Join the Navy and Avoid the Draft : David Robinson, for Instance, Has the Whole World in His Hand

If you happen to know a high school basketball star, tell him not to go to UCLA.

Tell him also to avoid North Carolina at all costs. Make sure he stays away from DePaul and Nevada Las Vegas and Providence. And, by all means, steer him clear of Indiana.

There is only one recruiter he should even listen to, if he is smart.

Navy’s.

Tell him not to wait for somebody to come to his house. Tell him to march right down to one of those storefront recruiting offices and shake hands with the guy with the short hair behind the desk.

Let the recruiter tell him about all the swell stuff the Navy has to offer. Missions in the Indian Ocean. Computer technology. Fighter-jet maintenance. Nutritious breakfasts. Liberty ashore with beautiful and relatively inexpensive companions.

Then, make sure he tells him the Navy’s new motto.

It used to be: “Join the Navy and See the World.”

Not anymore.

Now, it’s: “Join the Navy and Own the World.”

A basketball player should be all that he can be. And here is all a Navy kid has to be:

(1) He must be a very good basketball player.

It is not absolutely necessary to be a “he.” The Navy offers many wonderful opportunities for women. However, it would help very much if these women were at least 6-feet 11-inches tall.

(2) He should be prepared to be called for traveling.

It might seem tough taking buses from college campus to college campus, or flying from NBA city to NBA city. But this is nothing compared to the Navy, where your next road trip might be to the Gulf of Tonkin.

(3) He should be prepared to be patient.

Anybody who plays basketball for the Naval Academy must figure on one day actually having to spend time on a ship. This is why people who play for the team are called Midshipmen.

Again, just because the basketball team is not known as the Midshippersons doesn’t mean that the Navy excludes women. However, our advice to women remains the same: Be big.

It’s true that a Navy basketball player might be expected to go to sea for a couple of years, maybe longer. If you are a good enough player, though, it is definitely worth it.

Listen up, men.

Maybe you have heard about this outstanding and upstanding young man from Annapolis, David Robinson. This first-class seaman-athlete was the best college basketball player in the country last season.

Mr. Robinson is so good, he is expected to be the first man selected in the National Basketball Assn. draft on June 22. A team called the San Antonio Spurs won a lottery Sunday for the right to choose first, and they say they intend to choose Robby the Swabbie.

But, consider some of the options the young Navy man has that UCLA or Carolina or Indiana men would not.

Mr. Robinson does not have to sign with San Antonio. Since he cannot play ball again until his hitch is up, the 7-foot center need not make up his mind now. He can tell the owner of the Spurs: “No, sir! Thank you, sir! Permission to be excused, sir!”

Playing basketball for San Antonio is not an adventure. It’s a job.

By waiting another year, Mr. Robinson can be eligible to be picked by someone else. And if he doesn’t like being caught in that draft, he can cruise for another year and try again in 1989.

By then, maybe he can end up with the Lakers or Celtics or some other team he prefers. It’s strictly up to him. Maybe David Robinson’s dream in life is to someday play for the Charlotte Spirit.

The Navy is not about to free him from his commitment or station him near San Antonio, just for his convenience. No, sir. Besides, the only port anywhere near San Antonio is a bottle of wine.

But the Naval Academy gives its men a chance for an honorable discharge--not only from the service, but from bad NBA franchises.

No other college offers such benefits. If you play for Dean Smith or Digger Phelps, you get drafted by San Antonio and you get two choices--Texas or Europe. The Alamo or the Vatican.

David Robinson’s got the whole world in his hand, and he’s palming it.

Not only is he going to be a very rich man, but he stands a good chance of picking his own team. He might be able to live wherever he likes, which is a luxury few athletes can achieve. Just ask what’s his name, that linebacker from Oklahoma who looks like Max Headroom.

David Robinson at center with Magic Johnson passing the ball to him? With Michael Jordan? With Larry Bird? Aye aye, sir. Nice duty.

So, pass the word to any high school basketball star you know. Explain the Navy advantages. Nice, clean uniforms. Guaranteed income after college. Plenty of waves to make.

If he plays ball for Bob Knight, well--battle stations, battle stations. All hands on neck.

Swabbing decks in the South Pacific is a snap compared to that.

So, kids, do what David Robinson will do. Try a year or two in the USA Pacific Division before messing around with the NBA Pacific Division.

You’ll love it.

A season on the drink.