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CNN Live Today

Interview With David Robinson

Aired September 30, 2003 - 10:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight in New York several sports legends, I should say many, many sports legends will be getting together for a charity event to raise funds and awareness for spinal cord injuries. One of those legends, none other than NBA super star and now former San Antonio Spur front man, the Admiral, David Robinson, who as you can see is live with us in our New York studio to talk to us about his career, state of sports today, whatever else we can throw at him.
Good to see you. How you doing?

DAVID ROBINSON, FRM. NBA PLAYER: Oh, thanks, Leon. I'm doing good. I'm enjoying retirement the first few days. Get to go home and spend time with the wife, that's beautiful.

HARRIS: You say that now. But that bug is going bite you later on this season. Don't you think?

ROBINSON: Hopefully she won't kick me out of the house. Right now it's training camp, it's all the hard time. I don't miss it.

HARRIS: In fact, training camp opens today, doesn't it?

ROBINSON: For us, our guys are starting today. They are getting ready to go to Europe and they're going to play in exhibition games. And so they're already getting going.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBINSON: ... playoff time I'll probably get a little antsy.

HARRIS: This is the first time in, what, 14, 15 years you haven't gotten ready and haven't gone into camp and geared up and gotten ready for another season?

ROBINSON: It's funny. I feel a little unprepared. I'm looking around, I'm saying, Man, I should be in better shape. I'm not ready.

HARRIS: You look great to me, man. Don't give me that.

ROBINSON: Well thanks.

HARRIS: Well, tonight, let's talk about what you're in New York for. It's a really important cause as it understand it. The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. How did you get involved with this cause? ROBINSON: They called and this is the first year I've gotten a chance to do anything about it. My wife had always watched Kathie Lee Gifford talk about how she got to go to this dinner and how much fun it was. And the Miami Project is working to cure paralysis.

So it's a great cause. Nick Buoniconti and his son are just driven, they work very hard to raise money. I think they are supposed to raise $2 million this year. So to be able to come up here and be a part of this I thought was pretty special.

HARRIS: And while you're talking about that, the video we're showing right now is the reason why Nick Buoniconti is involved with that. His son was injured in a football game and he is now paralyzed. Do you know how he's doing now?

ROBINSON: I hear he's doing very well. He and his father are just driven to make this work and to get out there and get this cure. You know, hopefully they won't have to keep doing the dinners. They will come up with a cure for paralysis pretty soon.

But they have done an unbelievable job. I can't even imagine the type of energy and effort it takes to bring all these people together and make this thing happen.

HARRIS: We wish lots of good karma to Mark Buoniconti and Nick Buoniconti and the rest of you all that are coming together for this cause. As a matter of fact, some of the names I see here -- Oscar de la Hoya, Cal Ripken Jr., Michael Johnson, Gloria Estefan. You going to be sitting next to her?

ROBINSON: I don't know. It would be great.

(LAUGHTER)

ROBINSON: Dorothy Hamill. When, you know I was a big fan of Dorothy Hamill. I used to watch here. And she was really pretty special. So I mean she's one of the people I would really like to meet too.

HARRIS: You know everybody who's watching would like to trade lives with you now. Got it made. As hard as you work you deserve it.

Let me ask you one sports question. Got to ask you another one. I have toss you a baseball one at you. And this may be coming out of left field, literally. But listen, as an athlete, someone who has worked for years and years with some bad teams before you got a chance to get with a good one, can you have any idea in your heart and mind what it must be like to be with the Chicago Cubs organization or the Red Sox organization to have been in working in futility for so long and now be on the verge of maybe getting a shot at a championship?

ROBINSON: What great stories. So many times guys are enticed to leave and I know a couple of years ago Sammy Sosa was thinking, Maybe I should leave, maybe I should go somewhere where we can win. And it must be thrilling to him. There's nothing -- I mean after a while, you get tired of all the -- making money is not the important thing. Playing together and getting the wins is critical. And so my wife's from Chicago. She is a big Cubs fan. And so she is thrilled right now.

I know you guys are in Atlanta, I'm not going to say anything bad about the Braves. But, you know, the wife is a big Cubs fan. So she's thrilled, she's excited.

HARRIS: So that means you're a big Cubs fan, right?

ROBINSON: That means my household, we go, you know, we got to support the wife.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Well good for you. Well, listen, we sure do thank you for coming out and sharing some time with us. Good luck with this dinner and this cause tonight. And we wish you all the best. As I said, you deserve it.

As a matter of fact coming up November 10 your jersey is going to be retired. By the Spurs, you'll be only the fifth jersey in that franchise's history to be retired. Congratulation.

ROBINSON: Very humbling. I'll be up next to George Gervin. That's the man!

HARRIS: How about that?

ROBINSON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) San Antonio. So that's going to be great.

HARRIS: That's right. You and the Ice Man. How's do you feel about that?

ROBINSON: I don't know how you compare yourself to somebody like that. He was -- he's been the legend. When I first came to San Antonio everybody talked about Ice. He was the coolest, the smoothest guy ever to play in the NBA.

You know, I'm different. My style is very different from his. But to be right up there on the thing with him, in the rafters, is unbelievable. It's just been a great blessing. I'm enjoying it.

HARRIS: Well listen, you deserve it. And thank you for giving guys like me a chance to point you out to our sons and saying that's how you're supposed to do it. Way to go.

ROBINSON: Thanks, Leon.

HARRIS: David Robinson, good luck to you. We'll talk to you some other time down the road. All right?

ROBINSON: All right.

HARRIS: All the best to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 30, 2003 - 10:41   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight in New York several sports legends, I should say many, many sports legends will be getting together for a charity event to raise funds and awareness for spinal cord injuries. One of those legends, none other than NBA super star and now former San Antonio Spur front man, the Admiral, David Robinson, who as you can see is live with us in our New York studio to talk to us about his career, state of sports today, whatever else we can throw at him.
Good to see you. How you doing?

DAVID ROBINSON, FRM. NBA PLAYER: Oh, thanks, Leon. I'm doing good. I'm enjoying retirement the first few days. Get to go home and spend time with the wife, that's beautiful.

HARRIS: You say that now. But that bug is going bite you later on this season. Don't you think?

ROBINSON: Hopefully she won't kick me out of the house. Right now it's training camp, it's all the hard time. I don't miss it.

HARRIS: In fact, training camp opens today, doesn't it?

ROBINSON: For us, our guys are starting today. They are getting ready to go to Europe and they're going to play in exhibition games. And so they're already getting going.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBINSON: ... playoff time I'll probably get a little antsy.

HARRIS: This is the first time in, what, 14, 15 years you haven't gotten ready and haven't gone into camp and geared up and gotten ready for another season?

ROBINSON: It's funny. I feel a little unprepared. I'm looking around, I'm saying, Man, I should be in better shape. I'm not ready.

HARRIS: You look great to me, man. Don't give me that.

ROBINSON: Well thanks.

HARRIS: Well, tonight, let's talk about what you're in New York for. It's a really important cause as it understand it. The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. How did you get involved with this cause? ROBINSON: They called and this is the first year I've gotten a chance to do anything about it. My wife had always watched Kathie Lee Gifford talk about how she got to go to this dinner and how much fun it was. And the Miami Project is working to cure paralysis.

So it's a great cause. Nick Buoniconti and his son are just driven, they work very hard to raise money. I think they are supposed to raise $2 million this year. So to be able to come up here and be a part of this I thought was pretty special.

HARRIS: And while you're talking about that, the video we're showing right now is the reason why Nick Buoniconti is involved with that. His son was injured in a football game and he is now paralyzed. Do you know how he's doing now?

ROBINSON: I hear he's doing very well. He and his father are just driven to make this work and to get out there and get this cure. You know, hopefully they won't have to keep doing the dinners. They will come up with a cure for paralysis pretty soon.

But they have done an unbelievable job. I can't even imagine the type of energy and effort it takes to bring all these people together and make this thing happen.

HARRIS: We wish lots of good karma to Mark Buoniconti and Nick Buoniconti and the rest of you all that are coming together for this cause. As a matter of fact, some of the names I see here -- Oscar de la Hoya, Cal Ripken Jr., Michael Johnson, Gloria Estefan. You going to be sitting next to her?

ROBINSON: I don't know. It would be great.

(LAUGHTER)

ROBINSON: Dorothy Hamill. When, you know I was a big fan of Dorothy Hamill. I used to watch here. And she was really pretty special. So I mean she's one of the people I would really like to meet too.

HARRIS: You know everybody who's watching would like to trade lives with you now. Got it made. As hard as you work you deserve it.

Let me ask you one sports question. Got to ask you another one. I have toss you a baseball one at you. And this may be coming out of left field, literally. But listen, as an athlete, someone who has worked for years and years with some bad teams before you got a chance to get with a good one, can you have any idea in your heart and mind what it must be like to be with the Chicago Cubs organization or the Red Sox organization to have been in working in futility for so long and now be on the verge of maybe getting a shot at a championship?

ROBINSON: What great stories. So many times guys are enticed to leave and I know a couple of years ago Sammy Sosa was thinking, Maybe I should leave, maybe I should go somewhere where we can win. And it must be thrilling to him. There's nothing -- I mean after a while, you get tired of all the -- making money is not the important thing. Playing together and getting the wins is critical. And so my wife's from Chicago. She is a big Cubs fan. And so she is thrilled right now.

I know you guys are in Atlanta, I'm not going to say anything bad about the Braves. But, you know, the wife is a big Cubs fan. So she's thrilled, she's excited.

HARRIS: So that means you're a big Cubs fan, right?

ROBINSON: That means my household, we go, you know, we got to support the wife.

(LAUGHTER)

HARRIS: Well good for you. Well, listen, we sure do thank you for coming out and sharing some time with us. Good luck with this dinner and this cause tonight. And we wish you all the best. As I said, you deserve it.

As a matter of fact coming up November 10 your jersey is going to be retired. By the Spurs, you'll be only the fifth jersey in that franchise's history to be retired. Congratulation.

ROBINSON: Very humbling. I'll be up next to George Gervin. That's the man!

HARRIS: How about that?

ROBINSON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) San Antonio. So that's going to be great.

HARRIS: That's right. You and the Ice Man. How's do you feel about that?

ROBINSON: I don't know how you compare yourself to somebody like that. He was -- he's been the legend. When I first came to San Antonio everybody talked about Ice. He was the coolest, the smoothest guy ever to play in the NBA.

You know, I'm different. My style is very different from his. But to be right up there on the thing with him, in the rafters, is unbelievable. It's just been a great blessing. I'm enjoying it.

HARRIS: Well listen, you deserve it. And thank you for giving guys like me a chance to point you out to our sons and saying that's how you're supposed to do it. Way to go.

ROBINSON: Thanks, Leon.

HARRIS: David Robinson, good luck to you. We'll talk to you some other time down the road. All right?

ROBINSON: All right.

HARRIS: All the best to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com