By admin 
David Robinson had to wait a bit longer than most highly-touted prospects to begin his NBA career. The San Antonio Spurs selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 1987 draft, but Robinson had a commitment to the U.S. Navy and didn’t make his debut until the 1989-90 season.
Read more ‘He’s not supernatural.’ Shohei Ohtani’s injury management raises tough questions
For the Spurs, it was definitely worth the wait. Robinson entered with plenty of hype, with the media comparing him to the great Bill Russell. That said, others went with a completely different narrative, questioning whether the Admiral was overrated.
Robinson didn’t mind the conflicting opinions surrounding him. In fact, he saw some value in it. The Russell comparisons gave him something to live up to, while being called “overrated” gave him another reason to prove people wrong. David didn’t see the attention as a bad thing and put it in perspective, as expected of a real-life soldier.
D-Rob immediately made his presence felt
It didn’t take long for Robinson to announce his arrival. He immediately became one of the Association’s most-feared rim protectors, averaging 12 rebounds and 3.9 blocks in his rookie season. More importantly, the Spurs registered a 35-game improvement from the previous year, enabling San Antonio to secure the 2nd seed in the West.
“He’s such a competitor, and he’s a winner,” Spurs forward Terry Cummings opined. “It’s one thing to have talent, but it’s another thing to know what to do with it, how to use it. A lot of people say David is quiet. It’s not that he’s quiet; it’s just that he’s very mature. Maybe it will take him part of a game to get his scoring untracked, but he won’t get impatient. He’ll play defense and rebound, and he won’t force it.”
“The two years he missed didn’t hurt him. They probably helped,” the “Preacher Man” added.
Meanwhile, opposing coaches, like Don Nelson, raved about the Admiral’s defensive prowess. Nellie stopped short of calling Robinson Russell’s equal on that end, but the similarities were remarkable. The Celtics legend, of course, won 11 championships in 13 years, while David was literally a rookie.
According to D-Rob, he didn’t mind the comparison primarily because he often got into the game’s flow while playing defense rather than offense, much like Bill.
Read more SF Giants’ record roster turnover creates opportunity, uncertainty
“I play best when I don’t worry about playing better offensively. When I just think about playing defense, blocking shots and rebounding, I settle down more,” he said. “The best thing about the comparison of me to Russell is that Bill Russell was a winner. That’s the best thing anyone can say about you. Russell had tremendous skills. Even though I know I still have a long way to go, I’m hoping one day I can have that kind of effect on the game like Russell had.”
What about the people saying he was overrated? Again, Robinson saw the beauty in it.
“Some of the things said took the pressure off to come out and feel like I had to be a superstar right away,” Robinson said. “People said I was overrated and stuff, and that was great for me, because it helped me settle down.”
Related: “She looked good to me” – Michael Porter Jr. says he had no idea the woman he was seen with in Taiwan was transgender
A man of character
Like the rookie that he was, Robinson experienced culture shock when he came into the league. He battled the best centers of the game night in and night out, and barely had time to rest. According to the No.1 pick of the 1987 draft, the length of the 82-game season was the biggest adjustment he had to make.
Nonetheless, Robinson handled it the same way he handled the expectations that came with being the No. 1 pick. He didn’t get too high on the praise and too low when people doubted him — the two years David spent in the Navy already taught him how to deal with pressure. That perspective served him well once he finally took his basketball talents to the NBA.
Related: “Son, you’re not going to make this team” – John Thompson brutal message to David Robinson before the 1988 Olympics
Read more Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn press conference video
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 10, 2026 at 4:09 PM.