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Spurs Legend on Getting Bullied By Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird During The 1992 Olympics: “I Was Sweeping Up Ashes In The Corner”
David Robinson was an NBA legend. Moreover, he changed the game of basketball forever for the city of San Antonio. A very small fraction of players has impacted the sport in the way that he has. Robinson was one of the players on the ‘Dream team’. The Dream team was the 1992 USA Olympic basketball team.
The dream team included players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and a lot of other big names. At the time, Robinson was a young player, he could be classified as a Rookie. The 1992 Olympics were a turning point for Robinson as he got an opportunity to shadow the greatest players to ever play together.
Behind the scenes: David Robinson
All the members of the 1992 Olympic team engaged in off-court activities. During practice they engaged in trash talk and banter, and after they participated in high stake poker games. Ernie Johnson proceeded to ask Robinson where he was when all his teammates were betting money and getting a kick out of their competitiveness. Robinson replied in a witty manner “I was sweeping up ashes in the corner.”
David Robinson playing saxophone during the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. | Credit: Getty Images
All sports and athletes generally have a reputation for being all-encompassing. They wallow you whole. If a person professionally plays a sport, they are swallowed by it. However, Robinson was a strict exemption to this. Robinson fancied other extra-curricular activities such as playing the Saxophone and the keyboard.
Steve Kerr, his former teammate, referred to him as “A Renaissance man”.
Even though Robinson was just a young player among the stars at the Olympics, he managed to make his mark. He impressed the players and the coach. Additionally, the dream team also bagged a gold medal.
David Robinson’s impact on the Spurs
David Robinson had quite literally changed the entire future of the Spurs. At the time he was drafted, Spurs was a losing team that was on its way to bankruptcy. Robinson used his ferocious ability to attack and block to make Spurs a playoff contender again.
David “The Admiral” Robinson was the guy who the Spurs marketed to increase their fan base. Moreover, it was around him that Spurs rose up through the rankings.
Tim Duncan #21 and David Robinson #50 of the San Antonio Spurs pose with the Larry O’Brien trophy after defeating the New Jersey Nets in Game six of the 2003 NBA Finals at SBC Center in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs won 88-77 and defeated the Nets to win the NBA Championship. Mandatory Copyright NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
“David was the guy,” Kerr said. “He was the foundational piece that everything was built on. Not just on the court, but off of it. That’s one of the things that made David so unique.”
Fast forward 20 years, Robinson became a Hall of Famer, 2-time champion, MVP, and Olympic gold medalist.
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The post Spurs Legend on Getting Bullied By Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird During The 1992 Olympics: “I Was Sweeping Up Ashes In The Corner” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
