SAN ANTONIO, Texas, 17 June 2003 — David Robinson shipped out a champion on Sunday, “the Admiral” sailing into retirement with the NBA title he coveted on a thundering wave of emotion.
Mixed among the celebration and confetti that enveloped the SBC Center in the seconds following the San Antonio series clinching 88-77 win over the New Jersey Nets was a tinge of sadness as Spurs fans bid farewell to Robinson following his 14 years with the two-time champions.
“My last game, streamers flying, world champions, how could you write a better script than this,” smiled Robinson, who became known as the Admiral playing college basketball at the US Naval Academy.
“I’ve had my ups and downs in my career, but I’m going to end on the highest of highs. It’s unbelievable.
“I’ve seen this coming so it’s no surprise. I knew this was it, I knew this was supposed to be the time.”
But this was no retirement gift, Robinson went out a major contributor to the Spurs cause providing 13 points, 17 rebounds and a menacing defensive presence in his final game of his Hall of Fame career.
In these days of free agency, Robinson was one of those rare athletes who played the final game of his career in the same city where it was launched.
Through 14 seasons - all of them in the Spurs black and silver - Robinson amassed more than 20,000 points, including 71 in a single game, hauled in more than 10,000 rebounds and blocked close to 3,000 shots.
He was the NBA rookie of the year in 1990, the league’s MVP in 1995 and has been selected an NBA all-star 10 times.
He now has two NBA championship rings to go with the two Olympic gold medals he won as a member of the US teams at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Games.
In 1996, the seven-foot center was selected as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players and his place in basketball’s pantheon of champions awaits.
“David Robinson is a guy I truly admire as a basketball player and a person,” Nets coach Byron Scott said.
“I think he’s a class act, one of the best people in this league for a long time.
“If anyone deserved a farewell, to go out on top, besides us winning it, you would want David Robinson to because of the type of person he is.
“I had a lot of battles with him in the younger days and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”
“It’s almost like graduating from high school or college,” the 37-year-old explained. “I just know there is the next phase of my life and I’m excited about it.
“There are lots of opportunities out there.
“But that’s tomorrow, I’ll tackle that challenge tomorrow.”
