individual career, 2010 as a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team), and a two-time U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductee (2008 individually, 2009 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team).[2] He is widely considered one of the greatest centers in both college basketball and NBA history.[3]

For other people named David Robinson, see David Robinson (disambiguation).

David Robinson
Robinson in 2006
Personal information
Born (1965-08-06) August 6, 1965
Key West, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Listed height7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolOsbourn Park
(Manassas, Virginia)
CollegeNavy (1983–1987)
NBA draft1987 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the San Antonio Spurs
Playing career1989–2003
PositionCenter
Number50
Career history
1989–2003San Antonio Spurs
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points20,790 (21.1 ppg)
Rebounds10,497 (10.6 rpg)
Blocks2,954 (3.0 bpg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
1992 Barcelona Team competition
1996 Atlanta Team competition
1988 Seoul Team competition
World Championships
1986 Spain Team competition
Pan American Games
1987 Indianapolis Team competition
FIBA Americas Championship
1992 Portland[1]Men's basketball

Early life

David Robinson was born in Key West, Florida, the second child of Ambrose and Freda Robinson. Since Robinson's father was in the U.S. Navy, the family moved frequently. After his father retired from the Navy, the family settled in Woodbridge, Virginia, where Robinson excelled in school and in most sports, except basketball. Robinson attended Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., where Robinson's father was working as an engineer.

Robinson was of average height for most of his childhood and teenage years, and stood only 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall in his junior year of high school (age 16–17). But during his senior year (age 17–18) he experienced a large growth spurt and grew to 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m). He had not played organized basketball or attended any basketball camps,[4] but the school's basketball coach added him to the team, and Robinson earned all-area and all-district honors but generated little interest among college basketball coaches.

Robinson graduated from Osbourn Park in 1983. He achieved a relatively high score of 1320 on the SAT, and chose to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, where he would major in mathematics and play on the basketball team. At the time the Naval Academy had a height restriction of 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) for all cadets, and in the autumn when the new academic year began Robinson had grown to 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m). Assuming that he was unlikely to grow much more, the academy's superintendent readily granted him a waiver. However Robinson continued growing, and by the start of his second year at the academy he had nearly reached his adult height of 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), which later prevented him from serving on any U.S. naval ships.

College basketball career and military service
Robinson achieved the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade, while serving in the U.S. Navy.

Robinson is widely considered to be the best basketball player in Naval Academy history.[5] He chose the jersey number 50 after his idol Ralph Sampson. He began college with no expectations of playing in the NBA,[4] but in Robinson's final two years he was a consensus All-American and won college basketball's two most prestigious player awards, the Naismith and Wooden Awards, as a Naval Academy first classman (senior). In 1986, Robinson led Navy, a number seven seed, within a game of the Final Four before falling to Duke in the East Regional Final. Robinson played his first three years for the Midshipmen under Paul Evans (who left Navy to coach at Pitt) and his senior season under former University of Georgia interim Head Coach Pete Herrmann. Upon graduation, he became eligible for the 1987 NBA draft and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick; however, the Spurs had to wait two years because he had to fulfill his active-duty obligation with the Navy.

Robinson considered leaving the academy after his second year, before incurring an obligation to serve on active duty. He decided to stay after discussing with the Superintendent the likelihood that his height would prevent him from serving at sea as an unrestricted line officer, which would be detrimental to his naval career, and might make it impossible for him to receive a commission at all. As a compromise, Secretary of the Navy John Lehman allowed Robinson to train for and receive a commission as a staff officer in the Civil Engineer Corps. As a result, Robinson was commissioned in the Naval Reserve and was only required to serve an initial active-duty obligation of two years. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Robinson became a civil engineering officer at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia.[6] He was regularly featured in recruiting materials for the service. Despite the nickname "Admiral", Robinson's actual rank upon fulfilling his service commitment was Lieutenant (junior grade).[7]

NBA career

Since he had not signed a contract, NBA regulations stated that Robinson could have reentered the draft after his naval service.[4] Although there was speculation that he might choose not to sign with the Spurs,[8][9] Robinson agreed to move to San Antonio for the 1989–90 season, but the Spurs agreed to pay him as much as the average of the salaries of the two highest-paid players in the league each year, or release him to free agency.[4]

The Spurs had spent the second half of the 1980s as an also-ran, bottoming out in 1988–89 with a 21–61 record,[10] the worst in franchise history at the time. While it was widely thought that the Spurs would become respectable again once Robinson arrived, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Robinson led the Spurs to the greatest single season turnaround in NBA history at the time[11] (a record the Spurs themselves broke in 1997–98, after drafting Tim Duncan, which was then broken by the Boston Celtics in the 2007–08 NBA season). The Spurs leaped to a record of 56–26 for a remarkable 35 game improvement. They advanced to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs where they lost in seven games to the eventual conference champion Portland Trail Blazers. Following the 1989–90 season, he was unanimously named the NBA rookie of the year, and subsequently Sega produced a game featuring him entitled David Robinson's Supreme Court.[12] The Spurs made the playoffs seven more seasons in a row. Robinson also made the 1992 US Olympic Dream Team that won the gold medal in Barcelona. During the 1993–94 season, he became locked in a duel for the NBA scoring title with Shaquille O'Neal, scoring 71 points (breaking George Gervin's single-game franchise record of 63) against the Los Angeles Clippers to win it.[13] In that season, Robinson averaged a career-high 29.8 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, career-high 4.8 assists per game and 3.3 blocks per game.[14]

Robinson went on to win the MVP trophy in 1995, and in 1996 he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.[15] Still, from 1991 to 1996, Robinson was thwarted in his quest to claim the one prize that had eluded him: an NBA title. During that span the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs by the Warriors, Suns (twice), Jazz (twice), and Rockets. The loss against the Rockets was particularly painful for Robinson because it occurred in the Western Conference Finals with Robinson playing head-to-head against his chief rival, Hakeem Olajuwon. By his own admission, Robinson was outplayed by Olajuwon in the series, their only meetings in post-season play.

Early in the 1997 season, Robinson's dreams of becoming a champion seemed to vanish when he hurt his back in the preseason. He finally returned in December, but six games later broke his foot in a home game against the Miami Heat, and ended up missing the rest of the regular season. As a result of the injury to Robinson and other key players (most notably Sean Elliott, who missed more than half the season), the Spurs finished the season with a dismal 20–62 record. However, his injury proved to be a blessing in disguise. Despite having only the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery—and with it, the first pick in the next year's NBA draft. They used that pick to select Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest University, who was, after a few years, the final key to Robinson's quest for an NBA title.

Championship season

Before the start of the 1998–99 season, the NBA owners and NBA commissioner David Stern locked out the NBA Players' Association to force negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. This lockout lasted for 202 days, well into the regular NBA season, before an agreement was finally reached. After playing a truncated 50-game season, the Spurs finished with an NBA-best record of 37–13, giving them the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Spurs blitzed through the first three rounds of the NBA playoffs, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers by a combined record of 11–1 to reach the NBA Finals for the first time ever. In the Finals, the combination of Robinson in the post and second-year power forward Tim Duncan proved overpowering, and the Spurs beat the New York Knicks in five games to become the first former American Basketball Association team to win an NBA title. Duncan was named Finals MVP.[16]

Robinson and Duncan were nicknamed "The Twin Towers".[17][18]

Twilight years and second championship

The later years of Robinson's career were plagued by back ailments.[19][20]

During the 1999–00 season, Robinson averaged 17.8 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game in 80 games. The Spurs made it to the playoffs as the fourth seed, but were defeated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs despite Robinson's 23.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game.[21]

Robinson announced he would retire from basketball following the 2002–03 season.[22]

On June 15, 2003, in the finale of Robinson's career, the Spurs won another NBA title with an 88–77 victory over the New Jersey Nets in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals. Turning back the clock, Robinson scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in his final game for the Spurs. He and the year's regular season and NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan shared Sports Illustrated magazine's 2003 Sportsmen of the Year award.

Player profile

Robinson possessed tremendous mobility in the post, speed, and ball-handling, especially for a center. With good hands on both offense and defense, Robinson was nearly unstoppable on both sides of the floor, throwing down dunks and blocking shots. He was also noted for his strong midrange jumpshot.

Robinson averaged 21.1 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, 3 blocks per game, and 2.5 assists per game over 987 games in his NBA career. Also, he is one of only a very small group of players to have scored over 20,000 career points in the NBA, as well as being one of only four players to have recorded a quadruple-double[11] (with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks against the Detroit Pistons on February 17, 1994).

He is also one of only six players to record 70 or more points in a single game. Robinson scored 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 24, 1994.[23] Only Elgin Baylor (71 points), Wilt Chamberlain (70, 72, 73 twice, 78, 100 points), David Thompson (73 points), Devin Booker (70 points), and Kobe Bryant (81 points) have scored 70 or more points in a single game.[24]

Robinson is also noteworthy for his harmonious relationship with Tim Duncan. Sportswriter Chris Sheridan noted that it was rare for someone like Robinson to have welcomed and mentored Duncan as willingly as he did[25] and to have reduced his own role in the team's offense to accommodate a younger star.[19]

NBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship *  Led the league

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1989–90 San Antonio 82*8136.6.531.000.73212.02.01.73.924.3
1990–91 San Antonio 82*8137.7.552.143.76213.0*2.51.53.925.6
1991–92 San Antonio 686837.7.551.125.70112.22.72.34.5*23.2
1992–93 San Antonio 82*82*39.2.501.176.73211.73.71.53.223.4
1993–94 San Antonio 808040.5.507.345.74910.74.81.73.329.8*
1994–95 San Antonio 818138.0.530.300.77410.82.91.73.227.6
1995–96 San Antonio 82*82*36.8.516.333.76112.23.01.43.325.0
1996–97 San Antonio 6624.5.500.000.6548.51.31.01.017.7
1997–98 San Antonio 737333.7.511.250.73510.62.7.92.621.6
1998–99† San Antonio 494931.7.509.000.65810.02.11.42.415.8
1999–00 San Antonio 808032.0.512.000.7269.61.81.22.317.8
2000–01 San Antonio 808029.6.486.000.7478.61.51.02.514.4
2001–02 San Antonio 787829.5.507.000.6818.31.21.11.812.2
2002–03† San Antonio 646426.2.469.000.7107.91.0.81.78.5
Career 98798534.7.518.250.73610.62.51.43.021.1
All-Star 10318.4.588.000.6956.2.81.31.314.1

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1990 San Antonio 101037.5.533.000.67712.02.31.14.024.3
1991 San Antonio 4441.5.686.000.86813.52.01.53.825.8
1993 San Antonio 101042.1.465.000.66412.64.01.03.623.1
1994 San Antonio 4436.5.411.000.74110.03.5.82.520.0
1995 San Antonio 151541.5.446.200.81212.13.11.52.625.3
1996 San Antonio 101035.3.516.000.66710.12.41.52.523.6
1998 San Antonio 9939.2.425.000.63514.12.61.23.319.4
1999† San Antonio 171735.3.483.000.7229.92.51.62.415.6
2000 San Antonio 4438.8.373.000.76213.82.51.83.023.5
2001 San Antonio 131331.5.472.000.69511.81.71.32.416.6
2002 San Antonio 4420.3.474.000.0005.81.3.8.84.5
2003† San Antonio 232323.4.542.000.6676.6.9.81.37.8
Career 12312334.3.479.100.70810.62.31.22.518.1

National team career
Robinson at the free throw line in 1992 for the “Dream Team”

David Robinson was a member of the United States national team at the 1986 FIBA World Championship,[26] the 1987 Pan American Games,[27] the 1988 Summer Olympics,[28] 1992 Summer Olympics,[29] and the 1996 Summer Olympics.[30] He won the gold medal at all games except the 1987 Pan Am Games, where he won a silver medal, and the 1988 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal.

Personal life
Robinson at the LBJ Presidential Library in 2014

Robinson married Valerie Hoggatt in 1991. They have three sons, David Jr., Corey, and Justin. Corey attended Notre Dame and was a wide receiver on the football team[31] before ending his playing career in 2016 on medical advice due to multiple concussions prior to what would have been his senior season.[32] He was very active on campus in his final undergraduate year, having been elected student body president in February 2016 for the 2016–17 school year.[33] Justin, a 6'8" (2.03 m) forward in basketball and a two-time all-state selection in Texas, has attended Duke since August 2015. He was initially recruited to the Duke team as a "preferred walk-on" with the opportunity to eventually earn a scholarship, but was placed on scholarship before his arrival at Duke.[34] On September 18, 2020, Mornar Bar of Erste Liga announced that they had signed Justin, signaling that Justin started his professional basketball career.[35]

Robinson became a Christian on June 8, 1991, after being encouraged to read the Bible.[36][37]

In 2001, Robinson founded and funded the $9 million Carver Academy in San Antonio, a non-profit private school named for George Washington Carver to provide more opportunities for inner-city children. In 2012, the school became a public charter school and its name changed to IDEA Carver. Robinson continues to be a very active participant in the school's day-to-day activities.[38][39]

In 2011, Robinson earned a Master of Arts in Administration (with concentration in organizational development) from the University of the Incarnate Word to better "understand how businesses work and how to build them.".[40]

Beyond his founding of Carver Academy, Robinson is well known as a philanthropist. Robinson and business partner Daniel Bassichis donate 10 percent of their profits to charitable causes.[40] The winner of the NBA Community Assist Award is presented with the David Robinson Plaque.[41]

Other ventures

In 2008 Robinson partnered with Daniel Bassichis, formerly of Goldman Sachs and a board member of The Carver Academy, to form Admiral Capital Group.[42] Admiral Capital Group is a private equity firm whose mission is to invest in opportunities that can provide both financial and social returns. Robinson's primary motivation in starting Admiral Capital was to create a source of additional financial support for The Carver Academy. Its portfolio is worth more than $100 million and includes nine upscale hotels and office buildings across the U.S. as well as Centerplate, one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. Admiral Capital Group also partnered with Living Cities to form the Admiral Center, a non-profit created to support other athletes and entertainers with their philanthropic initiatives. Robinson is also co-owner of a Jaguar Land Rover Dealership in San Juan, Texas.[43][44]

Awards and honors

Charitable efforts

In addition to his lengthy NBA career, Robinson is also noted for his charitable work.

In 1991, Robinson visited with fifth graders at Gates Elementary School in San Antonio and challenged them to finish school and go to college. He offered a $2,000 scholarship to everyone who did. In 1998, proving even better than his word, Robinson awarded $8,000 to each of those students who had completed his challenge. In perhaps his greatest civic and charitable achievement, David and his wife, Valerie, founded the Carver Academy in San Antonio, which opened its doors in September 2001. To date, the Robinsons have donated more than $11 million to the school.[51]

In March 2003, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to charity, the NBA renamed its award for outstanding charitable efforts in honor of Robinson. Winners of the NBA's Community Assist Award receive the David Robinson Plaque, with the inscription "Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece." The award is given out monthly by the league to recognize players for their charitable efforts. Robinson is also the recipient of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership.[52]

In 2011, in recognition of his philanthropic efforts with the Carver Academy, Robinson received the Children's Champion Award from the charitable organization Children's Hunger Fund.[53]

See also

NBA

College

References
  1. Men's Tournament of the Americas – 1992, USA Basketball. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  2. "1992 United States Olympic Team". Archived from the original on August 18, 2010.
  3. "The game's greatest giants ever". ESPN.com. March 6, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  4. Montville, Leigh (April 29, 1996). "Trials Of David". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  5. According to the following article about the city of Annapolis, Robinson won the "Eastman Award" in 1987 and the award is in Lejeune Hall. Bailey, Steve (August 22, 2008). "In Annapolis, Md., the Past Is Always at Hand". New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2010. See also the footnote at United States Naval Academy#Halls and principal buildings (at "Lejeune Hall").
  6. Report to the Honorable Gordon J. Humphrey, U.S. Senate (September 1987). "Treatment of Prominent Athletes on Active Duty" (PDF). United States General Accounting Office. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  7. "Information on Military to Civilian Transition Employment, Civilian Jobs for Veterans". G.I. Jobs. Archived from the original on March 10, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  8. Anderson, Dave (May 18, 1987). "Sports of the Times; The Robinson Plot Thickens". New York Times.
  9. Orsborn, Tom (May 20, 2007). "The Summer Our Ship Came In". San Antonio Express-News.
  10. "1988–89 Standings". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  11. "Legends profile: David Robinson". NBA.com.
  12. "David Robinson's Supreme Court for Genesis (1992)". MobyGames.
  13. "San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers Box Score, April 24, 1994". Basketball-Reference.com.
  14. "David Robinson Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
  15. "The NBA at 50". NBA.com. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  16. "Spurs Tower Over NBA". NBA.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  17. Staff, NBA com. "Top Moments: Twin Towers ride off to sunset with another title". NBA.com.
  18. "David Robinson: "Tim Duncan is probably the best thing that ever happened to me"". March 23, 2018.
  19. Kent, Milton. "'Admiral' Robinson isn't one to pull rank". baltimoresun.com.
  20. Mooney, Matthew. "Honoring David Robinson". Bleacher Report.
  21. https://www.basketball.reference.com/players/r/robinda01/gamelog/2000
  22. "Transcript of David Robinson Retirement Press Conference". San Antonio Spurs.
  23. "David Robinson Scores 71 points". San Antonio Spurs.
  24. "ESPN.com – NBA – Kobe makes records wilt". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  25. "An Admiral recollection from the year David Robinson and MJ retired – ESPN". Sports.espn.go.com. September 11, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  26. https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/tenth-world-championship-1986.aspx. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. https://www.usab.com/history/pan-am-mens/tenth-pan-american-games-1987.aspx. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/games-of-the-xxivth-olympiad-1988.aspx. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/games-of-the-xxvth-olympiad-1992.aspx. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. https://www.usab.com/history/national-team-mens/games-of-the-xxvith-olympiad-1996.aspx. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  31. Arnold, Keith (February 5, 2013). "Early Enrollees: Corey Robinson".
  32. Bromberg, Nick (June 15, 2016). "Notre Dame WR Corey Robinson medically retires due to concussions". Dr. Saturday. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  33. Bromberg, Nick (February 11, 2016). "Notre Dame WR Corey Robinson wins student body president election". Dr. Saturday. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  34. Johnson, Raphielle (May 6, 2015). "Son of former NBA great David Robinson to be on scholarship at Duke next season". NBC Sports. College Basketball Talk. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  35. "Džastin Robinson potpisao za Mornar" [Justin Robinson signed for Mornar]. kkmornar.bar (in Serbian). September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  36. Leigh Montville (April 29, 1996). "SAN ANTONIO SPURS CENTER AND BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN DAVID – 04.29.96 – SI Vault". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  37. Joshua Cooley (March–April 2013). "David Robinson: Parenting in the Fourth Quarter". Focus on the Family. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  38. "The 25 Smartest Athlete Purchases in Sports History17. David Robinson Builds Carver Academy". Complex.
  39. "David Robinson gives IDEA Carver Academy kids shopping spree". Archived from the original on October 27, 2013.
  40. "The Education of David Robinson - San Antonio Magazine - March 2012 - San Antonio, TX". www.sanantoniomag.com.
  41. "David Robinson: Impact on the Community". San Antonio Spurs.
  42. "Admiral Capital Group". Admiral Capital Group. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  43. "Home Page - Admiral Capital Group". Admiral Capital Group.
  44. Texas, Jaguar San Juan. "ABOUT US | Jaguar San Juan Texas". www.jaguarsanjuantx.com.
  45. "NBA Sportsmanship Award Winners". Fox News. April 30, 2013.
  46. Shaq claims NBA's IBM award
  47. "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  48. "NBA All-Star Shooting Stars Winners". NBA.com. August 24, 2017. Archived from the original on February 24, 2018.
  49. "1986 USA Basketball". Archived from the original on August 14, 2007.
  50. "Former NCAA stars shine at Honors Celebration". NCAA.org. January 13, 2012. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  51. "David Robinson, Chase Invest Sweat, Equity to Rebuild New Orleans One House at a... | Reuters". Uk.reuters.com. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  52. "404 Page". Philanthropy Roundtable.
  53. Harlan, Tim. (October 3, 2010). "CHF Children's Champion Award Banquet Set for Oct. 9" Archived May 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
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