David Robinson on how Naval Academy shaped him into a leader: "You go there as a kid and you come out as a man"

If an NBA team wants sustained success, it needs a true leader. Many great teams showcased that simple motto, and the San Antonio Spurs — throughout the 1990s and early 2000s — were no exception, courtesy of the legendary David Robinson.

Even today, more than 20 years after his retirement, The Admiral remains the gold standard for leadership in professional basketball, raising one key question: where did that sense of command come from? In a 2017 Q&A, Robinson provided a clear answer.

Naval academy lessons

The debate over what makes a leader is never simple, as there are many types — some roar the loudest, some lead by example and others take a more sensitive approach.

The same difficulty arises when tracing the origins of a great leader, as sometimes you can’t seem to pinpoint it. Fortunately, in Robinson’s case, he himself once identified the source — the U.S. Naval Academy.

A place he called “a leadership factory,” Robinson enrolled there after graduating from Osbourn Park in 1983 with strong academic marks.

Majoring in mathematics while joining the basketball team, the then-17-year-old quickly had to navigate the sting of being over the height limit, intense physical training and the rigorous demands of midshipman life. But beyond these challenges, he learned lessons far more enduring, eventually realizing that it was all more than worth it.

“You go there as a kid and you come out as a man,” Robinson reflected, per Goldman Sachs, adding that during his four years at the Naval Academy, he was taught how to lead.

From rookie to The Admiral

Robinson’s Naval Academy lessons were put to the test when he was selected first overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Spurs. By his own account, he instantly became “one of those guys looking to make a difference,” stepping into a team that offered him both opportunity and responsibility.

It was certainly a big challenge, yet having spent years learning what leadership truly entailed, Robinson didn’t shy away and approached it with a style honed by Navy training.

From the start of his Rookie of the Year award–winning season, Robinson led in an active, hands-on way. The lefty 7’1 center recounted that he, for instance, constantly looked for ways to support teammates in need, always asking himself how to make the team better.

In hindsight, that question seems almost ironic. This rings true because, as a first-year player, Robinson propelled the Spurs — who had finished the prior season with a 21-61 record — to a .683 win rate, marking one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in NBA history.

“I wasn’t comfortable with losing and so clearly something needed to change,” he reflected in 2020. “I just think that everybody kind of knew what needed to change. So I just tried to provide some leadership in that respect, you know, with a work ethic with coming to practice and with the right focus with trusting one another, building a locker room that had a great deal of encouragement.”

Ultimately, in the years to come — Robinson played 14 seasons in the league — his leadership had a profound impact, creating a ripple effect that shaped teammates, coaches and everyone connected to the Texas-based franchise.

While he earned two NBA championships, an MVP award in 1995 and numerous accolades, influencing the team’s culture was far more meaningful than any individual or team honor. Robinson’s own words underline this, as he said, “What makes a person great is that the whole tide around them is rising,” a principle he certainly lived by every day in San Antonio.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Teams section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

David Robinson on how Naval Academy shaped him into a leader: “You go there as a kid and you come out as a man”

Tags: