What If? Series: 1995 Orlando Magic vs. San Antonio Spurs
What Really Happened — The Presence of The Admiral
From the moment David Robinson arrived in San Antonio following his brief stint in the Navy, he transformed the franchise. Really the franchise is still riding the high that started with Robinson. This upcoming season might be just the second time the San Antonio Spurs have missed the Playoffs since 1989.
And of course, the other year they missed the Playoffs in 1997, they won the Lottery and drafted Tim Duncan cementing the title that Robinson never could win on his own.
This is an incredible organizational run of success. And Robinson was at the center of it, giving it some much-needed life.
The 1990s were a golden era of centers. Robinson might very well have been the best of them all. Or, at least, the most statistically dominant.
He could do everything, running the floor and flying down the lane with great speed for a man his size. He could out position players in the low post and work his way to the basket. He could step out and his jumpers out to 18-20 feet.
Defensively, he used all that athleticism and strength to be a terror down in the paint. There is a reason that when Dwight Howard entered the league, everyone believed Howard was more likely to be the next David Robinson than the next Shaquille O’Neal.
The rivalry between David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal became somewhat legendary. But that was mostly Shaq’s doing.
O’Neal said Robinson once snubbed him for an autograph and he used that to carry a grudge against the usually gregarious Robinson. O’Neal has since admitted — and repeatedly — that he made this all up to serve as motivation.
San Antonio Spurs
But Robinson actually gave O’Neal plenty of motivation. The two big men were the most athletic post players in the league and they gave everyone who tried to defend them or go up against them fits.
O’Neal was set to win the scoring title on the last day of the 1994 season. But Robinson needed 65 points against the LA Clippers to edge him out for the scoring title. He scored 71 and won the title.
O’Neal won the scoring title in 1995, but Robinson defeated O’Neal for the league’s MVP (O’Neal finished second, the closest any Magic player has come to winning the league’s highest individual prize).
Robinson was a monster in 1995, averaging 27.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He blocked 3.2 shots per game. He was the ideal of the versatile center and he was just able to do everything.
Like the Magic in 2009 and partially in 1995, the Spurs’ strategy was to surround Robinson with shooters. They found some in Sean Elliott (40.8-percent 3-point shooting, 18.1 points per game), Vinny Del Negro (12.5 points per game, 40.7-percent 3-point shooting) and Chuck Person (10.8 points, 38.7-percent 3-point shooting off the bench).
Avery Johnson was a good distributor, averaging more than eight assists per game. And like all the Spurs team, they were tough defensively. Having Dennis Rodman alongside David Robinson as his enforcer helped a ton.
The Spurs ran roughshod over the NBA and it felt like it was their turn to win.