David Robinson

I was probably a naive youth, but I saw that I could make things happen. ”

The individual stats, that stuff is fun, but it doesn't last. Somebody else is gonna come along and break your records. But the memories that you take are forever. ”

A lot of these teams really forget that part of success comes with having veteran leadership. You see a lot of teams forget that and start letting go of these old veterans. They don't realize how important it is to have a veteran voice in your locker room or on the bench. It's important to have guys who have been there before. ”

Coming in, I had no idea basketball would be a career for me, but I grew 7 inches in college and was fortunate to have a great career in the NBA. The experience taught me about service, what our great country was built on, the sacrifices people have made, how to work together and trust the people around you to accomplish a great goal. ”

What's great is what Coach Popovich and R.C. Buford and the whole family have done a great job in continuing to build the franchise and still be very, very competitive. ”

Your grandfather is and will always be your hero, your inspiration. He fought in World War II, came home to Little Rock, Arkansas, and worked for 50 years as a mailman in the segregated south. Not once did he get a job promotion in five decades. But he kept working all the same. ”

I hope the young guys who are playing today realize what they have been given and will take it upon themselves to give back in return. ”

Popovich is always talking about team. ”

My dad was in the Navy, and I was raised with a strong commitment to service. ”

USNA had a great engineering school, which was one of my interests, and I knew I would benefit from the great discipline and accountability that Navy provides. ”