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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Sunday, January 18, 1998 Robinson shining this season after recovering from injuries By KELLEY SHANNON / AP Sports Writer SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- David Robinson insisted he would overcome his injuries and return to top form this season. Now he's backing up his words with action. After missing all but six games with back and foot problems last season, Robinson again is compiling big numbers and leading the San Antonio Spurs to the top of the NBA's Midwest Division with a 26-12 record. At a time when several other star centers are sidelined or struggling with injuries, Robinson is shining. "As far as the game coming to me, you don't sit a year and come back like everything's OK," Robinson said. Then he added, "I'm a little smoother than I was." Robinson is averaging 23 points per game, fourth best in the league, and more than 11 rebounds, fifth in the NBA. "This hasn't been a surprise because I watched David work out for 3-1/2 hours a day all summer," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "It is a result of his dedication to hard work. He's having a fabulous year." It is a much different story than last season. San Antonio finished with a franchise-worst 20-62 record as Robinson mostly watched from the bench with a lower back strain and a fractured left foot. The foot healed sooner than the back, and skeptics wondered whether Robinson, at 32, could ever be the player he once was. "At this point I can say my back is 100 percent," Robinson said. "It's been tested. There's been a lot of banging early on and it's held up." It helps that Robinson's supporting cast has been strengthened by 7-foot forward Tim Duncan, the top draft pick from Wake Forest. Both players are popular with the fans in balloting for the All-Star game. In the most recent tabulations, Robinson led perennial all-stars Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets in voting for the starting Western Conference center. Duncan was third behind Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz and Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves among forwards. Last year was the only time in his nine-year NBA career that Robinson didn't make the All-Star team. Robinson entered the league in the 1989-90 season. He was the top draft pick in 1987 but had two years left in his Navy commitment before he could play professional basketball. In his first year in the NBA, Robinson led the Spurs to the best single-season turnaround in league history (from 21-61 to 56-26) and was the unanimous selection for Rookie of the Year. He was NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1991-92 and most valuable player in 1994-95, the same year San Antonio had the league's best regular-season record (62-20) and advanced to the Western Conference final. After a slow start this season, the Spurs have been on a roll recently, thanks mostly to Robinson.   Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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