Dr Dave Adkins and why he should be in the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame
February 14, 2021
David Robinson
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 4/03/69
- Place of Birth: Joplin, Missouri (USA)
- Position: CTR
- Height (CM): 208
- Weight (KG): 108
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Missouri-Kansas City (1989-1992)
- NBL DEBUT: 18/06/93
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 1/10/93
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 24
- NBL History: Adelaide 1993
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: David Robinson was born in Joplin, Missouri (USA). He finished his high school career early with a broken collarbone in the middle of his senior year. Several Big Eight schools, along with Vanderbilt, had recruited him hard until the injury and afterwards backed away from him. He later received a scholarship to Missouri-Kansas City University.
NBL EXPERIENCE
David Robinson made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 24 years of age. He scored 21 points in his first game.
After two losing seasons under coach Don Shipway, Adelaide hired American coach Don Monson to replace him and steer the team back to its winning ways. With the 36ers still regrouping from the loss of Australian Boomers big man Mark Bradtke (to Melbourne), they built up the team’s frontcourt by adding Chris Blakemore, a talented young big man from the Australian Institute of Sport, import Paris McCurdy and welcomed back former 36er Willie Simmons (via Canberra). Key additions to the back court included Australian Boomers guard Phil Smyth (via Canberra) and the return of local prodigy Scott Ninnis (via South East Melbourne) who had spent two seasons playing under Brian Goorjian in Melbourne.
After nine games it was clear McCurdy (12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals) wasn’t what the team needed and he was replaced by import David Robinson (18.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists) a serviceable import for sure, but not quite the same player as his NBA namesake.
Adelaide improved on last season under Monson, finishing in seventh place (14-12) and returning to the playoffs.
Mark Davis (22.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 blocks) led the team in scoring and rebounding, Ninnis (19.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals) delivered the best season of his career and was selected as the league’s Most Improved Player and Blakemore (5.7 points and 4.9 rebounds) went on to claim Rookie of the Year honours.
Once into the playoffs, Adelaide were eliminated in the Quarterfinals by defending champions South East Melbourne.
David Robinson played one season in the NBL. He averaged 18.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 19 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 24 | Adelaide | 14-12 (7) | 19 | 660 | 348 | 170 | 46 | 54 | 116 | 13 | 16 | 72 | 81 | 147 | 260 | 57% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 54 | 77 | 70% | 59% | 57% | 33 | Totals | 19 | 660 | 348 | 170 | 46 | 54 | 116 | 13 | 16 | 72 | 81 | 147 | 260 | 56.5% | 0 | 2 | 0.0% | 54 | 77 | 70.1% | 59% | 57% | 33 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 24 | Adelaide | 14-12 (7) | 19 | 34.7 | 18.3 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 7.7 | 13.7 | 57% | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0% | 2.8 | 4.1 | 70% | 59% | 57% | 33 | Total | 19 | 34.7 | 18.3 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 7.7 | 13.7 | 56.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.1 | 70.1% | 59% | 57% | 33 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 33 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Robinson became the first player taken overall in the Global Basketball Association. He was selected by the Mississippi Coast Sharks. Later that summer, he played some ball with the Miami Tropics of the United States Basketball League (USBL), which turned out to be coached by John Lucas, a National Basketball Association Hall-of-Famer himself.
The next year he tried out for the Los Angeles Clippers, but despite being unable to crack their roster, ended up with a opportunity to play for a team in Hong Kong. Had a try-out for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1993 but was unable to crack their roster which resulted in him playing overseas.
Robinson played games in the NBA. He averaged 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists per game over his NBA career.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Canada – Montreal (1993) | Hong Kong – (1993) | Philippines – (1993) | France – CO Saint-Brieuc (1994–1995, Le Havre (1995–1996), Élan Chalon (1997–2000, 2002–2003), Strasbourg IG (2000–2001), Cholet Basket (2001–2002), Hyères-Toulon (2002), Levallois (2003–2004), Gries-Oberhoffen (2004–2006) | | Germany – SG Braunschweig (1996–1997)
Robinson started his pro career playing in Canada. After a season there, he moved to play in Hong Kong during the 1993-1994 season. The following season, Robinson moved to France and played with CO Saint-Brieuc in Pro B in 1994–95. There, he produced 15.3 points and 15.4 rebounds per game, then remained in France’s second division in 1995–96 with Le Havre while averaging 18.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest.
For 1996–97, Robinson played in Germany with SG Braunschweig, then returned to France for a multi-season stretch that included Élan Chalon (1997–2000) and Strasbourg IG (2000–01) in Pro A, followed by a 2001–02 spell with Cholet Basket.
During the 2002–03 season he split time between Hyères-Toulon in France, Olimpia Larisa in Greece’s top division, and a return to Chalon, before finishing his later playing years back in France with Levallois (2003–04) and Gries-Oberhoffen (2004–06).
COLLEGE
David Robinson played NCAA Division I basketball for University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) across the late 1980s and early 1990s, and UMKC’s own record books credit him with 1,211 career points while setting the program’s career field-goal percentage mark at .584 (minimum 200 attempts).
He finished his high school career early with a broken collarbone in the middle of his senior year, and several Big Eight Conference schools, along with Vanderbilt University, recruited him hard until the injury and then backed away, before he ultimately earned a scholarship to Missouri–Kansas City University.
In the 1989–90 season at UMKC, Robinson averaged 13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, and UMKC’s record book credits him with 167 total rebounds that year.
He followed that with a 1990–91 season in which he averaged 14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, helping UMKC post a 15–14 record as an independent while he continued to trend upward as a high-efficiency interior scorer.
Robinson’s biggest NCAA year came in 1991–92, when he averaged 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and shot a program-record .634 from the field (199 makes on 314 attempts), with UMKC’s record book also listing him for 190 total rebounds that season.
That 1991–92 team finished 20–8 on court (21–7 including a forfeit), which the school has described as the best overall mark in UMKC’s Division I era, and the season included wins over Texas A&M (twice) along with victories over Baylor and Creighton.
Defensively, UMKC’s single-season leaders lists show Robinson among the program’s top shot-blocking seasons, including 45 blocks in 1991–92 (1.6 per game) and 39 blocks in 1988–89, reflecting multi-year rim protection production in addition to his scoring efficiency.
Related
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