David Robinson elected into Hall of Fame

[fraga]

NBA.com (http://www.nba.com/2009/news/04/06/halloffame.ap.ap/index.html)

[JoeChalupa]

That's what I'm talkin' about......right there!!

[TampaDude]

HELL YEAH!!! :hat :toast :flag:

[rascal]

Congratulations David Robinson.

[Muser]

Congrats.

[kace]

even if expected, still a great news :toast

[Girasuck]

Congrats to the Admiral. Well deserved.

[Libri]

:clap

[urunobili]

:clap:

[Muser]

It's a shame he's going to be overshadowed by MJ, but still great news.

[sonic21]

congrats Drob :clap

[duncan228]

The build-up articles and conversation on this wonderful event.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121534

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121734

[duncan228]

David Robinson confirmed as Hall of Famer (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/04/06/daily4.html)
San Antonio Business Journal
by W. Scott Bailey

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame confirmed on Monday that it has named former San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson and four others into its 2009 enshrinement class.

Robinson is joined by former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, current Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan, former Jazz guard John Stockton and Rutgers University head basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer.

Robinson, Jordan, Sloan and Stockton have all been elected in their first year of eligibility. Stringer had been named a finalist in prior years.

“We are extremely pleased and honored to introduce this historic class,” says John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

To be elected, finalists needed 18 of 24 votes from the Hall of Fame’s Honors Committee. The Class of 2009 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass., in September.

Robinson spent his entire NBA career with the Spurs. He helped guide San Antonio to a pair of NBA championships and was named to 10 NBA All-Star teams and earned four NBA First Team selections. He also won an NBA league MVP award and was selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.

As an amateur athlete, Robinson also won two Olympic gold medals and was a member of the legendary 1992 “Dream Team” and the 1996 gold medal squad.

The 2009 induction ceremony will mark the 50th anniversary for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

[duncan228]

Robinson, Jordan, Stockton named to Basketball Hall of Fame (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Robinson_Jordan_Stockton_named_to_Basketball_Hall_ of_Fame_.html)
Jerry Briggs and Tom Orsborn
Express-News

Former Spurs center David Robinson, who helped lead the franchise to its first two NBA titles, was named Monday morning to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The announcement came at a news conference in Detroit, the site of tonight’s NCAA title game between Michigan State and North Carolina.

Induction ceremonies are scheduled Sept. 10-12 in Springfield, Mass.

Others announced for the class of 2009 were Robinson’s former U.S. Olympic teammates, Michael Jordan and John Stockton, along with coaches Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer.

Robinson, a 7-foot-1 center from Navy, won the NBA scoring title in 1994, added the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1995 and then evolved into a defensive stopper during Spurs’ runs to championships in 1999 and 2003.

“People can talk about (former Boston center) Bill Russell and all he did,’’ former Spurs guard Avery Johnson said last week, “but in my era there was no better defensive player than Dave.’’

Jordan, who won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, is considered among the greatest basketball players of all time. A five-time MVP, Jordan led the NBA in scoring a record 10 times.

Stockton became the league’s all-time assists and steals leader with the Utah Jazz.

Together, Jordan, Stockton and Robinson played on the historic “Dream Team,” and paced the United States to the gold medal in the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona. Officials elected to utilize NBA players for the first time that year after the 1988 U.S. team finished third in the Olympics with a bronze medal.

Robinson was one of the greatest players in U.S. history in international competition. After competing in the Olympics in 1988 and 1992, he played for the United States in the 1996 Summer Games at Atlanta while suffering from a hernia.

Despite the nagging injury, Robinson scored a game-high 28 points as Team USA won the gold medal with a 95-69 victory over Yugoslavia at the Georgia Dome.

A few weeks later, he underwent hernia surgery.

Other injuries followed, limiting him to only six games with the Spurs in 1996-97. First, he suffered a back injury in the team’s first preseason game in October. In December, he broke his foot, which ultimately ended his season.

A 25.6 points-per-game-scorer during his first seven years in the NBA, Robinson’s role with the team took a turn in his last seven when Tim Duncan arrived as the No. 1 pick in the draft in 1997.

With Duncan taking the scoring load, Robinson focused on defense, making it nearly impossible for opponents to score on the Spurs in the paint.

Consequently, the Spurs won their first title in 1998-99. The Spurs added another championship in 2002-03, Robinson’s 14th and final season.

Before his arrival as a rookie, the Spurs were struggling at the box office. The city immediately rallied around the Spurs, with Robinson, Terry Cummings and others leading the team back to the playoffs in 1989-90.

Johnson said that Robinson “absolutely’’ would be a Hall of Fame player even without the two championships.

“This guy singlehandedly rescued the Spurs franchise,’’ Johnson said. “He was an MVP and he had a scoring title. But had this guy not come to San Antonio, I don’t know if the Spurs would still be in San Antonio. He’s a Hall of Famer for just saving a franchise.’’

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Kick ass. Couldn't happen to a better guy.

[Obstructed_View]

Faaaave-OH.

[romain.star]

great !! more than deserved

The 2nd spur to be elected into the HOF (Moses Malone only scored 49 points as a spur)...

duncan and ginobili are next...

unfortunately, TP will never make it

[Rapping Mr. Robinson]

Good news travels fast, this news is great
You know it's big when someone posts it faster than 228
I cannot wait for the ceremony, Class of 2009
I am going first class all the way thanks to Priceline
I have played for unfriendly crowds from New York to LA
but I think I may have the worst audience yet for my big day.
MJ will probably invite his old coach and good friend,
Phil the Master of Evil, er, I meant Zen
And Stockton will invite Karl, you know? The Mailman?
I guess it is no suprise I'm not his biggest fan
And if this thing is attended by Charlie Rosen
I'll feel exactly my boy Daniel did in the lion's den

I'll start my speech by giving the Lord his props,
followed by a shout out to Timmy and Pops
Sean and AJ, you guys better be there
to tell the world that I carried you my whole career
I'll even forgive the Lil General for working for Cuban,
we all make mistakes, AJ's only human.
But I'll need to ask God for some strength once again
to forgive that dude for working at ESPN

I might even cry depending on how emotional it gets
What are the odds of it? Seriously, MJ's taking bets
I fear that I'll have to look in the front row, call out, and scold him
when I see he and Oakley playing high stakes Hold 'em
Those six rings must feel nice when times are tough,
I've got two plus a wedding band, which means I still have all my stuff

And I know Spurs fans would want me to tell the Jazz a few things,
like how they can call me Pope David and kiss my rings
Or note how Stockton lead the league in assists,
most of them dished to a statutory rapist.
But I'm a good Christian, that is not what I do
I'll leave that to my boy, Hype Man Manu!

I am making a formal request to the Hall of Fame committee
for one special thing I hope they can give me
I know the usual monument shows the player's head
and underneath there is some writing saying what they did
I would like a likeness of my rear end posted under my face
so anyone who called me "soft" can lick it and
TELL ME HOW MY PLAQUE TASTE!

[duncan228]

:lol Great stuff Rapping Mr. Robinson.

[RobSM64]

It's about Time....

Thank you 5-0 for what you have done for this franchise

:flag:

[Texas_Ranger]

That great. Bravo Dave.

[bigkevrocks31]

congrats 50!

[whottt]

I'll again point out that I don't see Drob going in with Jordan as a negative. More people are going to know about David Robinson's induction becasue he's going in with Jordan than any other draft class in history. More people will being paying attention to it as well.

This is by far the the greatest HOF class in basketball history IMHO and the Drob fans don't need him to go in without Jordan for this to be special and something they will pay a lot of attention to.

[whottt]

Good news travels fast, this news is great
You know it's big when someone posts it faster than 228
I cannot wait for the ceremony, Class of 2009
I am going first class all the way thanks to Priceline
I have played for unfriendly crowds from New York to LA
but I think I may have the worst audience yet for my big day.
MJ will probably invite his old coach and good friend,
Phil the Master of Evil, er, I meant Zen
And Stockton will invite Karl, you know? The Mailman?
I guess it is no suprise I'm not his biggest fan
And if this thing is attended by Charlie Rosen
I'll feel exactly my boy Daniel did in the lion's den

I'll start my speech by giving the Lord his props,
followed by a shout out to Timmy and Pops
Sean and AJ, you guys better be there
to tell the world that I carried you my whole career
I'll even forgive the Lil General for working for Cuban,
we all make mistakes, AJ's only human.
But I'll need to ask God for some strength once again
to forgive that dude for working at ESPN

I might even cry depending on how emotional it gets
What are the odds of it? Seriously, MJ's taking bets
I fear that I'll have to look in the front row, call out, and scold him
when I see he and Oakley playing high stakes Hold 'em
Those six rings must feel nice when times are tough,
I've got two plus a wedding band, which means I still have all my stuff

And I know Spurs fans would want me to tell the Jazz a few things,
like how they can call me Pope David and kiss my rings
Or note how Stockton lead the league in assists,
most of them dished to a statutory rapist.
But I'm a good Christian, that is not what I do
I'll leave that to my boy, Hype Man Manu!

I am making a formal request to the Hall of Fame committee
for one special thing I hope they can give me
I know the usual monument shows the player's head
and underneath there is some writing saying what they did
I would like a likeness of my rear end posted under my face
so anyone who called me "soft" can lick it and
TELL ME HOW MY PLAQUE TASTE!



That's awesome :lmao

Post more, read less :tu

[whottt]

I wonder who will give Drob's induction speech....

My guess is AJ..

[Fpoonsie]

Awesome. It's seems cliche' at this point to say that he's the reason I became a fan, but he is. Always an inspiration and SORELY missed out on the court (understatement?).

[HarlemHeat37]

absolutely great point by whott..going in with MJ isn't a negative at all..

David is probably the most underrated top 20 player of all-time..people seem to only mention him when talking about the series vs. Hakeem, which is very sad..a lot of people seem to have forgotten how great he was..

[lefty]

Dear David,

You are the reason I became a Spurs fan; I discovered you in 1992 when watching the pre-olympic tournament (I wasn't living in North America back then, so the only players I knew were Jordan, Magic, Isiah, Bird, Wilkins, Pip and Dumars).

I want to thank you for that.



Oh, and since I'm a Spurs fan, I stumbled across Spurstalk one day.

I truly hate you for that.


Lefty.

[Dex]

http://mlb.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p879351dt.jpg
http://images.allposters.com/images/153/aafr016.jpg

[Spurs Brazil]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4045879

There's a interview with Five-Oh here during the event. He thanks his coaches and also say great things about TD

[Spurs Brazil]

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/df/fullj.5d6dfd4b37bdd1b81e41f20c7f866cb8/5d6dfd4b37bdd1b81e41f20c7f866cb8-getty-82875250ae005hall_of_fame.jpg

[lefty]

Wow, Drob looks like he is trying to poop out a big one

[SPURS50]

Congrats to Big Dave! My favorite player of all time getting the respect he truly deserves! It's a great day for all the Admiral fans out there! Drob was so underappreciated by non spurs fans.

[tp2021]

I might even cry depending on how emotional it gets
What are the odds of it? Seriously, MJ's taking bets
I fear that I'll have to look in the front row, call out, and scold him
when I see he and Oakley playing high stakes Hold 'em
Those six rings must feel nice when times are tough,
I've got two plus a wedding band, which means I still have all my stuffWell done!

Congrats to The Admiral. I agree with whottt, being in the same class as MJ is a positive, to be recognized alongside someone that is considered the best.

[lefty]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/02/24/PH2006022400065.jpg

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/twentieth_century_fox/like_mike/_group_photos/david_robinson6.jpg

[Libri]

http://imagehost.epier.com/127767/scan0043%283%29.jpg

[Ness]

Congrats!

[angelbelow]

sweet!

[Admiral]

Today is a big day. Rookie of the Year award, Most Valuable Player award, two-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, scoring champion, rebounding champion, blocked shots champion, numerous IBM awards, and the respect of teammates and opponents alike for his skills on the court. For all of the talk about the great person David is (and it is undoubtedly true), it is nice to have credence given to his numerous accomplishments on the court too. Hopefully the fact that he is a first-ballot Hall of Famer will be a gentle reminder that the guy is one of the best basketball players in history.

Congratulations, David. You deserve this. Many of us who became basketball fans and Spurs fans because of you are enjoying it right along with you.

[jamiegrplover]

congratulations to him

[ElNono]

Congrats to big Dave for getting his rightful place in history.

[Bigzax]

Thanks for all that you are Mr. Robinson. :tu

[reddog 99]

Lets give this day to Big Dave.

Congratulations on a fine career.

:toast

[Biggems]

As a lifelong citizen of San Antonio, I can say that we have been truly blessed to have one, David Robinson, mosey into town. He is the ring leader of this circus of class, respect, dignity, and winning.

I hope that when I have children, they will be as fortunate as me to have some really class act local sports heroes like David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Sean Elliott, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, etc.....

[duncan228]

Express-News updated version.

Robinson joins Jordan as Hall inductee in '09 (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Robinson_joins_Jordan_as_Hall_inductee_in_09.html)
By A.J. Hakim - Special to the Express-News

DETROIT — As David Robinson, John Stockton and Michael Jordan laughed and joked with one another on stage Monday at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame news conference, it was clear that the friendship and respect remained intact.

The three share a bond from the iconic summer of '92 in Barcelona, when the Dream Team won Olympic gold.

“It's funny because I have such great memories with those guys,” said Robinson, who played 14 seasons with the Spurs. “We were just back there talking about the Olympic team and how we just practiced so hard, had a great time playing with each other and we learned from each other.

“Standing up here on the stage with Michael and John, how do you describe that? We've walked through a bunch of stuff together, and here we are at the end of the line together. It's truly an honor. I have a great deal of respect for both of those guys.”

All of them retired after memorable playing careers, Robinson and his two former Olympic teammates will join active coaches Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz and C. Vivian Stringer of Rutgers in the Hall of Fame's Class of 2009.

All five will be inducted formally Sept. 10-12 at the basketball shrine in Springfield, Mass.

Robinson is the second former Spurs player to be named to the Hall of Fame, following George Gervin, who was enshrined in 1996.

While Gervin helped pave the way for the Spurs to move from the American Basketball Association to the more established NBA in the 1970s, Robinson energized the city to support the team after years of sagging attendance in the '80s.

“When he came here, we were at a crossroads with the Spurs, and he truly made the difference,” former Spurs owner Red McCombs said last week in San Antonio. “He allowed us to compete, and we couldn't have (become a four-time champion) without him. In fact, I'm not sure the franchise would be here without him.”

The 7-foot-1 center from Navy won NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1989-90 and led the team into the playoffs in 13 of his 14 seasons. With Robinson and Tim Duncan, the Spurs won the franchise's first two NBA championships in 1999 and 2003.

“David Robinson embodied professionalism and character both on and off the basketball court,” said Spurs general manager R.C. Buford. “His induction to the Hall of Fame is only fitting for a man who did so much for the Spurs, the City of San Antonio and the game of basketball.”

Nicknamed “The Admiral,” Robinson won a scoring title in 1994 and added a Most Valuable Player award in 1995, but he said the highlight of his career was the 2003 championship.

His last moment as a player was a championship moment as the Spurs won at home, defeating the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.

“All I can say is that very last day of my career, when I walked off the stage as NBA champion,” Robinson concluded, “I was entirely content with my career. And that's a good feeling.”


Staff writers Tom Orsborn and Mike Monroe contributed to this report.

[Rapper]

Its no doubt that he deserves it

congrats

[Austin_Toros]

I love Robinson's massive game against the Clippers. He needed to score a certain amount of points to be the scoring champ and he did it.

[Fernando TD21]

Congrats to David Robinson.:toast

CKVqpXl3M18

[holcs50]

Back when I started playing basketball about when I was 8/9 in 89-90 was introduced to Robby by a friend and since that time I found my idol/fav basketball player/role model. He made me want to play the game even more and pretty much made me into a basketballaholic. I remember when I was 14 I had two life size posters of robby on my wall and 4 regular size ones-so pretty much my whole room was covered with robinson-haha. I love the guy, still wish I could watch him play everyday or at least if he would do some commentating or TNT work or something,ha. Its like anytime a clip of him or shows up on tv I am like glued to the screen still. He's truly the type of guy you want to be like and even to this day at age 27 I still sometimes find myself trying to be better sometimes thinking about robinson. Anyways, cheers to the man, congrats Mr.Robinson

[Avitus1]

Hell yes! Congrats #50!

[Darrin]

Congrats to David Robinson.:toast

CKVqpXl3M18

I remember the block, not the break-away. Congrats to David Robinson for being a member of the greatest Hall-of-Fame class ever. Robinson went out a great guy and a Champion.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/covers/images/2003/0623_large.jpg

[Spursone]

:flag:
The Admiral what can you say: an athelete, community leader, and an all around class act.

My greatest moments in Spurs history were seeing The Admiral get his 2 RINGS.

NEVER:lobt2::lobt2: FORGOTTEN!

[Gervin44Silas13]

HERE'S to you MR. ROBINSON!!!!!!!

"CAN YOU SAY HOF!!!!!!!!"
"CAN YOU TELL Mr. stockton .....I GOT 2!"

[DPG21920]

Just a classy, classy man. Feel blessed to have watched him play. He is a great example of a peaceful, respectful and caring man.

[SPURS50]

Remember when Big Dave scored 71 and the next day Shaq was crying how he could have scored 70 if his teammates passed him the ball as much! I loved that.

[ManuTP9]

Congrats David XDXD

[Spurs_9_20_21]

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting for him to be there!!!! Congrats to David!! :toast

[mouse]

Good thing David never decided to coach the Dallas Mavericks not only would you be pissed he was going to the hall of fame, you guys would want his jersey taken off the rafters. You don't think David reads all the negative Avery Johnson crap you guys post?

[lefty]

Cool video :tu

<script src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/.element/js/1.1/xmp/module.js?vid=/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/04/07/nba_20090407_cwebb_hof.nba" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript>Embedded video from <a href="http://www.nba.com/video">NBA Video</a></noscript>

[lefty]

Cool video :tu

www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/04/07/nba_20090407_cwebb_hof.nba/index.html

[Biggems]

Where'd you go Mr. Robinson....on your way to the Hall of Fame...hey hey hey

So here's to you Mr. Robinson....you're a hero to us all here in S.A. ....hey hey hey...hey hey hey

[whottt]

Good thing David never decided to coach the Dallas Mavericks not only would you be pissed he was going to the hall of fame, you guys would want his jersey taken off the rafters. You don't think David reads all the negative Avery Johnson crap you guys post?

This is like saying if Hitler hadn't murdered all those people he wouldn' be infamous...

But he did. And Drob didn't ever coach the Mavs. Drob never sold out. And he lives and dies with the Spurs as a fan now. Drob is Spur to the core.

:lmao I remember in Drob's final season when the Mavs were paying tribute to him and making donation to the Carver academy, they gave Drob a mic to speak and he was classy as he always, but you could tell he was like, I don't know what to say to these effin' Mav Fans or the Mavs...I whipped Mav ass for my entire career, thanks for this donation, and I'm gonna repay it by whippin' some more Mav ass the rest of the year.

Was even better when he didn't even make the Laker tribute to him :lmao


Drob...not a sell out, or panderer. And not a Mav coach either...and he never will be. He'll never be anything but a Spur, and right now he's the only Spur in team history that can be said of....


"If" means nothing.

[barbacoataco]

Great memories of seeing DRob his rookie year when they could have won it all if they had a better coach, or maybe just a couple of different breaks. David Robinson is a great example of a Christian and a human being. He was also a great basketball player.

[DannyT]

whats your favorite Admiral Memory...

[JP le Requin]

congrats to the player who give me love for basketball and the san antonio spurs...

[duncan228]

whats your favorite Admiral Memory...

I've been thinking about this. After I sorted through a bunch of incredible basketball games I kept coming back to one image. Robinson leaving the court a Champion. He did so much on the court, from just bringing his intense skills every game to his quad-double. But after all the game action, watching him go out like he did has to be my favorite memory.

[Darrin]

I think my favorite was watching him play in that Phoenix series in 2000 without Tim Duncan. He took so much heat and criticism for not showing up.

He was such a graceful player, on and off the court. My favorite off-the-court story isn't about feeding one homeless man or a Reebok commerical. I think Robinson starting that school will always stick with me.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

I think my favorite was watching him play in that Phoenix series in 2000 without Tim Duncan. He took so much heat and criticism for not showing up.

He was such a graceful player, on and off the court. My favorite off-the-court story isn't about feeding one homeless man or a Reebok commerical. I think Robinson starting that school will always stick with me.

Word. Something that I'm surprised isn't being mentioned more often in the all the blurbs being written about Robinson right now is the fact that the NBA renamed their charitable service award for him during his final season.

[Fernando TD21]

whats your favorite Admiral Memory...
HRieYTW3zkM

David going out on top :lobt2:

[spurs girl21]

thats great he deserves it!

[xtremesteven33]

Greatest David Robinson memory was him getting the MVP award in 1995.

I remember as a young kid all the Spurs fan craze going on around San Antonio when the Spurs were a good team and Robinson was the best player in the NBA. I remember all the "ROBINSON MVP" signs everywhere all over the city. I remember the "House is a rockin" song that used to always play on TV when we were ready to make a deep playoff run....Good memories :tu

Thank you Admiral :toast

[Muser]

Greatest D-Rob memory has to be him retiring a champion, nobody deserved it more than him.

Also a close second is his block on MJ when he went for a dunk.

[alamo50]

I hope Red McCombs will be giving The Admiral the speech.

[samikeyp]

My greatest 5-0 memory was signing an autograph for me at the 1989 Lottery party at the Arena. He was smiling and joking with everyone and was very gracious.

[WalterBenitez]

:flag:
The Admiral what can you say: an athelete, community leader, and an all around class act.

My greatest moments in Spurs history were seeing The Admiral get his 2 RINGS.

NEVER:lobt2::lobt2: FORGOTTEN!

A man, a gentleman, a leader, and a role model!:toast

[Thomas82]

Back when I started playing basketball about when I was 8/9 in 89-90 was introduced to Robby by a friend and since that time I found my idol/fav basketball player/role model. He made me want to play the game even more and pretty much made me into a basketballaholic. I remember when I was 14 I had two life size posters of robby on my wall and 4 regular size ones-so pretty much my whole room was covered with robinson-haha. I love the guy, still wish I could watch him play everyday or at least if he would do some commentating or TNT work or something,ha. Its like anytime a clip of him or shows up on tv I am like glued to the screen still. He's truly the type of guy you want to be like and even to this day at age 27 I still sometimes find myself trying to be better sometimes thinking about robinson. Anyways, cheers to the man, congrats Mr.Robinson

That was the same time I became a Spurs fan.

[Thomas82]

Greatest D-Rob memory has to be him retiring a champion, nobody deserved it more than him.

Also a close second is his block on MJ when he went for a dunk.

That was classic!!

[duncan228]

The Gladiator (http://slamonline.com/online/the-magazine/features/2009/04/the-gladiator/)
David Robinson deserves your respect.

There still are people who clown David Robinson. Their hate was there before he was a rookie. When he chose to fulfill his commitment to the Navy instead of jumping to the NBA. The hate continued. When he won the ROY. When he was handed the MVP. The DPOY. A pair of championship trophies. Undoubtedly, some refused to clap when the Hall of Fame inducted the Admiral this past week. Why? Scoop told it in the pages of SLAM 65, as one of the League’s classiest individuals made his farewell tour. Enjoy!—Ed.

by Scoop Jackson

David Robinson. Sell Out. In so many ways. That’s where the mind goes when the name comes up. Trivial shit: the way he talks, enunciates his words, his posture, his haircut, his style of play, the way he dresses, his void of controversy and drama, his marriage, his personality, his Naval background, his recent playoff efforts versus the Lakers, his one-point Olympic performance in ’88, the fact that he plays classical piano instead of jazz, the quote years ago in GQ where he said that basketball wasn’t the most important thing in his life, the wholesome, All-American lifestyle, his un-thugness, his oncourt demeanor, the perceived softness. Even this magazine is guilty of it: Even though he is, based on his career accomplishments, undeniably one of the 50 greatest players ever, David Robinson (along with John Stockton, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, for different reasons) has never graced a SLAM cover. No, never that.

Here’s a little story that needs to be heard: Back in 1991 at a predominantly minority grammar school in the lower east side of San Antonio, David Robinson walked into a fifth-grade classroom and for no other reason, strictly out of love, promised to give each and every one of the 92 kids in that class $2,000 when they graduated from high school. DRob didn’t know these kids. He hadn’t gone to that school as a young’n, his kids didn’t go there. This was a straight gesture of “looking out” from a brotha who had the country questioning his heart, soul and blackness.

Between drugs, drive-bys and drop outs, jail, pregnancy, poverty and all of the other elements that end too many minority lives too soon, only 30 of the members of that class ever saw their high school graduation. But unlike Jesse Jackson when he ignites a boycott, DR didn’t just stop at the promise. For the last 11 years, he has kept his word with the members of this class by providing not only tutors and mentors, but also by sending them on trips to various colleges and universities (incentive) and throwing Christmas parties at his mom’s crib for them every year they stick with the program (love). He went back each year to visit as they advanced in grades. He showed up for their graduation to congratulate them. And of those who did finish, the money he gave them went up to $8,000 per—strictly because Robinson was more concerned about the gross than the net. And here’s the killer: Apparently, this isn’t the only school he’s done this for.

So what does this have to do with basketball? Nothing. But neither do the reasons why Robinson doesn’t get the same respect as Alonzo Mourning now or Patrick Ewing then, all of the unjustifiable reasons listed above. The public’s acceptance (or lack) of David Robinson has been about aesthetics, nonsense that truly makes no sense. We’ve spent the past 14 years wanting and waiting for David Robinson to be something that he’s not, wanting him to be “down”—down with us, or down for the cause. And all the while, Robinson was “down” with simply keeping his mouth shut while he put little black and Hispanic boys and girls he didn’t even know through school. Giving them hope. In the words of the great Schoolly D:

Is that black enough for ya?

As he uses the ’02-03 NBA season as his farewell tour (having announced his impending retirement over the summer), DRob will, assuming good health, play like a madman; like he’s 27 instead of 37. At this point, he has nothing to lose. He’s heard the whispers, he’s heard the loud voices, and there’s nothing more left for his critics to say. So with that, he will play. And when he falls out on the court, almost bleeding internally with the game ball clutched in his hands, that’s when it will hit us; that’s when we’ll realize how gangsta he really was.

We’ll remember the MVP, the ROY, the Defensive Player of the Year, the ring, the years he had to carry the Spurs’ franchise on his back, shoulders and neck, hardly ever missing the playoffs. We’ll remember the 20,244 points, 9,989 rebounds, the 2,843 blocks—and counting—all franchise records. That’s when we will recognize that Avery Johnson was right all those years when he said,

“Five-Oh is the best center in the League,” or that Tim Duncan was right for not leaving San Antone so he “can finish playing alongside David.” That’s when we’ll truly recognize the 71-point game, the scoring title, and all the rest. As he is carried off the court, still not letting the ball go, we will look at his face and see the joy and pain of his life of criticism and celebrity. That’s when we flash back to those legendary “Mr (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnZm4CbiePU). Robinson’s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPzqgzaaX5Y) Neighborhood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eor2hr6FBag)” commercials. That’s when we’ll take back everything we said about him being “scared” to play against Shaq in last year’s playoffs once we realized that he had received epidurals for back pain—something that no man reading this could endure. That’s when it will sink in that David Robinson ain’t their n*gger, he’s our n*gga. We just hope on that day, it’s not too late.

So, if David Robinson doesn’t win another championship, never gets over or past the Lakers playoff series two years ago or Hakeem’s possessed, confidence-shaking performance on him back in ’95, if he never gets the credit on the streets that Darius Miles or Allen Iverson has, it should not affect his legacy as a ballplayer, a Nate Thurmond or Artis Gilmore-like icon of this generation. And it should not overshadow the contributions he’s made to so many kids that have made him more of a man than most of the players who get the big jersey sales will ever be.

But there is one thing that would be great to see, even though it’ll never happen: After his last game, at the press conference before he walks off the podium, to see him turn, grab Jim Gray or Craig Sager’s microphone, look dead into the camera and say to all of us self-righteous, blacker-than-thou, loving-Malcolm-X-instead-of-Dr.-King, liberal-Republican haters, to “kiss his natural black ass.” He’s earned the right to say it. And we, ignorantly, earned the right to be told.

[spursfan1000]

Im a little late but congrats D-rob, we apreciate what you have done for this orginisation!--i think i spelt that wrong.

[peskypesky]

:worthy:

[samikeyp]

The Gladiator (http://slamonline.com/online/the-magazine/features/2009/04/the-gladiator/)
David Robinson deserves your respect.

There still are people who clown David Robinson. Their hate was there before he was a rookie. When he chose to fulfill his commitment to the Navy instead of jumping to the NBA. The hate continued. When he won the ROY. When he was handed the MVP. The DPOY. A pair of championship trophies. Undoubtedly, some refused to clap when the Hall of Fame inducted the Admiral this past week. Why? Scoop told it in the pages of SLAM 65, as one of the League’s classiest individuals made his farewell tour. Enjoy!—Ed.

by Scoop Jackson

David Robinson. Sell Out. In so many ways. That’s where the mind goes when the name comes up. Trivial shit: the way he talks, enunciates his words, his posture, his haircut, his style of play, the way he dresses, his void of controversy and drama, his marriage, his personality, his Naval background, his recent playoff efforts versus the Lakers, his one-point Olympic performance in ’88, the fact that he plays classical piano instead of jazz, the quote years ago in GQ where he said that basketball wasn’t the most important thing in his life, the wholesome, All-American lifestyle, his un-thugness, his oncourt demeanor, the perceived softness. Even this magazine is guilty of it: Even though he is, based on his career accomplishments, undeniably one of the 50 greatest players ever, David Robinson (along with John Stockton, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, for different reasons) has never graced a SLAM cover. No, never that.

Here’s a little story that needs to be heard: Back in 1991 at a predominantly minority grammar school in the lower east side of San Antonio, David Robinson walked into a fifth-grade classroom and for no other reason, strictly out of love, promised to give each and every one of the 92 kids in that class $2,000 when they graduated from high school. DRob didn’t know these kids. He hadn’t gone to that school as a young’n, his kids didn’t go there. This was a straight gesture of “looking out” from a brotha who had the country questioning his heart, soul and blackness.

Between drugs, drive-bys and drop outs, jail, pregnancy, poverty and all of the other elements that end too many minority lives too soon, only 30 of the members of that class ever saw their high school graduation. But unlike Jesse Jackson when he ignites a boycott, DR didn’t just stop at the promise. For the last 11 years, he has kept his word with the members of this class by providing not only tutors and mentors, but also by sending them on trips to various colleges and universities (incentive) and throwing Christmas parties at his mom’s crib for them every year they stick with the program (love). He went back each year to visit as they advanced in grades. He showed up for their graduation to congratulate them. And of those who did finish, the money he gave them went up to $8,000 per—strictly because Robinson was more concerned about the gross than the net. And here’s the killer: Apparently, this isn’t the only school he’s done this for.

So what does this have to do with basketball? Nothing. But neither do the reasons why Robinson doesn’t get the same respect as Alonzo Mourning now or Patrick Ewing then, all of the unjustifiable reasons listed above. The public’s acceptance (or lack) of David Robinson has been about aesthetics, nonsense that truly makes no sense. We’ve spent the past 14 years wanting and waiting for David Robinson to be something that he’s not, wanting him to be “down”—down with us, or down for the cause. And all the while, Robinson was “down” with simply keeping his mouth shut while he put little black and Hispanic boys and girls he didn’t even know through school. Giving them hope. In the words of the great Schoolly D:

Is that black enough for ya?

As he uses the ’02-03 NBA season as his farewell tour (having announced his impending retirement over the summer), DRob will, assuming good health, play like a madman; like he’s 27 instead of 37. At this point, he has nothing to lose. He’s heard the whispers, he’s heard the loud voices, and there’s nothing more left for his critics to say. So with that, he will play. And when he falls out on the court, almost bleeding internally with the game ball clutched in his hands, that’s when it will hit us; that’s when we’ll realize how gangsta he really was.

We’ll remember the MVP, the ROY, the Defensive Player of the Year, the ring, the years he had to carry the Spurs’ franchise on his back, shoulders and neck, hardly ever missing the playoffs. We’ll remember the 20,244 points, 9,989 rebounds, the 2,843 blocks—and counting—all franchise records. That’s when we will recognize that Avery Johnson was right all those years when he said,

“Five-Oh is the best center in the League,” or that Tim Duncan was right for not leaving San Antone so he “can finish playing alongside David.” That’s when we’ll truly recognize the 71-point game, the scoring title, and all the rest. As he is carried off the court, still not letting the ball go, we will look at his face and see the joy and pain of his life of criticism and celebrity. That’s when we flash back to those legendary “Mr (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnZm4CbiePU). Robinson’s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPzqgzaaX5Y) Neighborhood (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eor2hr6FBag)” commercials. That’s when we’ll take back everything we said about him being “scared” to play against Shaq in last year’s playoffs once we realized that he had received epidurals for back pain—something that no man reading this could endure. That’s when it will sink in that David Robinson ain’t their n*gger, he’s our n*gga. We just hope on that day, it’s not too late.

So, if David Robinson doesn’t win another championship, never gets over or past the Lakers playoff series two years ago or Hakeem’s possessed, confidence-shaking performance on him back in ’95, if he never gets the credit on the streets that Darius Miles or Allen Iverson has, it should not affect his legacy as a ballplayer, a Nate Thurmond or Artis Gilmore-like icon of this generation. And it should not overshadow the contributions he’s made to so many kids that have made him more of a man than most of the players who get the big jersey sales will ever be.

But there is one thing that would be great to see, even though it’ll never happen: After his last game, at the press conference before he walks off the podium, to see him turn, grab Jim Gray or Craig Sager’s microphone, look dead into the camera and say to all of us self-righteous, blacker-than-thou, loving-Malcolm-X-instead-of-Dr.-King, liberal-Republican haters, to “kiss his natural black ass.” He’s earned the right to say it. And we, ignorantly, earned the right to be told.

Nice. :tu

And you will still have trolls come on this site knocking DRob to this day. That's cool though, DRob has scoreboard on the haters and the haters can never take that away.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Wow, I almost don't want to punch Scoop Jackson in the face anymore. Almost. As usual, great find by 228.

[lefty]

IMHO, RObinson set the tone for this organisation, and he has a lot do with the Spurs culture.

He's had a great influence on his teammates.

Who knows? Maybe Duncan, TP or Manu would have been wannabe gangsta punks if they played in another franchise :lol

[dav4463]

David Robinson, Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan, and ......."some women's basketball coach?"...tell me who doesn't belong....it reminds of an old IQ test where you were shown an apple, orange, pear, and a hammer!

[Strike]

HRieYTW3zkM

David going out on top :lobt2:

My greatest memory as a Spurs fan.

Thank you, David. :flag:

[ambchang]

David Robinson has been underrated his whole prime because he was too nice and surrounded by a below average team, not because he wasn't "black enough". Michael Jordan wasn't "black enough" and tried to cater to white America his whole career, and yet he was loved and cherished.