A true team leader in the NBA is not necessarily the one who single-handedly carries a franchise, but rather the individual who embodies selflessness, discipline and consistency to such an extent that every teammate draws inspiration from them.
Thus, this influence naturally encourages the entire group to strive forward for collective success. For Vinny Del Negro, that kind of leadership was exactly what he experienced during his stint with the San Antonio Spurs under David Robinson‘s leadership.
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For Vinny, Robinson was someone who, in his best individual moment, wanted his teammates to share the spotlight and tried in every way to divert that from coming his way. Additionally, the Admiral’s desire to prioritize making his teammates attain their ceiling was what impressed Del Negro the most.
Del Negro on Robinson’s 71-point game
When reflecting on the legendary 71-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers on the last day of the regular season campaign, many presume that Robinson was desperate to clinch the 1993-94 scoring title.
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After all, with the Spurs leading by 20 points with just a minute remaining in the game, Robinson added seven more points to his name (surpassing his previous career-best by 19 points and eight points more than the franchise record set by George Gervin). Thus, the natural consensus was that Robinson did everything he could to surpass Shaquille O’Neal for the scoring title.
However, if Del Negro was to be believed, there was another side to the story. After the first three quarters, Robinson knew he had clinched the scoring title, since Shaq had registered a casual 32 points against the Nets. So, in David’s mind, there was no need to score more points, yet his teammates urged him to continue scoring and deservedly get the spotlight on himself for his hard work.
“He scored 71 points in one game, and watching David, he wanted to come out after the third quarter,” Del Negro said. “I think he had 62 or 64 points at the time and had won the scoring title, but we wanted to push him and continue to score. He was just reluctant.”
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“He didn’t want’ that type of attention, had done his job that night – a night where he had quadruple double or how many games in the fourth quarter, he blocked several shots, got us on a break and we won,” he added.
Vinny was impressed by the Admiral’s leadership
Del Negro also acknowledged how much his own career benefited under Robinson’s leadership. During his six seasons in San Antonio, the retired guard posted his best numbers at different stages, including averages of 14.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game.
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To him, it was clear that Robinson was not concerned with proving he was the best big man in the league. Instead, he was content with playing his role as the team’s catalyst, focusing equally on uplifting his teammates and his own performance.
“When you have a great player like that, they set the tone. When it’s winning time, they perform at the highest level,” Negro added. “Dave was all about team-first and making sure everyone else was successful in their own game and overall as a team.”
This seems to be the predicament of all the legends in San Antonio, be it Robinson or Tim Duncan. These MVPs have never felt the need to boast their supremacy; rather, they have always let their work ethic and achievements speak volumes about their legacies.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.