When David Robinson was drafted by the Spurs with the first pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, he and the team thought he would be the Spurs' savior — a season in which the Spurs were just 28-54.
Robinson didn't report for duty right away — he went on to serve in the Navy for his country, something he's proud of — but he proved afterwards that the Spurs' wait was worth it, and he pretty much gave the Spurs what they wanted.
In the 1988-89 season, the Spurs averaged around 8,400 game attendance. A year after Robinson's rookie season began, that number jumped to more than 14,000. Three seasons after Robinson entered the league, the Spurs' market value rose from $40 million to more than $100 million.
On the court, Robin averaged 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game in his first season, making the NBA All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive Second Team. More because of his incredible performance, the Spurs won 35 more games than the previous season.
In the years that followed, Robinson continued to reap other accolades. NBA rebounding champion in 1991, block king and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) in 1992, scoring champion in 1994, and finally MVP in 1995.
Although 2.16 meters tall and weighing 107 kilograms, Robinson can run and jump like a defender. In high school, Robinson was only 1.7 meters tall — he had grown to 1.98 meters by the time he graduated from high school — and had a vertical jump height of 90 centimeters. By the time he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, he had grown to 2.16 meters tall, and every inch of his body was full of muscle, but that didn't stop him from bursting athletic.
Robinson, who was in his prime, developed a reliable mid-range shot that made him almost unstoppable. In a Feb. 17, 1994 game against the Pistons, he chipped in 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks, the fourth and final quadruple-double in NBA history. Then in the final regular-season game on April 24, 1994, Robinson scored 71 points on 26-of-41 shooting against the Clippers, the fourth-highest scoring record in history.
In the 1994-95 season, Robinson averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.2 blocks per game, while the Spurs finished the regular season with a 62-20 record. At this point, Robbins has won seven seven or eight in terms of individual honors, and the rest is only the championship.
Unfortunately, in the Western Conference Finals, he and the Spurs met Olajuwon, the defending NBA Most Valuable Player, and the defending champion Houston Rockets.
What happened later is presumably known to everyone, and it was a bit cruel for Robinson - he didn't take advantage of Olajuwon - although he averaged 23.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 blocks per game, Olajuwon averaged 35.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.2 blocks per game, and the Spurs also lost the series 4-2. Since that matchup, the world has almost reached a consensus: Olajuwon has beaten Robinson.
Unlike the other three centers of the '90s, Robbins was never able to lead the team to the Finals on his own, his temperament was too gentle, which was the biggest weakness of his career, and then he wasn't tough enough on the offensive end, and his style of play was not solid enough in the playoffs, and Robinson couldn't play a key role in the moments when it was time to fight for bayonets. But luckily, Robinson is a perfect teammate who just wants the best for the team.
Of course, if Robinson's career continues like this, he will still be a legend for the Spurs, because his ability will not make him bad and his results will not be bad, but he is unlikely to be one of the Totems of the Spurs. In the summer of 1997, a young man named Tim Duncan changed the course of his life.
In the 1996-97 season, Robinson was reimbursed for the season, and the team only finished 20-62, but luckily, they drew the No. 1 pick and selected the No. 21 cornerstone.
Duncan's arrival and the Spurs won 36 more games than the previous season, but the Spurs still couldn't go far, losing to Malone and Stockton's Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals.
Popovich, who became head coach the following year, struggled to think about countermeasures, and obviously added a talent monster who completed the body, but why did the team still not go far? How can two talented big men play a 1+1>2 effect?
In the 1998-99 season, head coach Popovich went to Robinson and tactfully suggested that the team should better rely on Duncan as their first offensive option, and before going Popovich was hard-headed, after all, Robinson still averaged 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 blocks per game the previous season.
Unexpectedly, Robinson readily agreed to Popovich's suggestion. Later, Robinson recalled that he had become accustomed to getting 25 points + 10 rebounds every night, and in his opinion, 15+10 was something that the average player could take. But he has no complaints, even if his 15+10 is something that he has to think twice about before every shot - he gives up more offensive freedom in favor of putting more into the defensive end.
It's not easy, especially for a guy who has shot 41 times and scored 71 points in a game. However, Robinson did, and he knew how to help the team properly, and that's how the Spurs won their first two championships.
On the offensive end, Duncan isn't as skilled as Robinson — he's worse off the field and free-throw — but he's able to shoot and score in the depths of the box, and he can change the opposition's defense. Defensively, Duncan is younger and faster than Robinson, so he can sweep around the three-point line.
At the same time, Robinson began to set up more cover for his teammates on the outside, giving up some mid-range shooting opportunities in favor of standing more in the high post as a point of inside passing. On the defensive end, Robinson can stay under the rim to protect the rim and protect rebounds. When the Spurs meet the Lakers, the pinnacle of O'Neal's defense is Robinson — and Duncan is more of a help defense.
Throughout Robinson's career, he didn't lead the Spurs to a championship on his own, but his big heart and sacrificial spirit allowed Duncan to do the job and become the founder of the Spurs culture, which continues to live on to this day. Compared to O'Neal, Olajuwon and Ewing in the big four, Robinson will always be a better team-mate.
Reference | cgtn.com
作者 | Li Xiang