David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who played for the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed "the Admiral" for his time spent in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

, Robinson was a 10-time

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

, the 1995 NBA MVP, a two-time

NBA champion The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the conclusion of its postseason. All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Easter ...

(1999 and 2003), a two-time

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winner (1992, 1996), a two-time

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

inductee (2009 for his individual career, 2010 as a member of the

1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team The United States men's national basketball team, men's national basketball team of the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics, United States competed at the Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics, 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, a ...

), and a two-time U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductee (2008 individually, 2009 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team). He was honored as one of the league's all-time players by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary (1996) and 75th Anniversary Teams (2021). He is widely considered one of the greatest centers in both college basketball and NBA history.

Early life, family and education

Robinson was born in

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, the second child of Ambrose and Freda Robinson. Since Robinson's father was in the

, the family moved frequently. After his father retired from the Navy, the family settled in

Woodbridge, Virginia Woodbridge is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States, located south of Washington, D.C. Bounded by the Occoquan River, Occoquan and Potomac River, Potomac rivers, Woodbridge had 44,668 residents at the ...

, where Robinson excelled in school and in most sports, except basketball. Robinson attended Osbourn Park High School in

Manassas, Virginia Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of ...

, just outside

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, where Robinson's father was working as an engineer. Robinson was of average height for most of his childhood and teenage years, standing tall in his junior year of high school (age 16–17). However, during his senior year (age 17–18) in high school, he experienced a large growth spurt and grew to . He had not played organized basketball or attended any basketball camps, but the school's basketball coach added him to the team. Robinson earned all-area and all-district honors but generated little interest among college basketball coaches. Robinson graduated from Osbourn Park in 1983. He achieved a score of 1320 on the

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test ...

and subsequently attended the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

, where he would major in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

and play on the basketball team. At the time the Naval Academy had a height restriction of for all midshipmen, but in the autumn when the new academic year began, Robinson had grown to . Assuming that he was unlikely to grow much more, the academy's superintendent granted him a waiver, but Robinson continued growing, and by the start of his second year at the academy he had nearly reached his adult height of , which later prevented him from serving on any U.S. Navy ships. In 2011, Robinson earned a Master of Arts in Administration (with concentration in organizational development) from the University of the Incarnate Word to better "understand how businesses work and how to build them."

College career and military service

Robinson is widely considered to be the best basketball player in Naval Academy history. He chose the jersey number 50 after his idol

Ralph Sampson Ralph Lee Sampson Jr. (born July 7, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A phenom, three-time college national player of the year, and first overall selec ...

. He began college with no expectations of playing in the NBA, but in Robinson's final two years he was a consensus

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

and won college basketball's two most prestigious player awards, the Naismith and Wooden Awards, as a Naval Academy first classman (senior). In 1986, Robinson led Navy, a number seven seed, within a game of the Final Four before falling to Duke in the East Regional Final. Robinson played his first three years for the Midshipmen under Paul Evans (who left Navy to coach at Pitt) and his senior season under former

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

interim head coach Pete Herrmann. Upon graduation, he became eligible for the

1987 NBA draft The 1987 NBA draft was held on June 22, 1987, in New York City. This draft included two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen, as well as fellow Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who was named to t ...

and was selected by the

with the first overall pick; however, the Spurs had to wait two years because he had to fulfill his active-duty obligation with the Navy. Robinson considered leaving the academy after his second year, before incurring an obligation to serve on active duty. He decided to stay after discussing with the superintendent the likelihood that his height would prevent him from serving at sea as an

unrestricted line officer An unrestricted line officer (shortened to URL officer) is a designator given to a commissioned officer of the line in the United States Navy, who is eligible for command at sea of the navy's warfighting combatant units such as warships, submar ...

, which would be detrimental to his naval career and might make it impossible for him to receive a commission at all. As a compromise,

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

John Lehman allowed Robinson to train for and receive a commission as a staff officer in the

Civil Engineer Corps The Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) is a staff corps of the United States Navy. CEC officers are professional engineers and architects, acquisitions specialists, and Seabee Combat Warfare Officers who qualify within Seabee units. They are responsib ...

. As a result, Robinson was commissioned in the Naval Reserve and was required to serve only an initial active-duty obligation of two years. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Robinson became a civil engineering officer at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. He was regularly featured in recruiting materials for the service. Despite the nickname "Admiral", the highest rank Robinson earned during his military service was

lieutenant (junior grade) Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies. United States Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...

Professional career

San Antonio Spurs (1989–2003)

Rookie of the Year, DPOY award and scoring title (1989–1994)

Since he had not signed a contract, NBA regulations stated that Robinson could have reentered the draft after his naval service. Although there was speculation that he might choose not to sign with the Spurs, Robinson agreed to move to San Antonio for the 1989–90 season, but the Spurs agreed to pay him as much as the average of the salaries of the two highest-paid players in the league each year, or release him to free agency. The Spurs had spent the second half of the 1980s as an also-ran, bottoming out in 1988–89 season with a 21–61 record, the worst in franchise history at the time. While it was widely thought that the Spurs would become respectable again once Robinson arrived, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Robinson led the Spurs to the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history at the time (a record the Spurs themselves broke in 1997–98 season, after drafting

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Sp ...

, which was then broken by the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

in the

2007–08 NBA season The 2007–08 NBA season was the 62nd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 131–92 to win the 2008 NBA Finals, four games to two. The 2007 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2007, a ...

). The Spurs leaped to a record of 56–26 for a remarkable 35 game improvement. They advanced to the second round of the Western Conference

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

where they lost in seven games to the eventual conference champion

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

. Following the 1989–90 season, he was unanimously named the

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...

, and subsequently

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produced a game featuring him entitled '' David Robinson's Supreme Court''. The Spurs made the playoffs seven more seasons in a row. In the 1991–92 season Robinson led the league in blocks and was named the

NBA Defensive Player of the Year The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and b ...

. Robinson also made the 1992 US Olympic Dream Team that won the gold medal in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

. During the 1993–94 season, he became locked in a duel for the NBA scoring title with

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...

, scoring 71 points (breaking George Gervin's single-game franchise record of 63) against the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

to win it. In that season, Robinson averaged a career-high 29.8 points per game, 10.7 rebounds per game, career-high 4.8 assists per game and 3.3 blocks per game.

MVP title, playoff upsets and injury (1994–1998)

Robinson went on to win the

MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...

trophy in 1995, and in 1996 he was named one of the

50 Greatest Players in NBA History The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...

. Still, from 1991 to 1996, Robinson was thwarted in his quest to claim the one prize that had eluded him: an NBA title. During that span the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs by the Warriors, Suns (twice), Jazz (twice), and Rockets. The loss against the Rockets was particularly painful for Robinson because it occurred in the Western Conference Finals with Robinson playing head-to-head against his chief rival,

Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon ( ; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian and American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NB ...

. By his own admission, Robinson was outplayed by Olajuwon in the series, their only meetings in post-season play. In a ''LIFE'' magazine story, he seemed perplexed. “Solve Hakeem?” said Robinson. “You don’t solve Hakeem.” Early in the 1996–97 season, Robinson's dreams of becoming a champion seemed to vanish when he hurt his back in the preseason. He finally returned in December, but six games later broke his foot in a home game against the Miami Heat, and ended up missing the rest of the regular season. As a result of the injury to Robinson and other key players (most notably

Sean Elliott Sean Michael Elliott (born February 2, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who starred as a small forward in both the college and professional ranks. He attended the University of Arizona, where he had a standout career a ...

, who missed more than half the season), the Spurs finished the season with a dismal 20–62 record. However, his injury proved to be a blessing in disguise. Despite having only the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA Draft Lottery—and with it, the first pick in the next year's NBA draft. They used that pick to select

out of

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...

, who was, after a few years, the final key to Robinson's quest for an NBA title.

Championship season (1998–1999)

The later years of Robinson's career were plagued by back ailments. Before the start of the 1998–99 season, the NBA owners and NBA commissioner

David Stern David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. Stern oversaw NBA basketball's growth into one of t ...

locked out the NBA Players' Association to force negotiations on a new

Collective Bargaining Agreement A collective agreement, collective labour agreement (CLA) or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for employees by one or more trade unions with the management of a company (or with an ...

. This lockout lasted for 202 days, well into the regular NBA season, before an agreement was finally reached. After playing a truncated 50-game season, the Spurs finished with an NBA-best record of 37–13, giving them the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Spurs blitzed through the first three rounds of the NBA playoffs, beating the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, and

by a combined record of 11–1 to reach the

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

for the first time ever. In the Finals, the combination of Robinson in the post and second-year

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...

proved overpowering, and the Spurs beat the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

in five games to become the first former

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...

team to win an NBA title. Duncan was named Finals MVP. Robinson and Duncan were nicknamed "The Twin Towers".

Twilight years and second championship (1999–2003)

During the 1999–00 season, Robinson averaged 17.8 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game in 80 games. The Spurs made it to the playoffs as the fourth seed, but were defeated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs despite Robinson's 23.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. Robinson announced he would retire from basketball following the 2002–03 season. On June 15, 2003, in the finale of Robinson's career, the Spurs won another NBA title with an 88–77 victory over the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

in Game 6 of the

2003 NBA Finals The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2002–03 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs played the Eastern Conference ...

. During this game, Robinson scored 13 points, as well as getting 17 rebounds. He and the year's regular season and NBA Finals MVP

shared ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

'' magazine's 2003 Sportsmen of the Year award.

Player profile

Robinson possessed tremendous mobility in the post, speed, and ball-handling, especially for a center. With good hands on both offense and defense, Robinson was nearly unstoppable on both sides of the floor, throwing down dunks and blocking shots. He was also noted for his strong midrange jumpshot. Robinson averaged 21.1 points per game, 10.7

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

per game, 3 blocks per game, and 2.5 assists per game over 987 games in his NBA career. He is also one of only a very small group of players to have scored over 20,000 career points in the NBA, as well as being one of only four players to have recorded a

quadruple-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: point (basketball), points, rebound (basketball), rebounds, assist (basketball), assist ...

(with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

on February 17, 1994). He is also one of only ten players to record 70 or more points in a single game. Robinson scored 71 points against the

on April 24, 1994. Only

Elgin Baylor Elgin Gay Baylor ( ; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lak ...

(71 points),

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...

(70, 72, 73 twice, 78, 100 points), David Thompson (73 points),

Devin Booker Devin Armani Booker (born October 30, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball, ...

(70 points),

Donovan Mitchell Donovan Vernell Mitchell Jr. (born September 7, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Spida", he was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NBA ...

(71 points),

Damian Lillard Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Dame Time", he played college basketball for the Weber State Wi ...

(71 points),

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

(81 points),

Joel Embiid Joel Hans Embiid ( ; born 16 March 1994) is a Cameroonian and American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks men's ...

(70 points), and Luka Dončić (73 points) have scored 70 or more points in a single game. Robinson is also noteworthy for his harmonious relationship with

. Sportswriter Chris Sheridan noted that it was rare for someone like Robinson to have welcomed and mentored Duncan as willingly as he did, and to have reduced his own role in the team's offense to accommodate a younger star. In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary ''

The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...

'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Robinson as the 20th greatest player in NBA history.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1989–90 , style="text-align:left;",

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 81 , , 36.6 , , .531 , , .000 , , .732 , , 12.0 , , 2.0 , , 1.7 , , 3.9 , , 24.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1990–91 , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 81 , , 37.7 , , .552 , , .143 , , .762 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 13.0* , , 2.5 , , 1.5 , , 3.9 , , 25.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1991–92 , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 68 , , 37.7 , , .551 , , .125 , , .701 , , 12.2 , , 2.7 , , 2.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 4.5* , , 23.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1992–93 , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 39.2 , , .501 , , .176 , , .732 , , 11.7 , , 3.7 , , 1.5 , , 3.2 , , 23.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1993–94 , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 40.5 , , .507 , , .345 , , .749 , , 10.7 , , 4.8 , , 1.7 , , 3.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 29.8* , - , style="text-align:left;", 1994–95 , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 38.0 , , .530 , , .300 , , .774 , , 10.8 , , 2.9 , , 1.7 , , 3.2 , , 27.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1995–96 , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 36.8 , , .516 , , .333 , , .761 , , 12.2 , , 3.0 , , 1.4 , , 3.3 , , 25.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1996–97 , style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 6 , , 24.5 , , .500 , , .000 , , .654 , , 8.5 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1997–98 , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 73 , , 33.7 , , .511 , , .250 , , .735 , , 10.6 , , 2.7 , , .9 , , 2.6 , , 21.6 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 49 , , 49 , , 31.7 , , .509 , , .000 , , .658 , , 10.0 , , 2.1 , , 1.4 , , 2.4 , , 15.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1999–00 , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 32.0 , , .512 , , .000 , , .726 , , 9.6 , , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , 2.3 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2000–01 , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 29.6 , , .486 , , .000 , , .747 , , 8.6 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 2.5 , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2001–02 , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 78 , , 29.5 , , .507 , , .000 , , .681 , , 8.3 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 1.8 , , 12.2 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 64 , , 64 , , 26.2 , , .469 , , .000 , , .710 , , 7.9 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , 1.7 , , 8.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 987 , , 985 , , 34.7 , , .518 , , .250 , , .736 , , 10.6 , , 2.5 , , 1.4 , , 3.0 , , 21.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, All-Star , 10 , , 3 , , 18.4 , , .588 , , .000 , , .695 , , 6.2 , , .8 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , , 14.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 37.5 , , .533 , , .000 , , .677 , , 12.0 , , 2.3 , , 1.1 , , 4.0 , , 24.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 41.5 , , .686 , , .000 , , .868 , , 13.5 , , 2.0 , , 1.5 , , 3.8 , , 25.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 42.1 , , .465 , , .000 , , .664 , , 12.6 , , 4.0 , , 1.0 , , 3.6 , , 23.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 36.5 , , .411 , , .000 , , .741 , , 10.0 , , 3.5 , , .8 , , 2.5 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 15 , , 15 , , 41.5 , , .446 , , .200 , , .812 , , 12.1 , , 3.1 , , 1.5 , , 2.6 , , 25.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 35.3 , , .516 , , .000 , , .667 , , 10.1 , , 2.4 , , 1.5 , , 2.5 , , 23.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 39.2 , , .425 , , .000 , , .635 , , 14.1 , , 2.6 , , 1.2 , , 3.3 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 17 , , 17 , , 35.3 , , .483 , , .000 , , .722 , , 9.9 , , 2.5 , , 1.6 , , 2.4 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 38.8 , , .373 , , .000 , , .762 , , 13.8 , , 2.5 , , 1.8 , , 3.0 , , 23.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 13 , , 13 , , 31.5 , , .472 , , .000 , , .695 , , 11.8 , , 1.7 , , 1.3 , , 2.4 , , 16.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 20.3 , , .474 , , .000 , , .000 , , 5.8 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , .8 , , 4.5 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

, 23 , , 23 , , 23.4 , , .542 , , .000 , , .667 , , 6.6 , , .9 , , .8 , , 1.3 , , 7.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 123 , , 123 , , 34.3 , , .479 , , .100 , , .708 , , 10.6 , , 2.3 , , 1.2 , , 2.5 , , 18.1

National team career

David Robinson was a member of the United States national team at the

1986 FIBA World Championship The 1986 FIBA World Championship was the 10th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. It was hosted by Spain and was held from 5 to 20 July 1986. The final phase of the tournament was hel ...

1987 Pan American Games The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event held in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on August 7–23, 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas ...

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

, and

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

. He won the gold medal at all tournaments except the 1987 Pan Am Games, where he won a silver medal, and the 1988 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal.

Other ventures

In 2001, Robinson founded and funded the $9 million Carver Academy in San Antonio, a non-profit private school named for

George Washington Carver George Washington Carver ( 1864 – January 5, 1943) was an American Agricultural science, agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was one of the most prominent bla ...

to provide more opportunities for inner-city children. In 2012, the school became a public charter school and its name changed to IDEA Carver. Robinson continues to be a very active participant in the school's day-to-day activities. In 2008, Robinson partnered with Daniel Bassichis, formerly of

Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...

and a board member of The Carver Academy, to form Admiral Capital Group, a

private equity firm A private equity firm or private equity company (often described as a financial sponsor) is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of a Startup company, startup or of an existin ...

whose mission is to invest in opportunities that can provide both financial and social returns. Robinson's primary motivation in starting Admiral Capital was to create a source of additional financial support for The Carver Academy. Its portfolio is worth more than $100 million and includes nine hotels and office buildings across the US as well as Centerplate, one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. Admiral Capital Group also partnered with Living Cities to form the Admiral Center, a non-profit created to support other athletes and entertainers with their philanthropic initiatives. Robinson is also co-owner of a

Jaguar Land Rover Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC is the holding company of Jaguar Land Rover, also known as JLR, and is a British multinational automobile manufacturer which produces luxury vehicles and SUVs and has its head office in Whitley, Coventry, Unite ...

dealership in San Juan, Texas.

Personal life

Robinson married Valerie Hoggatt in 1991. They have three sons, David Jr., Corey, and Justin. Corey attended Notre Dame and was a wide receiver on the

football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...

before ending his playing career in 2016 on medical advice due to multiple

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

s prior to what would have been his senior season. He was student body president for the 2016–17 school year.

Justin Justin may refer to: People and fictional characters * Justin (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Justin (historian), Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527) ...

, a forward in basketball and a two-time all-state selection in Texas, began attending

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

in August 2015. He was initially recruited to the Duke team as a "preferred walk-on" with the opportunity to eventually earn a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...

, but he was placed on scholarship before his arrival at Duke. On September 18, 2020, Mornar Bar of Erste Liga in

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

announced that they had signed Justin, signaling the start to his professional basketball career. David Robinson became a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

on June 8, 1991, after being encouraged to read the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

Awards and honors

NBA * 2×

(, ) *

NBA Most Valuable Player The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jor ...

() *

() * 10×

(–, , , ) * 4×

All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

(, , , ) * 2×

All-NBA Second Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

(, ) * 4×

All-NBA Third Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

(, , , ) * 4×

NBA All-Defensive First Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...

(, , , ) * 4×

NBA All-Defensive Second Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

(, , , ) *

() *

NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...

() *

NBA scoring champion In basketball, points are accumulated through free throws or field goals. The National Basketball Association's (NBA) scoring title is awarded to the player with the highest points per game average in a given season. The scoring title was origin ...

() * NBA rebounding leader () * NBA blocks leader () * 5× IBM Award (1990, 1991, 1994–1996) *

NBA Sportsmanship Award The NBA Sportsmanship Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to a player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court with ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity." It is directly analogous to the ...

(2001) * J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2003) * NBA Shooting Stars Champion (2008) * 4× NBA Player of the Month * 15× NBA Player of the Week *

NBA anniversary team The National Basketball Association (NBA) has named four teams throughout its history that commemorate a milestone league anniversary by honoring its greatest all-time players. The NBA considers 1946 to be its founding year. The league was formed i ...

( 50th, 75th) * No. 50 retired by San Antonio Spurs USA Basketball *

USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year The USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year is an annual award issued by USA Basketball that honors the top American male basketball performer during the year's international competition. Kevin Durant won the award a record three times (2010, 201 ...

(1986) * 2× Olympic Gold Medal (

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

) * 1988 Olympic Bronze Medal *

Gold Medal *

Silver Medal * 1992 FIBA Americas Championship Gold Medal NCAA * 3× CAA Regular Season Champion (1985–1987) * 3× CAA Tournament Champion (1985–1987) * Consensus National college player of the year (1987) ** ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year (1987) **

Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the most outstanding NCAA Division I men's basketball player by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), first presented in 1958–59 NCAA University Division men's basketball season, 19 ...

(1987) ** AP Player of the Year (1987) ** Naismith Player of the Year (1987) **

NABC Player of the Year The NABC Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top player in men's college basketball across the three largest college athletic associations in the United States. Th ...

(1987) ** John R. Wooden Award (1987) ** UPI Player of the Year (1987) **

Adolph Rupp Trophy The Adolph F. Rupp Trophy was an annual college basketball award given to the top player in men's NCAA Division I competition. It was awarded between 1972 and 2015. The recipient of the award was selected by an independent panel consisting of nat ...

(1987) * Consensus first-team

(

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

) ** AP first-team All-American (

) ** USBWA first-team All-American (

) ** NABC first-team All-American (

) **

UPI United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...

first-team All-American (

) * Consensus second-team All-American (

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

) ** AP third-team All-American (

) ** USBWA second-team All-American (

) ** NABC second-team All-American (

) ** UPI third-team All-American (

) * NCAA rebounding leader (1986) * 2× NCAA blocks leader (1986, 1987) * 3× CAA Player of the Year (1985–1987) * 3× First-team All- CAA (1985–1987) * CAA All-Defensive Team (1987) * CAA Rookie of the Year (1984) * Today's Top VI Award ( 1988) * NCAA Silver Anniversary Award (2012) * Coach Wooden "Keys to Life" Award (2004) * NCAA Gerald R. Ford Award (2021) Halls of Fame * 2×

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

** Class of 2009 – individual ** Class of 2010 – as a member of the "Dream Team" * 2× U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame ** Class of 2008 – individual ** Class of 2009 – as a member of the "Dream Team" * 2×

FIBA Hall of Fame The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. Originally built in ...

** Class of 2013 - individual ** Class of 2017 - as a member of the "Dream Team" *

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the sec ...

Sports Hall of Fame ** Class of 1994 - individual *

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Business Hall of Fame ** Class of 2024 - individual
San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame
** Class of 2004 – as individual ** Class of 2025 – as a member of the 1999 San Antonio Spurs Championship Team Media * 2003 ''Sports Illustrated'' Sportsman of the Year * ''Sporting News'' NBA MVP (1995) * ''Sporting News'' NBA Rookie of the Year (1990) * ''Sporting News'' NBA 1990s All-Decade Second Team * ''In the Classroom with David Robinson'' video made for distribution across American public schools in collaboration with public television producersArchived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Other * Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award (1987)
Heisman Humanitarian Award
(2013)
Nation's Finest 50 Award
(2023)

Charitable efforts

In addition to his lengthy NBA career, Robinson is also noted for his charitable work. In 1991, Robinson visited with fifth-graders at Gates Elementary School in

and challenged them to finish school and go to college. He offered a $2,000 scholarship to everyone who did. In 1998, proving even better than his word, Robinson awarded $8,000 to each of those students who had completed his challenge. In perhaps his greatest civic and charitable achievement, David and his wife, Valerie, founded the Carver Academy in San Antonio, which opened its doors in September 2001. To date, the Robinsons have donated more than $11 million to the school. In March 2003, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to charity, the NBA renamed its award for outstanding charitable efforts in honor of Robinson. Winners of the NBA's Community Assist Award receive the ''David Robinson Plaque'', with the inscription "Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece." The award is given out monthly by the league to recognize players for their charitable efforts. Robinson is also the recipient of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership. In 2011, in recognition of his philanthropic efforts with the Carver Academy, Robinson received the Children's Champion Award from the charitable organization Children's Hunger Fund. In 2018, Robinson became a member of the V Foundation for Cancer Research's board of directors.

References

External links

*
David Robinson @ NBA.com/History

1987 Oscar Robertson Trophy

Admiral Center
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, David 1965 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 1986 FIBA World Championship players Goodwill Games medalists in basketball Goodwill Games gold medalists African-American Christians All-American college men's basketball players American Christians American men's basketball players Basketball players from Florida Basketball players from San Antonio Basketball players from Virginia Beach, Virginia Basketball players at the 1988 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Centers (basketball) Competitors at the 1986 Goodwill Games FIBA Hall of Fame inductees Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics FIBA World Championship–winning players Basketball players at the 1987 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in basketball Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees NBA All-Stars NBA Most Valuable Player Award winners NBA players with retired numbers Navy Midshipmen men's basketball players Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in basketball Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball Osbourn Park High School alumni Sportspeople from Key West, Florida Sportspeople from Manassas, Virginia Sportspeople from Woodbridge, Virginia San Antonio Spurs draft picks San Antonio Spurs players United States men's national basketball team players United States Navy officers United States Navy reservists University of the Incarnate Word alumni First overall NBA draft picks

Early life, family and education

College career and military service

Professional career

San Antonio Spurs (1989–2003)

Rookie of the Year, DPOY award and scoring title (1989–1994)

MVP title, playoff upsets and injury (1994–1998)

Championship season (1998–1999)

Twilight years and second championship (1999–2003)

Player profile

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

National team career

Other ventures

Personal life

Awards and honors

Charitable efforts

See also

NBA

College

References

External links