.jpg) Robertson with the Arkansas Razorbacks in the early 1980s | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1962-07-22)July 22, 1962 (age 63) Barberton, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 208 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Barberton (Barberton, Ohio) | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA draft | 1984: 1st round, 7th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1984–1997 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 21, 3, 7 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1984–1989 | San Antonio Spurs | ||||||||||||||
| 1989–1993 | Milwaukee Bucks | ||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Toronto Raptors | ||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Florida Beach Dogs | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Points | 10,882 (14.0 ppg) | ||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 4,066 (5.2 rpg) | ||||||||||||||
| Steals | 2,112 (2.7 spg) | ||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Alvin Cyrrale Robertson (born July 22, 1962) is an American former professionalbasketball player who played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 1993, and for one final season in1995–96. Robertson holds the record for the most steals per game played, averaging 2.71 steals per game for his career and is the only player to ever have a season of 300 or more steals which he accomplished in the1985–86 season. He is one of only four players and the only guard in NBA history to have recorded aquadruple-double.
Alvin Cyrrale Robertson was born on July 22, 1962, inBarberton, Ohio.
Robertson attended Crowder College from 1980 to 1981. He then attended Arkansas from 1981 to 1984.
Best known for his defense, the 6'4" Robertson played for ten years after being selected by theSan Antonio Spurs with the seventh pick in the1984 NBA draft out of Crowder Junior College and theUniversity of Arkansas. After five seasons with the Spurs, He finished out his career with theMilwaukee Bucks, theDetroit Pistons and theToronto Raptors. He also was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic gold-medal team.
In 1986, Robertson became the inaugural winner of theNBA Most Improved Player Award. This also marked the first of fourNational Basketball Association All-Star Game appearances for theguard (the others coming in 1987, 1988, and 1991). He also won theNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1986,[1] and led the league insteals in 1986, 1987 and 1991. Robertson still holds the top career steals-per-game average in theNBA, with 2.71 per contest over 779 career games.[2]
Robertson thrice led the league in steals. In 1985–86 he averaged a league-leading 3.7 steals per game,[3] a major factor in his earning the Defensive Player of the Year honor and being selected second-team All-NBA, one of only seven players in Spurs' history to have been selected first, second or third-team All-NBA. He was a four-time All-Star.[4]
Robertson led the Spurs in steals four of the five seasons he was with the club, three times averaging more than three per game.[3] Though he played only five seasons in San Antonio, he ranks third in club history in total steals, with 1,129. During his San Antonio days, he also recorded a steal in a then-NBA-record 105 consecutive games;Chris Paul surpassed it by recording a steal in 108 consecutive games from2007 to2008.[5]
A multi-dimensional player, Robertson is one of only four NBA players to record aquadruple-double (double digits in four statistical categories in a single game) when he registered 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals while playing for the Spurs against thePhoenix Suns onFebruary 18, 1986.[6] He is also the only non-center to record a quadruple-double, and the only player to do so with steals as the fourth category (the other three were with blocks).[7]
On May 28, 1989, Robertson was traded by the Spurs withCadillac Anderson and a 1989 2nd round draft pick (Frank Kornet was later selected) to the Milwaukee Bucks forTerry Cummings and a 1990 2nd round draft pick (Tony Massenburg was later selected).[8] He would continue to be a premier defender on the Bucks, leading the league in steal percentage, an advanced metric, each of his three full seasons. He was also voted to the 1991 all-star team, the same season he led the league in steals for the third time in his career.[9]
Robertson finished the 1992–93 NBA season with theDetroit Pistons.
During the 1993–94 season, the Detroit Pistons traded Robertson to theDenver Nuggets in exchange forMark Macon andMarcus Liberty. However, he never saw any playing time for the Nuggets due to pre-existing back injuries.[10]
Robertson scored the first points inToronto Raptors history.Ed Pinckney won the franchise's opening tip-off against theNew Jersey Nets, Robertson hit athree-pointer, and the Raptors were ahead 3–0.[11]
Robertson played for the Florida Beach Dogs from 1996 to 1997.
Robertson is the father ofTyrell Johnson,2008 NFL 2nd round draft choice of theMinnesota Vikings.[12] He is also the father ofElgin Cook, a professional basketball player.[13] His brother, Ken Robertson, played basketball forCleveland State University.[14]
Robertson has had a history of off-court problems, during and after his career. He spent a month in jail during the 1990 NBA off-season on domestic assault charges against his then-wife.
In August 1997, he pleadedno contest to fourmisdemeanor charges of abusing a former girlfriend and was sentenced to one year in prison.[15] During the trial he was accused of having kicked in an apartment door while his former girlfriend and her 8-year-old daughter were inside, then taking her wallet and knocking over a television set. Robertson allegedly returned a few hours later and ripped rings off her fingers, tore a watch off her wrist, slashed furniture, damaged clothing and tried to set a fire.[16]
Robertson was arrested again inSan Antonio in January 2007, on a variety of charges, several related todomestic violence.[17]
He was arrested in 2010 on charges of sex trafficking, but was later cleared of all charges after learning the accusations were fabricated.[18][19][20]
In August 2018, Robertson was arrested in San Antonio on an outstanding warrant for violating a protective order.[21]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led the league | ‡ | NBA record |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–85 | San Antonio | 79 | 9 | 21.3 | .498 | .364 | .734 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 9.2 |
| 1985–86 | San Antonio | 82 | 82 | 35.1 | .514 | .276 | .795 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 3.7‡ | 0.5 | 17.0 |
| 1986–87 | San Antonio | 81 | 78 | 33.3 | .466 | .271 | .753 | 6.3 | 5.2 | 3.2* | 0.4 | 17.7 |
| 1987–88 | San Antonio | 82 | 82 | 36.3 | .465 | .284 | .748 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 19.6 |
| 1988–89 | San Antonio | 65 | 65 | 35.2 | .483 | .200 | .723 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 17.3 |
| 1989–90 | Milwaukee | 81 | 81 | 32.1 | .503 | .154 | .741 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 14.2 |
| 1990–91 | Milwaukee | 81 | 81 | 32.1 | .485 | .365 | .757 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 3.0* | 0.2 | 13.6 |
| 1991–92 | Milwaukee | 82 | 79 | 30.0 | .430 | .319 | .763 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 12.3 |
| 1992–93 | Milwaukee | 39 | 32 | 27.3 | .479 | .309 | .629 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 8.7 |
| 1992–93 | Detroit | 30 | 22 | 31.4 | .434 | .343 | .690 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 9.3 |
| 1995–96 | Toronto | 77 | 69 | 32.2 | .470 | .272 | .677 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 9.3 |
| Career | 779 | 680 | 31.7 | .477 | .295 | .743 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 2.7‡ | 0.4 | 14.0 | |
| All-Star | 4 | 2 | 15.0 | .389 | — | 1.000 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | — | 4.5 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | San Antonio | 3 | 3 | 32.7 | .276 | — | .846 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 9.0 |
| 1988 | San Antonio | 3 | 3 | 39.7 | .566 | .429 | .778 | 4.7 | 9.3 | 4.0 | 0.3 | 23.3 |
| 1990 | Milwaukee | 4 | 4 | 38.8 | .522 | .000 | .706 | 5.8 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 23.5 |
| 1991 | Milwaukee | 3 | 3 | 39.3 | .592 | .333 | .769 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 23.7 |
| Career | 13 | 13 | 37.7 | .515 | .353 | .754 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 0.2 | 20.2 | |
Media related toAlvin Robertson at Wikimedia Commons · Basketball Reference
