Gervin, Brown to introduce Robinson

[alamo50]

The last bit of intrigue surrounding Spurs great David Robinson's enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been solved.

Robinson, a two-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1995, will be introduced at the ceremonies in Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 11 by George Gervin, the only Spurs player already in the Hall of Fame, and by Larry Brown, his coach for the first two-plus seasons of his Spurs career.

The Hall of Fame requires that presenters also be members of the Hall of Fame. Gervin was inducted in 1996; Brown in 2002.

"David is so shy about it," Brown said. "I don't think he even understands how happy he's made a lot of people, and how proud a lot of people who have been touched by him are. He doesn't even understand how excited we all are to be part of this."

Gervin's Spurs career ended four years before Robinson joined the team for the 1989-90 season, so he was somewhat surprised he was asked to be one of the presenters.

"I guess I am the only Spurs Hall of Famer," he said, "so I feel truly honored that he would ask me to be his presenter."


http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/09/gervin-brown-to.html



Wonderful, absolutely wonderful that David asked Ice to present him.

[rjv]

class act by david, asking iceman to be his presenter.

[PM5K]

It had to be a HOF member so who the fuck else was he going to ask?

[exstatic]

It had to be a HOF member so who the fuck else was he going to ask?

I'll bet almost anyone in the HOF would have been happy to induct him. It's nice that he had some Spurs organizational ties with HOF creds.

[Russ]

To anyone with a sense of history, Larry Brown introducing Big Dave to the Hall of Fame is a bit ironic.

Dave and Larry never really connected. Larry never thought Dave was tough and streetwise enough (despite his prodigious talent) and Dave never thought that Larry respected him.

One time, after a loss in LA, Larry was quoted in the LA Times as saying that "our center was cluleless out there" or words to that effect. The next morning, on the team bus, Dave made a big point of reading Larry's quote so loud that all on the bus (including Larry)could hear it. Shortly thereafter, Larry was gone (fired or quit, the debate remains).

Anyway, it's good to see that two such bright and talented people have seen the light. Just goes to show that winning cures everything -- Dave got two titles after Larry left and Larry got his title in Detroit with a more down and dirty cast than Dave and Sean could ever be.

Both Dave and Larry are among the best ever and they both deserve the best -- especially from each other.

[duncan228]

David Robinson Made Big Waves On The Court (http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=504711)
By Richie Brand, Investor's Business Daily

David Robinson didn't know losing.

In four years of playing college basketball, his teams had a combined record of 106-25.

But as the top selection in the 1987 NBA draft, he was bound for the San Antonio Spurs, the worst team in the league.

So how did the Naval Academy graduate deal with the challenge?

The only way he knew: full speed ahead.

The 7-foot-1 center righted the ship immediately, engineering what at the time was the greatest season turnaround in National Basketball Association history.

The Spurs, after waiting two years as the man nicknamed the Admiral fulfilled his naval commitment, swung to an unprecedented 35-game improvement from one season to the next. They also advanced to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs in that Robinson rookie campaign of 1989-90.

Leading the wave, Robinson averaged 24.3 points and 12 rebounds per game in the regular season and was unanimously named the NBA's Rookie of the Year.

Into The Hall

Two decades after he began a stellar career, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., will enshrine him on Sept. 11 with fellow legends Michael Jordan, John Stockton and others.

How did Robinson reverse a team and spur it toward two NBA titles? It took more than talent.

"Teams that lose are obviously losing partially because of their mentality," Robinson, 44, told IBD.

"That was one of the biggest challenges for me when I asked myself, 'How can I make this team better?' I spent countless hours in conversations with folks from the front office about how to turn it around."

The talks worked, as did Robinson's experience with the bronze medalist U.S. team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

"Playing in the Olympics with some of the greatest players and just seeing how they go about it was a big factor in getting me ready for the NBA," said Robinson.

It sure helped a guy who didn't play organized basketball until he was a high school senior.

Born in Key West, Fla., Robinson grew up the son of a naval engineer, and so relocated many times. After his father retired from the Navy, the family settled in Virginia, where Robinson was interested in almost everything but the hardwood.

The big kid — he grew to 6 feet 7 inches in high school — was more comfortable in the classroom than on the court.

By the time a coach coaxed him to play hoops, the senior had his sights set on the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and a major in math.

Navy basketball coach Paul Evans soon saw that Robinson added up to a brilliant prospect. "The first time he came into our office," said Evans, "he had a fancy calculator that nobody had ever seen before. He was doing all kinds of different things with it, and nobody in the room knew what he was talking about."

When Robinson took the court for the Midshipmen in the fall of 1983, he became the talk of college basketball. That chatter lasted four years.

Widely considered the best basketball player in Navy's history, the big man took the program to new heights. The crest came in 1986, with the Admiral leading the nation in blocked shots as a junior, and the Midshipmen going deep in the NCAA tournament.

In a second-round matchup against Rony Seikaly-led Syracuse, Robinson rolled off 35 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in Navy's 97-85 victory.

By the time the Midshipmen docked, Robinson had propelled them to an unprecedented dash through March Madness, where they finally succumbed to Duke in the Elite Eight.

The All-American voters took notice, making Robinson a consensus choice his last two college seasons.

He also won college basketball's two most prestigious individual awards — the Naismith and the Wooden — in his senior year.

The individual success continued in earnest when Robinson made the leap to the NBA. He made 10 All-Star Game appearances and collected Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year trophies in his 14-year career.

Then came 1999 and ultimate victory. With Robinson teaming with another big man, Tim Duncan, the Spurs steamrolled past the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals. Robinson grabbed another championship in 2003, when San Antonio toppled the New Jersey Nets in six games in the Finals.

"Winning championships is singularly the most important thing you strive for every year in the sport," said Robinson. "And I enjoyed it just as much as an owner."

He assumed part ownership of the Spurs in 2004, and they quickly gave him two more titles.

Robinson finished his career with 20,790 points (29th all time), 10,497 rebounds (29th) and 2,954 blocked shots (fifth).

The Safety Net

Throughout his career, Robinson viewed basketball as a platform for helping people in need.

To that effect, Robinson and his wife, Valerie, opened the Carver Academy in San Antonio in 2001.

To recognize the Admiral's charitable efforts, the NBA made his name legendary. Winners of the league's Community Assist Award also receive the David Robinson Plaque, with the inscription "Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece."

In addition to his charitable work, Robinson stays busy with Admiral Capital Group, a private equity firm he co-founded that focuses on real estate and lodging.

Next week he'll be focused on his Hall of Fame speech. "It is the highest honor you can receive," he said. "because other people are recognizing you as one of the best."

"Yes, it's important that I have good numbers, and I'm well-respected as a player. But I think it's more important that I'm respected as a man."

[whottt]

To anyone with a sense of history, Larry Brown introducing Big Dave to the Hall of Fame is a bit ironic.

Dave and Larry never really connected. Larry never thought Dave was tough and streetwise enough (despite his prodigious talent) and Dave never thought that Larry respected him.

One time, after a loss in LA, Larry was quoted in the LA Times as saying that "our center was cluleless out there" or words to that effect. The next morning, on the team bus, Dave made a big point of reading Larry's quote so loud that all on the bus (including Larry)could hear it. Shortly thereafter, Larry was gone (fired or quit, the debate remains).

Anyway, it's good to see that two such bright and talented people have seen the light. Just goes to show that winning cures everything -- Dave got two titles after Larry left and Larry got his title in Detroit with a more down and dirty cast than Dave and Sean could ever be.

Both Dave and Larry are among the best ever and they both deserve the best -- especially from each other.



That is pretty much true but Larry Brown has those issues with everyone he's ever worked with from player to gm, except for Pop. David's not the only player that had issues with Brown. And if I recall it right, David wasn't the only one on that team happy Larry Brown was gone, not by a longshot. I've always wondered what Pop thought about that, given the esteem in which he holds Brown(not to mention owes him his professional career most likely).

Even if they did have issues, David learned a lot from Larry Brown, and he learned it really quick, and he also probably began to miss Larry Brown shortly after he was gone.

Larry has also said(during David's retirment season)that if there is one player he would love to have had the chance to coach again, it's David Robinson. Said he would like a second chance at that.

So it's all patched up now, but Larry rode their butts pretty good, and I think a lot of the players chafed, but didn't realize how much Brown was helping them adjust to the NBA, and Larry Brown probably didn't how hard it was to get a team that talented together, I don't think Larry Brown ever had a team with more raw talent on it than those Spurs teams he coached, especially the first one.


That 89 team started out destined for greatness, and then it just fell apart fast due to injury(TC and Willie) and some bad trades, like Frank Brikowski for Paul Pressey or whoever the hell it was...man did that trade suck some serious ass.

And I don't think that story about David getting pissed at what Brown said is out of David's character either. He pretty much never bitched about his teamates or called his coach out in the press(and he had more reason to bitch than anyone) so he probably didn't appreciate it when Brown did it. I'd say that incident was probably more of a straw that broke the camel's back type thing though.

[EricB]

The one thing I will always remember, is being told by someone who worked at OAI after the 98 season about the whole "revolt" that went down.

David, Sean, and Avery, all went to Pop and said "get rid of HIll. NOW. Or we will Brian hill him" Pretty much publicly mutiny everything.

I never would've taken David for someone that would've gone to the GM and said "please get rid of this moron"


Can't wait to see what Brown says about him.

[50Bestspurever]

Wow, I am very surprised big Dave has Brown speaking on his behalf. I guess it goes to show you that you never know what goes on behind closed doors. I personally remember cussing brown out when he resigned (cough cough fired) from out beloved SPURS. Oh well don’t want to take away from the glorious night. Congratulations big Dave, and thanks for making San Antonio matter as a sports franchise, and for making me and many more a better human being.

[ShoogarBear]

Count me in also as being surprised by the Brown choice, until I read this:



The Hall of Fame requires that presenters also be members of the Hall of Fame.


I suspect that if the presenters could be anyone, Brown wouldn't be a choice.

[ShoogarBear]

he grew to 6 feet 7 inches in high school

[Phenomanul]

he grew to 6 feet 7 inches in high school

:stirpot:

The NAA approves this message... :lol

In all fairness to whottt, his point about gymnastics and height is still very much legit... Imagine the torque on a seven footer's body for most of the routine 'hold' positions in men's gymnastics... David must have had ungodly strength to pull that off. Questioning David's strength then, as many here have done, becomes asinine in that light.

[urunobili]

I'll fucking cry that day...

[Gervin44Silas13]

Thank GOD it wasn't Red Inducting him...he would have been pimping himself!

[Galileo]

I remember seeing a game in college between Navy and Kentucky. Kentucky had all high school all-Americans for starters, all 5, while Navy had 4 players not even recruited to major conferences & David Robinson.

Robinson was so dominent, it was just amazing! Navy won and Robinson had like 45 points or something. He blocked every shot and got ecvery rebound. He made the high school all-Americans look like, well, high school players.

If someone could find the details on this game, it would be cool.

I also remember another game where Navy just kicked the crap out of Pearl Washington's team (Syracuse). The Pearl was the most heavily promoted player in the nation at the time.

[whottt]

I suspect that if the presenters could be anyone, Brown wouldn't be a choice.


I'm not so sure about that, Larry Brown was the best coach David ever had in his superstar career, and I think they are pretty conciliatory towards each other now. Larry Brown definitely is conciliatory towards David.


I think he's probably closer to Larry Brown than he is Gervin. Not that there's any bad blood between Ice and David or anything, but they were never really buddies or anything like that.


In any case, it's pretty cool that Gervin is inducting him as I don't believe Ice has ever had that opportunity before and it is symbolic of the torch passing.


Then when Duncan goes in David can induct him and Duncan can induct Barry and Barry can induct Manu, etc...

[duncan228]

Brown, Gervin to present 'Admiral' to the Hall (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Brown_Gervin_to_present_Admiral_to_the_Hall.html)
Mike Monroe

When David Robinson walks across the stage to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next week, he will be accompanied by Larry Brown, his first Spurs coach, and George Gervin, the only other Spurs player in the Hall of Fame.

Brown and Gervin confirmed they have been asked to introduce Robinson at the enshrinement proceedings Sept. 11 at the Springfield, Mass., Symphony Hall.

Robinson is to be inducted in a class that includes former Bulls great Michael Jordan, former Jazz guard John Stockton and Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, and famed women's coach C. Vivian Stringer.

In recent years, the Hall has required that presenters be members of the Hall themselves. Gervin was inducted in 1996; Brown in 2002.

Brown was hired as Spurs coach in the summer of 1988, one year after the Spurs had drafted Robinson out of the U.S. Naval Academy. He knew he would have to wait one more year before Robinson's commitment to serve in the U.S. Navy would be completed. Knowing he would eventually get to coach the 7-foot-1, 1986-87 All-American and College Player of the Year helped ease some of the pain of a 21-61 Spurs season in 1988-89.

Brown's patience was rewarded. With Robinson winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 24.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, the Spurs went 56-26 in 1989-90, setting an NBA record for a one-season turnaround.

“This is going to be one of the neatest things that's ever happened in my life in this sport,” Brown said of his selection as a Robinson presenter. “I got to do it for Coach (Dean) Smith and Coach (Roy) Williams for the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and it's really a neat thing to get to do.”

Brown said Robinson's humility about his selection to the Hall of Fame is typical of a player who never expected acclaim.

“David is so shy about it,” Brown said. “I don't think he even understands how happy he's made a lot of people and how proud a lot of people who have been touched by him are. He doesn't even understand how excited we all are to be part of this.”

Gervin and Robinson missed being teammates by four years, so Gervin said he was moderately surprised to have been selected as a presenter.

“I guess I am the only Spurs Hall of Famer,” Gervin said. “I feel truly honored that he would ask me to be his presenter.”

Gervin said he is certain Robinson is getting excited as the enshrinement approaches.

“To be honored as a Hall of Fame basketball player, to me, is a high honor,” Gervin said. “I don't think anything beats it. Obviously David has a championship (actually two) under his belt, so to be named a Hall of Fame basketball player is probably as good as it gets.

“Teams win championships, and individuals win Hall of Fame honors, and he has both of them. I know he feels good about that.”

*********************

Slideshow
David Robinson

http://www.mysanantonio.com/slideshows/David_Robinson.html?c=y&page=1

[ShoogarBear]

Barry

http://www.pinx.dk/photoblog/images/fishing_man.jpg

[JudynTX]

I'll fucking cry that day...

Yea, me too. David Robinson = Class Act :tu

[duncan228]

Nice piece on NBA.com on this year's HOF class. Hit the link for all of it.

With MJ leading, '09 group moves to head of the Hall class (http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/09/03/greatest.ever/)
By John Schuhmann, NBA.com


Robinson is a unique player in NBA history. He was drafted No. 1 by the Spurs in 1987 but didn't begin his career until after he served a two-year commitment to the Navy, entering the league at 24. He played a position that has been manned by several of the greatest players in league history, but played it with a new level of athleticism and skill.

"He could do things that you didn't associate with that position, and he could do them at the highest possible level," NBA commissioner David Stern told NBA.com. "We were always wondering whether they would start him at guard in the All-Star Game."

And while he needed Tim Duncan to win his two rings, Robinson was doing pretty well before Duncan came to the league. He earned MVP honors in 1994-95, was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in 1996 and had been an All-Star seven times by the time Duncan left Wake Forest. In April of 2004, Robinson became the first player in more than 16 years to score 70 points or more in a game.

Robinson and Stockton, of course, were not the global marketing forces that Jordan was. But each had a tremendous impact on the franchise he played for, and neither ever left that organization.

When Robinson arrived in San Antonio, the Spurs were coming off the worst season in franchise history. He immediately led them to a 35-game turnaround in the standings and to the conference semifinals for the first time in seven years.

"Before he got there, the team was not in great shape at all financially," Stern said. "It was struggling in a small market in a series of buildings that were not really suitable. He was the glue that kept that franchise together, but also cemented its value as a community asset."

When Robinson left, the Spurs had two championships and were well on their way to becoming the benchmark for how an NBA franchise should be run. And with his Carver Academy for underprivileged children, Robinson's influence on the city of San Antonio goes well beyond the games he won with the Spurs.


Whether it be on individual franchises or on the game as a whole, the four NBA representatives in this year's Hall of Fame class have made a boundless impact. The cities of San Antonio and Salt Lake City would not be the same if Robinson, Stockton and Sloan had never called them home. And the NBA audience wouldn't be nearly the size that it is today had Jordan quit the game when he was cut from the varsity squad as a high school sophomore.

So on Sept. 11, the basketball world will celebrate more than some great career. It will celebrate the growth of the game.

"They represent a very exciting era," Stern said, "a time when basketball was climbing to the place on the ladder that it finds itself now."

[ShoogarBear]

Greatest HoF class ever?