David Robinson: the Spurs need more vocal leadership

The Admiral sat down with SB Nation to discuss a wide variety of topics.

The Final Four is coming to San Antonio next week, and that means David Robinson is hard at work helping prepare for the big event, including Reese’s NABC College All-Star Game (which features the top senior student-athletes from NCAA Division I basketball) and a teaming up with The Wounded Warrior Project.

In the mean time, The Admiral sat down with SB Nation’s Tyler Tynes to discuss multiple topics, including his views on activism, whether college athletes should be paid, his famous 71-point game in 1994 to steal the scoring title from Shaquille O’Neal, among other things.

He also touched on a few Spurs-related topics, and speaking about a possible lack of vocal leadership in the Spurs locker room, he had the following to say:

There’s definitely a transition challenge. No question. You definitely don’t lose a guy like Tim Duncan, who is a phenomenal leader and all-time great player, and not feel a vacuum in your locker room. It’s a challenge. Your young guys, your Kawhi Leonards, your LaMarcus Aldridges, how do they step into Tim Duncan’s shoes? They don’t know. They’re just trying to figure it out. I think that’s the challenge for our team right now. How do those guys become the leaders the rest of our locker room really needs? LaMarcus Aldridge is playing really well for us this year. He’s done a phenomenal job for us. But, clearly, we are not there yet. We have to get Kawhi back on the floor. We gotta get more leadership. That’s the most clear challenge with our team right now.

(*Note: this interview took place before news of the Spurs’ players-only meeting got out.)

Perhaps the funniest part of the interview is regarding a well-known GIF of him at a Texas Longhorns game a few years ago, where an elderly woman suddenly pops up while the TV cameras are focused on him.

When asked if he had ever seen that before, here’s what he had to say:

I have! I saw the lady! Somebody showed me that little clip when the lady popped up in front of my face. That was pretty funny.

Like any Admiral interview, the entire thing is worth the read, so be sure to check it out.

Speaking of that 71-point game, SB Nation has been doing a series of videos on some of the pettiest beefs in NBA history, and back in February they did the Robinson-Shaq rivalry, which was all started by a clash of personalities, starting with one local high school star creating lies about the local NBA star he grew up admiring in search of motivation. It’s pretty hilarious, so in case you missed it you can check it out here or watch below.

Source: Pounding The Rock