After the San Antonio Spurs missed the 1997 NBA Playoffs, star center David Robinson thought the franchise was about to enter a long rebuilding phase — the Admiral was nearing the end of his career at the time. Time wasn't on his side, and winning a championship didn't seem to be in the books for Robinson.
The Spurs selected Wake Forest standout Tim Dunca n as their first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. The power forward was a remarkable talent, but David tempered his expectations. After all, only a handful of lottery picks make a seamless transition to the NBA.
Lo and behold, the 21-year-old Duncan played not just like a veteran, but a legend in the making. Critically, the Spurs were winning games and by the end of the season, they had an impressive 56-26 record, a vast improvement from the previous year's 20-62 finish. Spurs swingman Mario Elie noticed how Robinson, who was initially going through the motions early in the season, was starting to look like his old self.
" Dave wants it. Dave is starting to get the love for the game again," Elie said in 1999 via the Los Angeles Times.
"I think early in the year, he was just coasting, but now he feels like, 'Hey, we've got a chance to do something special here.' And he's feeling good. Man, he's talking. Before, Dave used to be home on his computer. Now he's home watching games," he added.
Elie said Robinson would come into the locker room and talk about the previous night's game. They'd discuss how to play against this particular team, including their offensive sets and defensive packages — the Admiral had a newfound passion for basketball.
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Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich also observed how Robinson welcomed Duncan with open arms. He wasn't jealous that a new star was on the rise and would probably become the franchise player soon. David knew Tim was a generational talent and happily tweaked his game for the rookie.
"So he knows Tim is good for him. Tim knows Dave is good for him," Popovich said. "I've spent not a waking moment in two seasons, trying to manipulate that situation or hope that it goes well.
"Honest to God, I never did [talk to Robinson]. I never did. He never came to me and said, 'Pop, why didn't you call my number? What's the deal? What's going on here?'" he added. "Nothing. Ever. He just totally, instantaneously adjusted because he knew it was best. I never sat him down, and said, 'Now, David, we're going to go to this guy.' We just did it. It was obvious to everybody what the deal was, and he understood it."
Robinson's optimism and belief paid off. Duncan powered the Spurs to the NBA championship in just his second year in the NBA, as the Admiral captured the first chip of his career. To further sweeten things, San Antonio would win another championship in 2003, and David would retire with two rings on his resume, in big part to his frontcourt partner and buddy, Tim.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 10, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
