David Robinson Was Drafted No. 1 Under Unusual Circumstances Before Dominating NBA

Despite having to wait two years for David Robinson to fulfill his military duties, the San Antonio Spurs drafted the center with the first pick in the NBA Draft.

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The San Antonio Spurs made an investment in a young Navy Midshipman named David Robinson 37 years ago today.

The only catch was they had to wait two years before utiizing Robinson.

The Spurs drafted Robinson with the No. 1 pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, but he had to fulfill his military requirement after graduating. Once he arrived, he wasted little time before dominating the league.

Robinson, nicknamed The Admiral, won Rookie of the Year in 1989. He averaged 24.3 points (more than LeBron James' in his first year), 12 rebounds (more than Patrick Ewing) and 3.89 blocks (more than Dikembe Mutombo) that season. It remains one of the best rookie seasons in league history.

Despite being teamed with the likes of Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson and Rod Strickland, Robinson dealt with early playoff exits the first 10 years of his career. He won the scoring title in 1994 by recording 71 points in the final regular season game to edge Shaquille O'Neal but could never get past more balanced teams.

His best chance for a title came when he won the regular season MVP by leading the Spurs to a league-best 62 wins in 1995. The season ended, though, with a loss to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference finals.

Two years later, the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan No. 1 overall to pair him alongside Robinson. By 1999, they won a title together against the New York Knicks. They won again over the New Jersey Nets in 2003 before Robinson retired.

Scott Salomon is a contributor to Back in the Day NBA and can be reached at scottsalomon67@gmail,com.