The San Antonio Spurs were looking for someone who could help lead the team to new heights in the late 1980s. That player was David Robinson , a Navy Midshipman.
"The Admiral" was the Spurs' top pick of the 1987 NBA Draft. However, San Antonio had to stay patient and wait two years before Robinson could officially play pro ball. This was because the 7-foot-1 player needed to complete a two-year Navy duty tour.
Hence, the Spurs needed to extend their patience. The best they could do in the five previous seasons at the time was reach the first round of the NBA playoffs. Their last best finish was during the 1981 and 1982 playoffs when they got as far as the Western Conference Final.
Spurring forward
Considering their lack of success in the postseason, uncertainty hovered over the franchise's future. There was a possibility that the team could opt out of San Antonio, something that team majority owner Red McCombs admitted at the time.
"If David had not come here, this franchise was in the pits," McCombs said via the New York Times . "Would the team have left San Antonio? Who can say? But David being here is much more important to San Antonio than it would be to any other city in the NBA… I think David's arrival is exciting to the entire basketball world," he added.
Good as advertised
Questions were in the air on whether the Navy product could bring the same level of performance in the pros. The bar was set high because he had to be ready to compete against established centers such as Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon.
It didn't take long for 'The Admiral' to prove he was the real deal. He was remarkable during practices and gave a good impression of things to come. As teammate Caldwell Jones said at the time: "Whatever they're paying him, he's worth it."
When the 1989-90 season got underway, D-Rob did not disappoint. He started in 81 of the team's 82 regular-season games, averaging 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.9 blocks, and 1.7 steals in 36.6 minutes of action.
Robinson’s efforts paid off at the end of his first NBA regular season. The Spurs made the playoffs after failing to advance in the previous year. Unfortunately, San Antonio would bow to the Portland Trail Blazers in seven games.
Although that paled compared to the previous WC Finals that the Spurs were able to reach, it was a good start for the David Robinson era. Things only got better for San Antonio, with the Florida native believing their cast could compete against the West heavyweights at the time.
D-Rob knew he needed to continue working on his game to keep up with other top centers in the NBA. He set personal goals and made it a point to keep striving to achieve them.
"I don't care how good I get, I'll never be happy with my game," the 1987 National College Player of the Year award winner vowed.
Robinson would go on to have a sensational NBA career. He won the MVP award in 1995, was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, and won two NBA titles with the Spurs (1999 and 2003). He is also a 10-time All-Star and a four-time All-NBA First Team member. David's basketball resume continues, justifying his spot on the 50th and 75th NBA Anniversary teams.
Related: "I wasn't at peace" - David Robinson on what NBA fame and money made him realize in his life
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