The Texans got a huge surprise during Sunday’s training camp when NBA Hall of Fame Center David Robinson attended the team’s practice and offered words of encouragement to the team. Robinson brought his son, a young football player, to the training camp in order to “get him some exposure to excellence”. Robinson mentioned that “this year [he] would be a Texans fan”, mostly due to a rivalry with his wife who is a Chicago Bears fan. That should make for an interesting primetime matchup when the Texans play the Bears on November 11, 2012 at Soldier Field.
Related: Texans in Primetime Spotlight
Courtesy of Morgan Gaskin
In fitting and timely fashion, Robinson sported a Team USA Basketball shirt prompting many to ask him about his time on the 1992 Dream Team that won Olympic gold in Barcelona. When asked whether the 2012 team could beat the 1992 team, Robinson said, “they could” but clarified that the current team was not better than the 1992 Dream Team. Robinson did mention that the current Team USA was a “great group of guys” who should win gold but could have some competition from Spain and Argentina’s national team which both field NBA players.
Robinson also commented on the Houston Rockets’ new acquisition of standout player Jeremy Lin. Robinson mentioned that Lin had a “special leadership quality” and expressed surprise that the Knicks had let him go.
Overall, Robinson was delighted to be at Texans’ training camp and was more than gracious when current Texans players wanted to chat with him about his experience. Despite the fact that Robinson said that the outpouring of kindness from the Texans’ players made him feel “like the old guy”, the fact that the team was around a living legend was not lost on any member of the organization. When asked about his thoughts on David Robinson’s attendance at training camp, Head Coach Gary Kubiak joked that “it was hard to talk to people that tall” but then expressed his deep respect for Robinson, calling him “tremendous human being”.
