David Robinson

In the twilight of his career, Robinson struggled with his nagging bad back and knees. Although his stats declined due to his changing role on the team, he continued to contribute positively to his team. Regardless of his on-court performance, the Admiral has proven himself to all that he is an exceptional person. In 1991 he made a pact with ninety-one fifth-graders from Gates Elementary School in San Antonio that if they finished high school, he would donate $2,000 to each of their college educations. In the same year he married Valerie Hoggatt; they have three sons. The following year he and his wife established the David Robinson Foundation, which provides funding grants to schools, homeless, and children's charities, including a $9 million gift in 1997 to build a prep school in San Antonio. Robinson, who signs autographs for free with his name, number 50, and reference to a Bible verse, has a simple explanation for his generosity: "We do the right things because that's what God told us to do."