Commentary: Robinson's dedication cements heroic status in San Antonio
While most people's TV time this weekend centered on Sunday's 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, I instead turned my attention to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday evening. And while nearly everyone's Facebook and Twitter feeds were clogged with cries of outrage as Kanye West stole Taylor Swift's moment, the NBA world was abuzz following Michael Jordan's speech.In contrast to his Hall of Fame classmates - David Robinson, Vivian Stringer, Jerry Sloan and John Stockton - who focused on thanking the people who had helped them rise to this moment, Jordan used his moment to taunt those who had motivated him during his playing days. As Jordan's speech was the finale for the evening, all who watched were left with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Call me Beyoncé, because I'm now going to give Robinson his moment.
Times for the Spurs were rough in the late '80s. The team was in danger of being relocated because of the inferior talent of its players. The Spurs were so bad, in fact, that they won the right to the top pick in the 1987 NBA draft, the year in which Robinson was graduating with a degree in mathematics.
It was an obvious choice: Robinson had dominated the college basketball stage. He had grown over seven feet tall and stood poised to turn around the team and guarantee their continued presence in San Antonio - as long as he actually signed with the Spurs.
Robinson was required to serve two years in the U.S. Navy following his graduation from the Naval Academy, and this stipulation not only forced the Spurs to wait two more years but also allowed Robinson the freedom to sign with any team he wanted upon his return.
Any normal player in his situation would find it awfully tempting to jump ship and sign with a decent team, and most people assumed that the Lakers, who were decent back then, would win the bidding war and steal him from the Spurs.
However, the Admiral, a nickname Robinson earned from his Naval stint, showed the first glimpses of a character that went above and beyond what was expected of a ballplayer. His loyalty to the team which drafted him was only the first of countless honorable deeds he has done, and continues to do.
Robinson joined the Spurs in 1989, and as a San Antonio native, I grew up watching him play. As anyone from San Antonio will tell you, the Spurs are life. Every San Antonian cheers for the Spurs; even those who don't give a hoot about basketball are swept up in the playoff frenzy each spring as the Spurs fight for another NBA championship.
And if there's one man to thank, it's Robinson.
The Admiral's accolades are numerous: Rookie of the Year, Olympic gold medalist, Most Valuable Player, All-Star, two-time NBA champion and so on. Sure, these accolades are important - but they're not why Robinson is important. No, it's the man's dedication that makes him stand above the rest: dedication to his faith, his family, his team and his community.
He has done so much in the way of community service that the NBA named their Community Assist award after him. Robinson and his wife opened a charter school in San Antonio for disadvantaged youth, with their own $11 million. Robinson continues to be active with the school.
Some players, like Jordan, are defined by the sport of basketball. This is their identity and all that they know. This is why Jordan refuses to let go - why it took three tries for him to retire from the NBA, and why, even now, he is taunting former rivals and threatening to return to the hardwood.
I wish Robinson would make such a threat, but then I remember that the Admiral is so much more than basketball. He is a class act, and a champion. His final game saw him win his second championship, and all of his work in the community and a gracious speech last Friday have cemented his final chapter as a philanthropist and NBA star.
That's quite a contrast from the Kanye West of basketball.
Anna Wilde is a Martel College junior and Thresher head copy editor.
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