By W.G. Ramirez
The Sporting Tribune
The John R. Wooden Award will celebrate it’s 50th anniversary this season. Leading up to the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will highlight past winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.
David Robinson was aptly named “The Admiral.”
Sure, he attended the Naval Academy, so the moniker seemingly fit.
But as defined as a “commander in chief of a fleet,” Robinson was just that, a leader of one of the greatest championship teams in NBA history, helping to transform the San Antonio Spurs from a losing team to a championship contender.
Robinson is widely considered one of the greatest NBA players and one of the most respected human beings in professional sports history. His greatness stems from a rare combination of elite athletic ability, intelligence, humility, leadership, and service.
After winning the Wooden Award in 1987, Robinson was drafted first by the Spurs, where he spent his entire career.
Named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team in 1996 and 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, Robinson led by example through both his college and professional careers.
He was also a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, in 2009 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball, widely remembered as the “Dream Team.”
After scoring 13 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in his final game, a victory in the 2003 NBA Finals, Robinson said it was like a fairy-tale ending.
“To finish my career the NBA Finals and win the championship, that’s the plan only written by God, I just praise him,” Robinson said. “Today is an incredible day for me. I’m just blessed.
“How can you walk away any better than this?”
The 7-foot-1 two-time NBA champion and 10-time NBA All-Star had incredible mobility, speed, and coordination, as he could run the floor like a guard while displaying a soft shooting touch, and of course, maintaining his dominant ways in the paint.
Robinson was one of the best shot-blockers and rim protectors in NBA history, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1992 while averaging 3.0 blocks per game over his 14-year career.
Robinson, who finished his career averaging 21.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, is one of four players in NBA history to register a quadruple-double.
On Feb. 17, 1994, Robinson scored 34 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, served 10 assists, and had 10 blocked shots against the Detroit Pistons.
All personal accolades aside, what bolstered Robinson’s legacy was his humbleness while retiring a champion and passing the torch to Tim Duncan, who continued to build the Spurs’ dynasty.
Away from basketball, Robinson founded the Carver Academy (now IDEA Carver), a charter school in San Antonio focused on providing quality education to underprivileged children. He donated $11 million of his own money to education-focused causes.
Robinson also started the Admiral Capital Group, which invests in companies with a social impact mission.
Open about his Christian faith and values, it was never a surprise that Robinson was honored with the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award in 2001 and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2003.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Robinson was also named the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 1986.