With the NBA playoffs getting started, we’re taking it back to the start of Season 2 with one of the top NBA centers of all time – Hall of Famer and San Antonio Spurs legend, David Robinson, aka “The Admiral”! Andy & co-host Mimi chat with David about growing up in a military family, how he literally grew out of being a baseball player, the impact of his playing idol Ralph Sampson, the late Mark Eaton, his father prophesying him playing in the NBA, how his Naval Academy experience informed his basketball career, turning the Spurs into contenders, shepherding a young Tim Duncan, his incredible message to the team after winning a championship, thoughts on One-and-Done players, and memories of playing on The Dream Team! David & Andy also discuss The Carver Academy, their first time meeting during the Wooden Award Ceremony in 1987, a photoshoot in the pouring rain, & more memories from their many years on the court together. Original Release Date: January 8, 2019.
Other Topics Discussed in this Episode:
6:40 David’s late start playing basketball and the person who convinced him to tryout for his high school team in his senior year
10:17 Despite being a late bloomer, the moment David realized he could play in the NBA
11:28 Why David chose to wear #50
14:12 The significant people in David’s life who had the greatest impact
17:53 How David’s military background prepared him for NBA success and shaped him to become the ultimate teammate
22:16 David’s selfless playing style, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio community
24:54 David’s leadership in Spurs locker room, team over self – “Perspective is everything”
“That’s really the key. We were all successful, right? So if you make a lot of money, you’re doing really well, you’re not being judged anymore by your success. You’re being judged by your legacy, you’re being judged by what you’re going to leave behind. … I felt like it was kind of my job as a leader, in that locker room, to say, ‘Hey look, this is not about validating yourself. You’re already at the highest level. You’re already extremely successful. Now is about fulfilling your calling. Now is about doing the best with what you’ve been given… You’ve got to be happy with that. That’s all we have to give. If we do that, then our conscience can be clear… At the end of the day, we’ve got to do this together.”
31:26 NBA’s one and done rule
34:53 Fatherhood and his greatest joy
36:35 The Dream Team
39:34 Basketball as a vehicle to be of service. In 2001, David and his wife Valerie opened a private school, The Carver Academy, with 60 students. It’s now part of a charter school network and serves 14,000 kids.
43:52 NBA honors David by renaming its NBA Community Assist Monthly Award after him
44:23 The Admiral Capital Group (since rebranded as Vero Capital) and David’s commitment to giving back to the communities where they’re investing.
47:05 The unique bond between Spurs players and coaches and the San Antonio community
50:10 David reveals his career choice if had not been an NBA player
