San Antonio Spurs: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

3. David Robinson (C) — No. 1 pick in 1987 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Spurs):  987 GP, 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 3.0 BPG, 1.4 SPG, 51.8 FG%, 73.6 FT% 

David Robinson was the turning point for the San Antonio Spurs franchise. Before the 1987 NBA Draft, they had posted four straight seasons of .500 or below, with a low point in the 1986-87 season going 28-54. This summer, the team ended up with the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history, and they would never look back.

Robinson was one of those franchise-changing players from the get-go. His senior year he averaged 28.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game, and won the Naismith and Wooden awards. With a two-year obligation to serve active duty in the Navy, San Antonio would have to wait a couple more years to bring the All-American to the squad. It was a move that proved worth the wait.

Things continued to trend downward until his arrival though. San Antonio went through two more losing seasons in 1987-88 and 1988-89, including a franchise-worst 21-61. But Robinson’s arrival yielded an even better turnaround than expected, with the team going 56-26 in his rookie year, which was a NBA record for a turnaround by a team at the time.

In his Rookie of the Year season, Robinson averaged 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team, All-Defensive Second Team, and the All-Star Game for his efforts.

Robinson’s dominance continued over his first seven years in the league, averaging 25.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. During this span he was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1991-92 (averaging 12.2 rebounds and a league high 4.5 blocks per game), and the 1994-95 MVP (averaging 27.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game). Robinson also won the scoring title in 1993-94 at 29.8 points per game, including a 71-point outing against the Los Angeles Clippers to seal it.

While Robinson’s numbers carried over into the postseason (24.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game from 1990-96) the Spurs never made it to the NBA Finals. It was actually the lowest point in Robinson’s career that led to the franchise making it over that hump. The Admiral spent all but six games on the sidelines for the 1996-97 season and the team went 20-62. With the third-highest odds they wound up winning the draft lottery and selecting Tim Duncan first overall. The rest is history.

With Duncan in town, Robinson took a back seat offensively, but he remained effective across the board. Now at age 32, he was ready to take the young Duncan under his wing and help mold him into the player that would lead the team to a championship.

Over the next four years, Robinson averaged 17.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, made three All-Star teams, three All-NBA Teams, and one All-Defensive Team. It was also in this span that Robinson won his first NBA championship. In the Finals against the New York Knicks, Robinson averaged 16.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in five games.

Robinson won another title with the Spurs his final year in 2002-03. He retired with 10 All-Star game appearances, 10 All-NBA teams, eight All-NBA Defensive teams, two championships and recognition as one of the 50 greatest players of all time. Robinson nearly single-handedly changed the direction of the franchise, and his effects on the team are still felt today.