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Now that is what you call a dedicated fan right there.
Next time you think you bleed silver and black ask yourself this...
Have you quit your job and left your country to ensure you see an entire playoffs run?
Chances are, you probably haven't.
Those are some awesome stories AlamoOn 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.
Now that is what you call a dedicated fan right there.
Next time you think you bleed silver and black ask yourself this...
Have you quit your job and left your country to ensure you see an entire playoffs run?
Chances are, you probably haven't.
They put the picture I submitted on the front of Spurs.com! It's the one with David Robinson and my Grandpa.
That's so cool. I loved it when that happened to me. It's a fun feeling to click on it and find your pic there. Congrats.
Oh, be sure to take a screen shot, it's nice to have a copy later.
It was a Friday night in 1990, and I was a nerdy 15 year old hanging out at home watching TV. It was about 1130pm and not much was on. I flicked it onto the ABC (The Australian Broadcasting Corporation - the government channel), and there was a game of NBA basketball, the first ever on Aussie TV, although I didn't know that at the time.
It was Michael Jordan's Bulls vs David Robinson's Spurs. I didn't know anything about basketball at the time, even though I was tall for my age and my father tried to convince me to play (he was a very good player in his youth) - cricket was my one true love at the time. Anyway, something about the game captivated me, so I kept watching... something... something... that Jordan guy, he was great... but David Robinson, well he was AMAZING! Speed, balance, grace and poise, he was a joy to watch, but the way he behaved on court was something else - honourable. Honour was then and still is a matter of importance to me.
So, long story short, I became a Spurs fan for life that night, got my Dad to teach me how to play the next day, and my love affair with basketball and the Spurs has never waned.
Years later, in 2003, I traveled to San Antonio to see the Spurs play 12 games in March and April in which they went 10-2, and then went on to win the championship. I made every effort to meet Mr Robinson during that trip so that I could thank him for the incredibly positive effect he has had on my life, but for whatever reason it didn't eventuate. On the other hand, I did meet about 200 San Antonians who treated me with a brotherhood, kindness and generosity that is rare to find today and that touched me deeply. To this day I'm still in contact with many of those people through the wonderful community of SpursTalk.
I returned to San Antonio in January 2007 for 5 games at the AT&T, and on the 24th had a night I will never forget. The Spurs lost to the Rockets after a horrendous 4th quarter fade, which would usually have been very painful, but that night it didn't matter as much because I finally got to meet Mr Robinson, The Admiral, DRob!!!
It was my final game before heading to the East Coast, and I had gotten to know some of the ushers. Before the game I told Lupe, the usher for my section that night, how disappointed I was to come to San Antonio and miss out on meeting Mr Robinson again. Shortly after half time, Lupe appeared from nowhere shouting to me and pointing - "Mr Robinson! Mr Robinson!" - and sure enough, there he was about 30m away, emerging from the tunnel and signing some autographs.
Without even thinking I shot from my seat and bolted across the space, Australian-flag-as-cape streaming behind me, to appear next to David just as he was about to head off to his seat. The sight of a grinning maniac wearing a flag might have been a bit offputting, but I put out my hand and he shook it. I had been thinking about what I wanted to say to him given such a chance, and said:
"Mr Robinson, I'm from Australia and I have come here to see the Spurs play, and hopefully to meet you. I came in 2003 to see your testimonial, and I want to thank you for the massively positive effect you have had on my life. Thank you for everything."
It was such a blurry moment for me that I can't tell you exactly what he said in reply, except that it was something along the lines of, "Wow! That's amazing that you've come so far, and you're welcome," with a broad grin.
We chatted for about a minute and he was very gracious and quite awe-inspiring up close - he exudes the calm positivity and grace of a man who knows his purpose on the earth and feels like he is fulfilling it. We then took a photo (the one in my avatar), in which I have an insane grin which I'm pretty sure didn't fade for a week, and headed for our respective seats. It was a moment in time that I will never forget.
Thank you David, thank you Spurs, thank you Spurstalkers, and thank you San Antonio. I hope to come visit again soon!
Last edited by RuffnReadyOzStyle; 09-09-2009 at 10:59 PM.
PS How do you submit these things? Did you just send it to their generic contact email address?
Actually, I quit my job to come for those 12 games and stayed a month in SA in 2003, although I have to give it to Jurgen because I couldn't stay for the playoffs. Jurgen, Kori and LJ are the most committed fans I know, and I can't wait to meet Jurgen one day (dude - 2010 playoffs? I really could be up for that! And these days I work for myself, so taking 10 weeks out is not a problem).
Just click the link in the first post and it takes you to the page. Just enter the fields in tells you to and thats basically it.
Thanks, but when I went to the link there were no fields. I guess it's over...
It's still there Ruff. Try again.Thanks, but when I went to the link there were no fields. I guess it's over...
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/ro..._memories.html
Fixed. Thanks, 228.My browser was blocking the form.
Man, reminiscing about David has made me tear up. I have no doubt that he is one of the finest human beings alive today, a truly magical man.
I'm going to have to find my way to SA for the 2010 playoffs I think. And this time I'll visit Carver (I emailed them about 10 times before my last trip but got no response).
enviuos of Alamo
That's the best David with fan picture I have ever seen.
Awesome!!!
Ruff, we WILL meet some day.
If it ain't these upcoming playoffs it surely will be the next (odd even year you know)!
It's prophetic that you said that, because I was thinking the exact same thing. I'd love to go next year, but at the moment it looks unlikely. But if I miss next year, 2011 is a certainty. For me, it seems to be every 4 years: 2003, 2007, 2011!That's the best David with fan picture I have ever seen.
Awesome!!!
Ruff, we WILL meet some day.
If it ain't these upcoming playoffs it surely will be the next (odd even year you know)!
Sounds good pal, looking forward to it.
Alamo50 is the biggest David Robinson fan I ever met. It's a shame many radio stations didn't have him on as a guest because of his association with Kori and how many websites don't like to mention other websites. I remember Mouse talked the Thomson brothers on having him on their once a week Saturday show but people like Don Harris and Jeff Vexler didn't capitalize on how big the Alamo50 story really was. I guess the Topic wheel was more Important.
Can't believe I did a shout out to SpursReport.com on Fox tv during the playoffs in '02..........
Made it up with the shout out to SpursTalk.com on the Thompson's show though!
I know the real fans cared.
Screw al the politics and jealousy.
This is all about The Admiral.
I had my "15 minutes of fame" and I will take that with me proudly all my life.
All fans of David are great human beings I have come to find out.
I am not more a fan than anybody else, I just know for a fact that there ain't a bigger fan out there than I am.
Just can't believe there are so few fan stories in this thread or on Spurs.com.
I love the ones that are here though!
I had one encounter with David Robinson. I was in Best Buy as a vendor for a computer company. While I was there the store was buzzing because David was there with his son.
The thing that struck me was I got to watch David interact with all the kids in the store. He signed autographs and played with the kids. He was a big kid playing with his kids. They played video games and joked with each other, it was so genuine and sincere. David Robinson is a real person not a fake celebrity.
I remember when David Robinson made a huge splash at block buster!
Hey! Back in 2003, I was on local community TV (channel 32 or something), dammit! (They interviewed me outside the AT&T, which was the SBC back then). And there was a story about me in the papers and on the net! (Was it WOAI? I can't remember). And I preceded Jurgen by a month or so with my month-long visit. And I quit my damned job, too! Sheesh!Alamo50 is the biggest David Robinson fan I ever met. It's a shame many radio stations didn't have him on as a guest because of his association with Kori and how many websites don't like to mention other websites. I remember Mouse talked the Thomson brothers on having him on their once a week Saturday show but people like Don Harris and Jeff Vexler didn't capitalize on how big the Alamo50 story really was. I guess the Topic wheel was more Important.
Everyone loves Jurgen, but no-one likes me - maybe that's because I can be such an arsehole sometimes...
PS This post is entirely in jest. I am at peace with being number 2 international DRob fan to Jurgen.
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