David Robinson, Usa ...player profiles by Interbasket (original) (raw)

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**David Robinson Profile

Name: David Maurice Robinson
Nickname: The Admiral, D-Rob, Mr. Robinson's (Neighborhood)
Born: August 06, 1965
Status: Retired
Origin: Key West, Florida, USA
Height: 7-1/2,17m
Weight: 250lbs/113,4kg
Schools: N/A
Drafted: 1987, First Round, 1st overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs
Languages: English
Website: InterBasket
Teams (jersey): Navy (50), US National Team (1992's Dream Team), San Antonio Spurs (50)
Ibn Notes: Though drafted in the 1987 NBA draft, David Robinson didn't join the Spurs until the 1989-1990 season because of his military commitments. The wait was well-worth it as he helped the Spurs into one of the largest turnarounds in NBA history; the Spurs won 56 games in Robinson's first year, compared to 21 the season previous. The Admiral was named the NBA rookie of the year.

After several successful seasons (without a championship), Robinson was then named to the 1992 US Olympic Dream Team that featuredMagic,Bird,Jordan,Barkley,Drexler,Stockton,Malone,Ewing, andPippen. The Dream Team went on to win the gold medal at in Barcelona. During the 1993-94 season, he became locked in a duel for scoring champion with Shaquille O'Neal. By the last game of the season, he needed 69 points to win the scoring title -- his teammates fed him the ball all night and Robinson ended up scoring 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers to win it.

Robinson went on to win the NBA's MVP trophy in 1995, and in 1996 he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Still, from 1991 to 1998, only the Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets were able to claim the NBA championship that Robinson desired so much. The losses against the Rockets were painful for Robinson, because his rival Hakeem Olajuwon outgunned Robinson. Robinson's title dreams seemed to come to an end when he was seriously injured in 1997, and the Spurs fell to a dismal 20�62. Robinson's injury proved to be a blessing in disguise. The Spurs had the first pick in the next draft and acquired Tim Duncan, another crucial factor in their success over the next several years.

Before the start of the 1998�1999 season, the NBA owners and David Stern locked out the players to force negotiation on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NBA Player's Association. The lockout lasted for 202 days until ultimately a new agreement was made by both sides. The season began February 5, 1999, therefore making it literally the 1999 NBA season. After playing a truncated 50 game season, the Spurs finished with a record of 37�13 which was the best in the NBA and gave the Spurs homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. The Spurs were very successful in the first three rounds of the playoffs, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers with a combined record of 11�1. The combination of Robinson and second-year, 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) forward Tim Duncan was enough to win it all. They beat the New York Knicks in five games to become the NBA championship team. Although Duncan was named the Finals MVP, many credited Robinson's leadership as the essential component in the championship run.

Robinson announced he would retire from basketball after the 2003 campaign.

On June 15, 2003, in what could perhaps be called a fitting finale to Robinson's career, the Spurs won the 2003 NBA championship with an 88�77 victory over the New Jersey Nets in Game Six of the 2003 NBA Finals. Robinson, who scored 13 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in his final game, credited God for the win. Known as the "Twin Towers," he and then-league MVP Tim Duncan shared Sports Illustrated magazine's 2003 Sportsmen of the Year award.

His career averages are of 21.1 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, 3.0 blocks per game and 2.5 assists per game. He is one of only a small group of players to have scored over 20,000 career points in the NBA, and one of only four players to have recorded a quadruple-double (with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks against the Detroit Pistons on February 17, 1994).