Lucas Might Be Giving the Orders, but the Admiral Is in Command

Things were getting a little slow in Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood.

David Robinson had begun blending in, to a fault. People said he was too religious or suburban to relate to his teammates. One of his old coaches said he didn’t really like the game.

The trend ended when John Lucas became the Spur coach and reminded Robinson it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.

Lucas let Robinson do it his way, dropping the constant injunction that he set up in the pivot. Now Robinson starts on the wing, where his quickness enables him to beat opponents into the lane. He’s having a career year; at 28.5 points, his scoring average is up more than four points over last season.

In a recent game, Robinson posted the first quadruple-double in four years--34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks--and in another, he scored 50 points, the season’s top total. He has taken over from the Houston Rockets’ Hakeem Olajuwon as the MVP front-runner.

Robinson says of Lucas: “He’s an incredible motivator of people. He gets guys to do more than they even think they can do.

“For me, I know pretty much what I’m capable of. I’ve always been thinking about, ‘Hey, how do I make this team better, how do I get this team to win?’

“One of the things he’s focused in on is, ‘Hey, you’re the best player in the league, act like it. I want your numbers to reflect it and I want everybody else to think you’re the best player in the league.’ I never really cared if anybody thought I was the best player.”