Just wanted to pass this along.
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/ro..._memories.html
I never met the man, but the memory that sticks for me was when he was ejected from a game at the alamo dome. He went nuts on a ref screaming and yelling in the refs face. The ref immidiatly ejected him and David ran off the court taking off his jersey as ran into tunnel. Its the only time ( I think) he was ever ejected from a game due to misstreatment of a referee.
he was a pretty good role player.
Here is the article I wrote in tribute to the Admiral a few months ago. By far my favorite athlete from any league, ever.
http://www.sportsdesignblog.com/2009...e-admiral.html
That ref was Steve Javie. I'm not entirely positive that was his only ejection, but that's the one everyone remembers.
Bennie Adams ran him in Portland in March of 2000 after David complained vociferously about a call. Tim Duncan proceeded to go nuts and destroy the Blazers over the last few minutes of the game that the Spurs came from behind to win.
People criticized David Robinson for a supposed lack of fire, but some of the legendary stories of the early years of the Duncan/Robinson marriage are based on David Robinson's expressions of passion -- on the court in Portland, on a bus after a regular season loss, at the end of the 2003 Finals.
One recollection I have of David Robinson is being on the sidelines between drives during a game that won us the district championship my senior year in high school, and hearing the PA announcer recite the score of David's first game -- a win over Magic's Lakers -- and thinking that things were about to be great for the Spurs.
that is a great article, he is a great man
I remember when me and my wife were at church in the cry room. It was communion time and when I turned around to get it from the usher, it was the Admiral. Seeing him serve his church as such small levels is pretty impressive. He also, back then I don't know now, used to run the mens ministries in the mornings and would help baptize people.
***disclaimer-long****
I was gonna write this a bit back when someone started a thread for 'How I became a Spurs fan' stories and obviously didn't-hear it is.
It must have been 1989....I was about 7 years old. Sports cards/collectible interest was at an all time high. My father would take us to card shows every other weekend and buy a bunch of unopened cases. We'd open them, make a set and go back to the next show to get the loose cards we missed. Of course I only cared about the subsets. Golden Glove cards, Cy Young, etc.
Baseball cards were clearly the most valuable and I was in awe of the money we'd get for selling complete sets. We used to follow every Beckett issue and hope that our rare cards were going up in value.
For some reason I used to follow basketball and hockey more than baseball. I remember seeing NBA hoops card #138 David Robinson being worth a lot for a guy I never heard of. After a few consecutive issues and impressive value I finally asked my father why his card was worth so much. He told me there was a lot of excitement about him since he was the #1 pick but couldn't play for 2 years. San Antonio took a big risk drafting him and everybody was eager to see if he would play up to expectations AND if he'd choose to be a free agent. I wasn't really able to understand free agency, at that age loyalty is a pretty black and white topic(no pun intended), but I remember saying, "Why doesn't he go with Michael Jordan, cause everybody likes him?" The answer I got back was, "Son, he's gonna do the right thing"
I grew up about 90 minutes north of Philadelphia(I've actually seen Kobe play in high school...and demolish my soon-to-be high school in State compe ion---actually did a reverse dunk on a kid who is now an NFL champion with the Patriots). It's still close enough to inspire Philly Phanatics, Eagles tailgaters, etc. My first NBA game was a Barkley led loss to the Hornets and we watched their games on the local network but NOBODY in eastern PA gives two craps about basketball or the sixers. At least not until May 2001...... and not after June 2001...... It was pretty hip to be a Michael Jordan fan. 2nd place was Magic's Lakers.
There was something about what my father told me about David Robinson that made me completely forget about the 76ers and immediately get a Spurs jacket. It could have been any random combination of anticipation, hope, or loyalty, but I followed the Admiral and the Spurs from then on.
I saw the ups and downs(in the papers-it was impossible to get a national tv game with the spurs!). I saw it only in the standings and the occasional game re-cap in the small local paper. I pretty much hoped and prayed till Playoffs and then was glued to the TV every spring. I saw way too many impressible regular season records fall short in the postseason.
In '94 I got a #10 Rodman jersey hoping he was the answer. I also saw him lose his mind, change his #, blow the WCF, and shatter all the promise of DR's amazing season. I HATED Hakeem until I saw him destroy Shaq and admitted he was the better player that year.
I have to admit, all the 'Softie' talk kinda got to me, especially during the '97 season. Talk about Murphy's Law...... I kept thinking, here we have Dominique Wilkins going to town, all dressed up, nowhere to go. And I thought the pending Twin Towers combo was gonna prove to be cluttered.
.....how pleasantly wrong I was.....there was no le, but what an amazing year-to-year turnaround!
The lockout season was nuts. We were planning on going to the All-Star game only to think there wasn't gonna even be a season. I remember my father saying, "Those damn hockey players messing things up...."
But the season started and it I was very aware of their first dozen games. It seemed like I gave up again, closed my eyes and before I knew it they were top of the division. The playoffs started and of course I was skeptical. How many great season did I see end too early in round 2?
But round 1 was great. And there was the Knicks/Heat series to keep the whole NBA exciting, not just Spurs ball. The Lakers series was FANTASTIC. And I'll never forget Avery putting Stoudemire's 5'10" foot back in his big mouth....but second to the Memorial Day Miracle! Man, I remember kneeling down in front of the TV on the inbound and jumping to the ceiling screaming "HE WAS IN BOUNDS. HE WAS IN BOUNDS." only to have my mother ask, "are they gonna win?" I can only imagine how bratty I sounded whining, "MOOOOMMMMM!!!!!! are you paying attention???????!?!??@??!?"
I'll also admit that I was a little disappointed with the Finals. I really hoped it was a fairer fight. NOT that I don't love the le....Just wished there was a Ewing/Robinson duel, ya know? But I'll never forget the interviews where David thanked God, and called Tim an amazing blessing. His humbleness and respect really impressed me.
And again I lost faith 2000-2002. The Duncan knee injury, the numerous Robinson injuries. The embarassing play against LA. It was nightmarish deju vu seeing both a #1 seed and a Duncan MVP season go to waste at the hands of the Lakers. Kobe, the jerk who destroyed my high school was lighting up my favorite team of over a decade. Was 99 a fluke? Why is DR still playing? It's embarassing how many times I waved the white flag on my team......
I had this feeling in my gut the moment I heard that David Robinson was calling it quits. It just seemed like Tim Duncan was going to work some magic and send David home with a complete career. Even when the season wasn't unfolding very well, I had this hunch(that I was really trying to deny) that something great could happen.
And you know the story. It did. The season went amazing. Tied for best record. MVP. Coach of the Year. Laker Redemption. Laker Tears. LAKER ING TEARS.
Like I said, you obviously know the rest of the story. But at the end of it, my personal experience is that I have many years of David Robinson memories. My father passed away last November and I recently organized his things. At the top of a trading card box I found that 1989 Rookie card in a screwed shut, hard plastic case. It's been in there for about 20 years. I put it in my son's room to remind me of father's day 2003. The man with stronger faith than me was given the greatest gift a professional could ask for, with his children in his arms and was still ready to give more.
i remember growing up in the 90s, fkn every kent was either a bulls fan or jordan fan, and i was just a hater so i picked the spurs or knicks team to barry....
fast forward to the 3peat lakers, every in highschool was either a laker fan or kobe nutt licker, every day they would talk about the lakers 3peat or how they beat the spurs, even the talkers who dont support the lakers were givin me about the spurs, and i just ignore it since their team didnt even make the playoffs, they're en led to their POV, but sometimes the must stop
I remember sneaking into a practice one time at Incarnate Word David's rookie season or maybe his second year and being completely blown away by how fast and athletic he was and how much effort he put into something I didn't think mattered back then (practice? practice?). Seeing Dave going balls out from a seat 5 feet from the floor is a pretty incredible sight. All those things that look effortless on TV look more like miracles when you get to see them happen right in front of you at eye level. Nothing like seeing David swat a weak shot from the first row of the bleachers.
One of the most amazing days of my life!
http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78365
Seeing all these Admiral posts all over the board makes me feel so proud, happy and sad to be missing David on the court.
I remember that. He received 2 fouls in less than a minute which led to his tirade. I remember cussing out Javie on the TV when he tossed David. I couldn't believe David Freaking Robinson, of all people, would be ejected from a game.
It's been wonderful following all the press on Robinson leading up to his induction. Amazing player, amazing man.
Aside from the greatness of his career, the thing that will always stand out to me is how perfect he was as Duncan's mentor. Robinson helped shape Duncan, on and off the court. He took Duncan under his wing in the summer of '97, and taught him, showed him, how to be a man in this league.
I think Duncan was destined for greatness no matter where he ended up, but I don't think there could have been a better place than with Robinson, and the culture that Robinson represented with the Spurs.
I remember hearing about David's announcement. My brother in law/best friend, a long time Lakers fan, called me up and told me. I told him "You watch, dude. Spurs are gonna win the le and send David out with another ring." Dude straight up laughed me off the phone. Well, I think you know who was laughing last.
David's utter elation at the end of Game 6 in the Finals as Pop pulled him is one of my top 5 David Robinson memories. I almost cried knowing I'd never see my favorite pro athlete of all time play another game. It was nothing short of bittersweet.
I was in first grade during David's rookie year, and one day, after the game, my dad took me down to try and get David's autograph. David's first game had been my first-ever live sporting event, so he was kind of my hero by that point anyway.
So we went down to the court, and my dad put me up on his shoulders so that I could see over the crowd and try to get David's attention. He was "star of the game" of course, and was headed over to do his post-game interview. I started yelling "Excuse me, Mr. Robinson! Excuse me, Mr. Robinson!" from on top of my dad's shoulders,and we made our way to within about ten feet of David just as he was about to step back into the restricted area. Just then he sees me on my dad's shoulders above the crowd, and says "Just wait here till I finish the interview. I promise I'll sign your picture."
So David goes and does the interview, and as soon as he does, security (or the Spurs player handlers or whoever) surround him and start ushering him to the tunnel leading into the locker room. My dad and I (still on his shoulders), try to follow, with me saying "Excuse me Mr. Robinson!" once again. Just as he entered the tunnel, David either saw or heard me. He said something to the security people around him, and actually came back down the tunnel, and made his way through the crowd to where my dad and I were standing. He takes my picture and signs it, saying "I made you a promise, didn't I? So I need to keep that promise. Now you stay respectful." Then he smiled, and went back into the tunnel and into the locker room. He had come all the way back out, through the crowd, leaving his own security just to keep his promise to a 6 year old.
That day made me a Spurs fan for life, and had a profound impact on my faith in people. It had a huge impression on a kid of that age. One day, I hope to be able to show David how far I've come, and tell him that story and say thank you.
PS: I was just watching the espn clip where legler is talking about David doing standing bicep curls with 90 lb dumbells. 90 LBS! At 7 feet tall.
Great story ajh18. Thanks for sharing it.
When I lived in DC, I remember going to a Spurs/Wizards game. After the game, both David and Avery did interviews as myself and about a dozen or so other Spur fans waited at the visiting team tunnel. As they came off the floor, they both stopped signed autographs, shook hands, took pics and talked to us for about 10-15 minutes. I remember David talking to some military personnel and him wishing them the best with their careers. Nothing fake, real genuine. Just a very nice guy.
On my 2nd visit to San Antonio during the regular '02-'03 season to see David play, I got to meet him after the last game during my stay. I had already visited the Carver Academy during my 1st visit to San Antonio and I got to tell him I had been there and that I thanked him for doing this for the city of San Antonio.
He asked me how I was liking the city of San Antonio and we talked for about 5 minutes. I thanked him for his time and gave him a present (porcelain Dutch windwill I was meaning to give to his wife Valerie during the game, but she was not there to be at an event at the school of one of their sons). He told me I shouldn't have done this, but I told him I surely did have to. David asked me to take a picture and we said goodbye. I wished him well for his upcoming final playoffs and walked through the player's tunnel with tears in my eyes and sat down at the baseline and cried some more.
Being back in my home country The Netherlands I quit my job and booked the trip to San Antonio for the maximum of 90 days allowed in the country for the '03 playoffs.
Went to all home games, flew to L.A. and drove to Dallas.
Standing next to the court in front of my floor seat for the entire playoffs while the silver and black confetti came from the rafters raising my arms and crying.
Staying till the SBC Center cleared out, getting recognized by (a drunk (lol)) coach Budenholzer as that Dutch guy from the newspaper.
Standing alongside the Riverwalk and sitting next to the stage at the Alamodome for the celebrations.
The next day was the last day of my 90 days allowed in the US and I flew home with the greatest and proudest memory that I think of every single day for the rest of my life.
I returned to San Antonio 3 more times (ring presentation in '03 and the playoffs in '05 and '07). I returned to visit the Carver Academy every time to see it grow, got to meet David and his wife Valerie, both his parents, attended bible study and was personaly invited to his retirement gala in San Antonio.
We miss you on court, but we know that your destiny is to accomplish great things off the court and the NBA was just a tool to get you started.
Thank you Mr. Robinson.
cool post Alamo !
Amazing story, Alamo! Wow.
Some fantastic submissions
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/ro..._memories.html
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/ro...emories_2.html
Great one Alamo 50!
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