Robinson's farewell can't match up with Jordan's

SAN ANTONIO -- Somebody tried to draw a comparison Tuesday between the atmosphere surrounding David Robinson's last few playing days and the hoopla from Michael Jordan's recent farewell tour.

Just putting those names in the same sentence triggered Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's temper.

"I don't care about Michael Jordan. I care about David Robinson," Popovich said. "They're not comparable situations."

They're not comparable farewells, either.

Thousands of flashbulbs do not go off every time Robinson steps to the free throw line.

The stands are not packed with people wearing Robinson's No. 50 jerseys, as it was wherever Washington played this season when a good portion of the audience showed up in blue Wizards gear or old Bulls No. 23 jerseys.

There's hero worship at play here, but it's of a different variety than the iconoclastic adulation that surrounded Jordan.

Robinson will retire after these playoffs following a stellar 14-year career that included an NBA championship, an MVP season, a Rookie of the Year Award, 10 All-Star selections, a scoring title and two Olympic gold medals.

The last player to score 70 or more points in a game? No, it wasn't Jordan, whose career-high was 69 in 1990.

It was Robinson's 71 against the Clippers on April 24, 1994.

"With Jordan making his farewell tour, David didn't maybe get the notoriety he would have gotten around the league," Spurs assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "Given a choice he probably would have preferred it that way.

"On the road when they'd announce it was his last time in wherever, they'd stand up and clap -- and it was legitimate for all the various reasons because they knew this guy had been different. You can't fake that."

Folks in San Antonio get a little worked up when speaking about Robinson, whose contributions to the community have been generous, earnest and praiseworthy.

Perhaps that helps explain why Popovich reacted to a Jordan-Robinson premise as though someone had jabbed him with an ice pick.

Popovich will argue that no other superstar in NBA history has ever welcomed and tutored his own superstar replacement as willingly and as well as Robinson has with Tim Duncan over the past six years.

Robinson's role has diminished on an annual basis since Duncan was drafted in 1997. After never averaging fewer that 23.2 points in his first seven seasons, Robinson scored a career-low 8.5 points this season and was averaging only 6.9 in the playoffs entering Tuesday night's Game 5 against Dallas, which San Antonio lost 103-91.

Robinson, who does not conduct pre-game interviews on game days, was unavailable to comment Tuesday.

Robinson's appeal as always been different than that of Jordan, whose fame, fortune and ego grew exponentially during his career.

Robinson is more reserved, more religious and more committed to making a lasting difference in people's lives.

Jordan came out of North Carolina, elevated the entire NBA and sold millions of shoes. Robinson came out of the Naval Academy and became "The Admiral" -- a tall, trusted presence who leads by example.

"He's just as big in San Antonio and just as respected nationally as he has been," Popovich said.

The crowning accomplishment of Robinson's career has nothing to do with basketball -- except for the fact that the sport provided Robinson with the financial means to do something extraordinary.

Robinson donated $9 million to help create the Carver Academy, an all-scholarship school for underprivileged children from San Antonio's impoverished East side currently schooling grades pre-K through 3.

When the Spurs passed the hat in the locker room for a retirement gift for Robinson, his teammates came up with $100,000 for the school.

Contrast that with what happened in Washington -- where Jordan's teammates on the Wizards reportedly refused to even give him a gift.

"I'm going to most miss the kind person he is, his presence, the disposition he brings to practice and games and trips, the class that he exudes," Popovich said. "I'm going to miss that more than anything because I think he makes a statement for our club, and it's a standard everyone tries to meet that most of us can't."

Robinson hasn't said what his future career plans are, but Popovich doubts it'll be in NBA coaching.

"He's got much more sense than to stay involved in basketball. He's got a lot of interests that actually have impact on the world and have some value, unlike the rest of us," Popovich said. "He's way too committed to real life to do something as silly as basketball the rest of his life."