basketball player
Personal Information
Born David Robinson, on August 6, 1965, in Key West, FL; son of Ambrose (an engineer) and Freda Robinson; married with children: David Jr. and Corey.
Education: : graduated from the United States Naval Academy.
Career
After one year of high school basketball, Robinson attended the Naval Academy and played basketball all four years, 1983-84, 1986-87; the first overall selection in the NBA draft of the San Antonio Spurs, 1987; served two additional years at Kings Bay Naval Base, 1988-89; participated in the Olympic Games, 1988, 1992, 1996; starting center for the San Antonio Spurs, 1989-2003.
Life's Work
David Robinson, who led the San Antonio Spurs to two National Basketball Association championships before retiring in 2003, was born in Key West, Florida on August 6, 1965. He was the second child of Ambrose and Freda Robinson. Since Robinson's father was in the Navy, the family soon moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia where Robinson excelled in school and in most sports except basketball. He was 5 feet, 9 inches tall in junior high school so he tried basketball, but he soon quit. Robinson attended Osbourn Park High School in Manassas, Virginia just outside of Washington D.C., where Robinson's father was working as an engineer after retiring from the Navy. By his senior year in high school he was 6 feet, 7 inches tall, but he had not played organized basketball. When the coach added the tall senior to the basketball team, Robinson earned all-area and all-district honors but generated little interest among college basketball coaches. Basketball was not his first priority anyway, getting an education was. With a Scholastic Aptitude Test score of 1,320 out of a possible 1,600, Robinson could go to any school he chose, and he chose the United States Naval Academy.
In the Navy
Robinson entered the Naval Academy in the fall of 1983. Robinson had to deal with the rigors of the Naval Academy, in addition to learning college basketball. In his freshman year, he did not start a single game and averaged 7.6 points and four rebounds a game. But the next year Robinson's height and ability in basketball would change dramatically. Robinson grew to be 6 feet, 11 inches tall and began to dominate on the basketball court. Robinson led the Midshipmen to a 26-6 record, a Colonial Conference title, and into the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 25 years. Robinson averaged 23.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, and blocked 128 shots. Robinson performed so well he finally thought about playing in the NBA. But after graduating from the academy, he would still owe the Navy five years of service. Because of this long-term commitment he seriously considered transferring after his sophomore year, but he decided to stay when Navy officials hinted at reducing his obligation after graduation.
In his junior year, 1986, Robinson led the Naval Academy to the final eight of the NCAA tournament and was named to the Associated Press All-American Team. Robinson averaged 22.7 points and 13 rebounds per game. But he really dominated on the defensive end. After three seasons Robinson had set NCAA records for most shots blocked in a game (14), most shots blocked in a season (207), and most career shots blocked (372). Robinson's 207 blocks were more rejections than every team except national champion Louisville.
In his senior season, Robinson was named the only unanimous selection on the AP's All-American Team and won the Naismith Award as the College Player of the Year. Robinson graduated from the Naval Academy in the spring of 1987 and right away, he was the first player chosen in the NBA draft, by the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs drafted Robinson knowing he would not be available until the 1989-90 season. Robinson reported to the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base and worked as an engineer. He also played on the United States' national team. Robinson participated in the Pan Am Games in 1987 and in the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea in 1988, where the U.S. team finished a disappointing third.
The Admiral in the NBA
In May of 1989 Robinson was discharged from the Navy. He went from being a solitary engineer to the glamour of the NBA and a starring role in his own Nike commercial. His impact on the Spurs was phenomenal. In Robinson's first year, the team improved 35 victories, from 21-61 to 56-26. Robinson ended the season tenth in the league in scoring with a 24.3 average, second in rebounding averaging 12 per game, and third in blocked shots with 3.89 per game. Robinson was named to the All-Star Game, was All-NBA third team, and was the unanimous Rookie of the Year. In his first year Robinson led his team to a Midwest Division title and into the second round of the playoffs.
The following season Robinson again played in all 82 games and bettered his statistics from the previous year. He not only made the All-Star team but was also first team All-NBA and a member of the All-Defensive team. Robinson was the only player in the league to finish the season in the top 10 in four statistical categories. He finished first in rebounding (13 per game) and second in blocked shots (3.90 per game). Despite his individual achievements the Spurs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Two years into his career, he seemed to be on top of the world, but just the opposite was true. Robinson told Sports Illustrated about his state of mind after the 1991 season: "What surprised me was that I wasn't happy. Here I had everything I ever wanted--I had graduated from a good school, had a good family behind me, was doing things I never dreamed I'd do--and I wasn't happy at all. I looked at myself, and I didn't like the person I was becoming. I felt I was so important. I had selfishness and arrogance." Robinson's solution was to commit more fully to Christianity. He also became more settled marrying Valerie Hoggat, a woman he had met in 1988 while he was serving in the Navy.
Robinson continued to improve in his third season despite an injury that forced him to miss the last part of the season--He tore a ligament in his hand and missed all the games after March 16. Robinson became only the third player in NBA history to finish the season in the top ten in scoring (seventh), rebounding (fourth), blocked shots (first), steals (fifth), and field-goal percentage (seventh). For the third time Robinson made the All-Star team and was again named All-NBA first team and the Defensive Player of the Year. Robinson also played in his second Olympic games winning the gold medal in Barcelona with the first Dream Team. After the injury the previous season, Robinson took on a massive workload in the 1992-93 season. He played in all 82 Spurs games and broke the franchise record for minutes played with 3,211. The star center played more than 40 minutes in 41 games. During this marathon season, Robinson was typically excellent, starting for the Western Conference All-Star Team and for the year averaging 23.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.22 blocks, and 1.55 steals per game. In the post season the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semi-finals before losing to the Phoenix Suns in six games.
Robinson Wins the MVP
For the 1993-94 season, the Spurs brought in rebounding sensation Dennis Rodman, which allowed Robinson to concentrate more on offense. He responded by leading the NBA in scoring, averaging 29.8 points per game. Robinson averaged 40.5 minutes per game and finished second in the voting for the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Robinson also made a fifth straight All-Star appearance and led his team to a 55-27 record. Still there were whispers that the intelligent, religious, young center who listened to classical music could never lead his team to an NBA championship. Isiah Thomas, the Detroit Pistons Hall-of-Fame point guard, commented on this perception in an article in Sports Illustrated: "David Robinson has always been nice, and their team has always been nice. But do you want a bunch of guys who are nice all the time, or do you want to win championships? If Dennis can keep David angry, they could make it out of the West." Rodman would not help enough as the Spurs lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Robinson seemed to answer his critics during the 1994-95 season winning the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. Robinson showed the all-around quality of his game averaging 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.23 blocks per game. He led the Spurs to the best regular season record in the NBA (62-20) and a number one seed throughout the playoffs. San Antonio moved through the first two rounds of the postseason, but lost in the conference semifinals to the Houston Rockets and the 1993-94 MVP, Hakeem Olajuwan. Robinson told Sports Illustrated about the turnaround from winning the MVP award to being bounced from the playoffs: "I don't think there's any worse feeling for an athlete than to feel inadequate. These are the times when you really have to love the game, when you realize you were six games away from a title, and now you have to start over again. I just stayed home for a few days. The kids give you perspective."
Despite his disappointment, in 1995-96 Robinson almost equaled his accomplishments from the previous MVP year. He made All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams and made the All-Star game for the seventh consecutive time. After a seven-year career filled with every sort of accolade except post-season success, Robinson was finally bitten by the injury bug during the 1996-97 season. He missed his first 18 games with a lower back strain, and then after six games back in the lineup, Robinson broke his foot and missed the rest of the season.
The 1997-98 season marked the arrival of highly regarded rookie Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest. Robinson came back strong from his year off and battled through a concussion and nagging injuries in both knees to be named an All-Star and second team All-NBA. Despite missing some games and a reduction in playing time, Robinson still averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. As he approached his tenth season in the league, Robinson had accomplished about as much as an individual player could accomplish--including being named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. He had homes in San Antonio and Aspen, Colorado, and his family had now grown to include two sons, David Jr. and Corey. Off the court he had established the David Robinson Foundation, his own charitable organization, helped an entire grade at a San Antonio school pay for college, and is active in feeding the homeless through a program called "Feed My Sheep." He also founded the Ruth Project that provides diapers and baby food for needy families. In short, he had done it all--except win a championship. The Top of the Mountain.
To win the championship, Robinson was asked to do something he hadn't done since he was a freshman at Navy--play a supporting role. The coach asked his former franchise player to focus more on the defensive end of the court and allow Duncan to take over as the scorer for the 1998-99 season. Robinson told Sports Illustrated's Phil Taylor that the adjustment was difficult: "It grinds on everything in me that's competitive--my ego, my pride, everything. I've always been the focus here. To feel as though I'm not anymore is difficult, very difficult. I look at my numbers, and they look so strange. I used to laugh at the guys who averaged only 12 points and 10 rebounds. Anybody could average 12 and 10. But now I find myself in that position." When the Spurs, which were one of the favorites to win the championship, started 6-8 in a season truncated by a labor stoppage, many, including Robinson himself, questioned the strategy. But the Spurs kept to the game plan and stormed through the rest of the season and into the NBA Finals. During the playoffs, Robinson averaged 15.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.35 blocks, and 35.3 minutes per game. In the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, Robinson pushed his playoff numbers even higher. He averaged 16.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. The Spurs won four of five games from the Knicks and the man known as "The Admiral" led his team to the NBA promised land. But still he kept the title in perspective as he explained in an article he wrote with Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated: "Everybody thinks the trophy and the ring are the ultimate things, but as valuable as they are, they're just things. They'll wind up on a shelf somewhere, but the experience of winning them, the journey, will be right here in my heart forever."
Robinson, during the 1999-2000 season, scored career point number 18,000 of his career, in a game against the Sacramento Kings on May 5, 2000. Less than one year later, on March 9, 2001, he topped 19,000 career points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He achieved a far more gratifying goal in September of 2001 with the opening of the Carver Academy in San Antonio's inner city. The school, which supports pre-kindergarten through elementary grades, was made possible largely through a $5 million grant from Robinson. With 60 students enrolled in 2001, Carver Academy--named for George Washington Carver--was projected to grow to a full capacity of 280 after the first year.
After the Lakers won three consecutive titles, Robinson, playing his final season, went out a champion in 2003, his 14th and final season. The Spurs dethroned the Lakers in six games in the Western Conference finals, then eliminated the New Jersey Nets, also in six games, in the NBA Finals. With victory in hand, Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich pulled Robinson with 35.6 seconds left to loud cheers from the San Antonio crowd and hugs from his teammates. My last game, streamers flying, world champions. How can you write a better script than this?" Robinson said, according to the Associated Press. It's unbelievable. I'm going to end my career on the highest of highs." The Spurs retired Robinson's jersey number, 50, the following season.
Awards
Associated Press All-American, 1985-86, and 1986-87; Naismith and Wooden Awards as the College Player of the Year, 1987; NBA Rookie of the Year, 1989-90; NBA All-Defensive First Team, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1994-95, and 1995-96; NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 1991-92; All NBA First Team, 1990-91, 1991-92, and 1994-95; All NBA Second Team, 1993-94, and 1997-98; All NBA Third Team, 1989-90, and 1992-93; NBA's Most Valuable Player, 1994-95; Named by the league as one of its 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, 1996; Ten-time NBA All-Star; Sportsman of the Year (with Tim Duncan), Sports Illustrated, 2003.
Further Reading
Books
- Miller, Dawn M., David Robinson: Backboard Admiral (The Achievers). Lerner Publications Co.: N.Y., 1991.
Periodicals- Sports Illustrated, March 7, 1994; April 26, 1996; April 12, 1999; July 13, 1999; October 22, 2001.
Online- http://nba.com/playerfile/bio/david_robinson.html.
- >SI.com,,June 15, 2003, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/2003/playoffs/news/2003/06/15/robinson_spurs_ap/ (June 15, 2003); sportsillustrated.cnn.com, November 11, 2003; SI.com, sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/2003/, December 8, 2003.
— Michael J. Watkins
- David Robinson 
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