Why didn't David Robinson ever enter a dunk contest???

This is a question that I always wondered about. As we saw 2 seasons ago, Dwight Howard clearly demonstrated that a big man can compete in a dunk contest. His natural abilities allowed him to enter into a realm never envisioned for a post player. This further reinforced my curiousity as to how David would have faired in a dunk contest as he was certainly all the more so gifted than Howard.

I think there are probably two main reasons. I think the conventional argument about a top tier player not wanting to embarrass themselves makes sense. Being the first center to participate would have put the spotlight on him to an even further degree. I also think that David's personality played a major role in never participating. David is the type of person who doesn't like bravado and showboating and I think that instinct has to be there to create the desire to be in a dunk contest. (All though this is somewhat of a paradox because his game was certainly flamboyant and demonstrated lots of flair)

Just curios as to your input and if you've ever had the same thoughts. Thanks.

DRob had very small hands for a seven footer...was never really anything more than a two handed dunker or one handed on alley oops. Besides, I don't think he cared to win a dunk contest.

You've pretty much answered your own question and I agree.

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Originally Posted by SpurNation

You've pretty much answered your own question and I agree.

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If he ever did enter, how do you think he would have done? What kind of dunks would he do? I think he would have definatly won the 1992, (the Ceballos blind fold dunk was so corny) 1996 (obviously) and would have had a chance in 1991 and 1993, against Dee Brown and Harold "Baby Jordan" Minor.

because his height and athleticism would have made everyone else's dunks look like shit and he's not unsportmanslike

Because the dunk contest dried out even before he was in the league. Ok, maybe it didn't dry out way back then but it still sucks ass and The Admiral is a legend. In fact, fuck the original question! David Robinson and 'the dunk contest' should never even be in the same sentence.

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Originally Posted by Silver&Black Warrior

If he ever did enter, how do you think he would have done?

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I couldn't image. Robinson never was in it for the recognition of his dunks...and....because David probably wouldn't have even considered lowering himself to a less than professional level by circussing himself.

I've always thought that they never invited him to be in it and it wasn't really something he was that hyped about doing. When David was young the dunk contest was still pretty popular and I think they actually selected the players and David never really came up. By the time the dunk contest got less exciting David was an elder statesman of the league and they usually invite the young guys. They usually didn't invite 7footers period as the general perception is that they usually aren't very exciting dunkers.

Thinking about it, I think the only 7 footer to ever participate in the dunk contest outside of Dwight Howard was Ralph Sampson.

I don't think Kareem, Hakeem, Ewing or Shaq ever participated in one either but I could be wrong about that.


David Robinson of course was not a typical 7 footer, but noone in a position of importance ever had a mental spark and thought to go against the prevailing mindset about 7 footers during his early years and put him in the contest IMHO. And David probably would have needed to be asked to be in it.

On top of that, the Admiral was just about always over looked and under mentioned...still is in fact. Even by Spurfans.


He was a much better basketball player than he will ever get credit for being.

Everyone always says David Robinson was a great basketball player but he was a much greater human being...and it's meant as a compliment and I understand that, but it also serves to diminish his basketball talent in a way.

I personally think he is very close to being as good of a basketball player as he is a human being, and his only crime on the court was making it look too easy, and not puffing his chest out after dunks.


One or two chest pumps after a dunk, no one would ever have questioned his desire to win(see Garnett, Kevin).

I agree for the most part, but I think this is why DRob is overlooked:



I think DRob could have beasted in a dunk contest. I wonder how high of a goal he could dunk on.

I rember he dunked it so hard it went down and back up and throw the basket again

Entering a Dunk Test and roaring after a highlight dunk...that would be really against his nature.

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Originally Posted by Silver&Black Warrior

As we saw 2 seasons ago, Dwight Howard clearly demonstrated that a big man can compete in a dunk contest.

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Dwight Howard didn't invent big men competing in the dunk contest.

Shawn Kemp was very prominent at it in his prime, so were a bunch of other bigs. Antonio McDyess in his prime could have done it also

as athletic as david was, i think being too tall eventually places its restrictions on how high you can jump. he is significantly taller than dwight is.

David Robinson sure is athlethic. But how about creativity?

Every night he laced them up was his own personal dunk contest. He didn't need to show off there, he did it every night then immediately ran back with a laser-like focus on defense.

Remember the only 7 footer to produce a 360 in game play. I mean common, he would have had Dominique Wilkens like dominance, yet in a 7 foot package.

Dave didn't have the personality for a dunk contest. I just can't imagine him playing to the crowd or spending time researching dunks.

His in-game dunks were fantastic though.

David Robinson was from Navy, but not the Air-force.

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Originally Posted by DPG21920

I agree for the most part, but I think this is why DRob is overlooked:



I think DRob could have beasted in a dunk contest. I wonder how high of a goal he could dunk on.

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F that series.

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Originally Posted by polysylab1k

David Robinson was from Navy, but not the Air-force.

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:lol

The real reason is that back then it just wasn't accepted that a center could win the contest. They just made it look too easy and they had no creativity. People would rather see Spud Webb jump 4 feet in the air to dunk. So centers were really never thought to be exciting dunkers. I think one year Kareem did it and he was awful.

David was too educated to enter a contest that has absolutely nothing to do with team basketball! There are players outside the NBA who can 'outdunk' Nate Robinson or Dwight Howard. They ain't team players.

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Originally Posted by lotr1trekkie

David was too educated to enter a contest that has absolutely nothing to do with team basketball! There are players outside the NBA who can 'outdunk' Nate Robinson or Dwight Howard. They ain't team players.

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Aka James White?

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Originally Posted by Silver&Black Warrior

This is a question that I always wondered about. As we saw 2 seasons ago, Dwight Howard clearly demonstrated that a big man can compete in a dunk contest. His natural abilities allowed him to enter into a realm never envisioned for a post player. This further reinforced my curiousity as to how David would have faired in a dunk contest as he was certainly all the more so gifted than Howard.

I think there are probably two main reasons. I think the conventional argument about a top tier player not wanting to embarrass themselves makes sense. Being the first center to participate would have put the spotlight on him to an even further degree. I also think that David's personality played a major role in never participating. David is the type of person who doesn't like bravado and showboating and I think that instinct has to be there to create the desire to be in a dunk contest. (All though this is somewhat of a paradox because his game was certainly flamboyant and demonstrated lots of flair)

Just curios as to your input and if you've ever had the same thoughts. Thanks.

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it's quite simple: a 7' 1" person cannot make a dunk look graceful.
The End.

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Originally Posted by lefty

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:wow

AWESOME vid, Lefty. Never seen it before.

Thanks, bud. :tu

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Originally Posted by Fpoonsie

:wow

AWESOME vid, Lefty. Never seen it before.

Thanks, bud. :tu

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No problem

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Originally Posted by DPG21920

I agree for the most part, but I think this is why DRob is overlooked:

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Nope, it started before then. About the time everyone realized he loved his mom and his country and put his hand over his heart for the National Anthem, and didn't like to cuss. The reason every one makes such a big deal about that series and none of the amazing things he did, is that they were looking for a reason to judge him, plus he played in San Antonio. So that's all you ever hear about...

I swear that must be the highest rated playoff series in history considering every basketball fan who has ever lived evidentally watched it.

Case in point, Hakeem went off on Shaq in the very next series, swept him in fact(as Shaq was swept out of the playoff just about every year until he paired up with Phil, swept 7 or 8 times), and you never hear anyone mention that series...you didn't hear anyone mentioning it at the time either. He was still doing rap albums and shitty movies....whereas David's television career in National Commercials(like Nike) was pretty much over by his 3rd year in the league, when they realized he didn't have any shoe er street cred.

Somewhere I've got a vid of Drob jumping over a dude for a dunk....I'll have to look for that one.


He could have been in a dunk contest and kicked a lot of ass...I can just see him using some sort of complex math formula to come up with some elaborate angular dunk.

In that interview with David from the other day he said he can still dunk and does it all the time(which is more than you can say for most of the C's who have replaced him in the last 6 years)...against his kids.

Maybe they ought to let him into the dunk contest now...

Nice thread, all. I've often wondered the same thing, and there are some great posts in here. :tu

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Originally Posted by lefty

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Thanks lefty, fantastic footage! :)

BTW, I think that Bulls game might be the first game of NBA I ever watched, and the game after which I became a lifelong Spurs and David Robinson fan! Can anyone work out whether it is the 1990 game where DRob scored 36, and I think Jordan had 45 or something, to win the game for the Bulls? Or is a 1991 game?