We love a good sports nickname. But usually, they are figurative. In the case of David Robinson, known lovingly as “The Admiral,” it is absolutely fitting. Robinson did serve in the Navy (though he left as a lieutenant). His father was a Navy man, and he starred for the US Navy basketball team. When the San Antonio Spurs drafted him as the top pick in 1987, they had to wait two years to get their man until he finished his active service.
Robinson had a phenomenal skillset. He could outmuscle anyone under the basket, outjump everyone else, and outrun any big guy of his day. And talk about a two-way player: “The Admiral” was both Defensive Player of the Year (1992) and MVP (1995). He brought the San Antonio Spurs to their first and second titles. How much did he mean to San Antonio? Tom Orsborn of the local San Antonio Express-News said: “Without the lottery win — without David Robinson — the franchise would have folded, moved, whatever.” No wonder he remains an NBA legend twenty after retirement.
Collecting David Robinson Basketball Cards
David Robinson is one of the best centers in playing the game. Period. But the value of David Robinson cards is lowered by a few factors. First, he came up when the junk wax era reached basketball cards. He missed those big Fleer releases of the mid-1990s and came out when Hoops was busy overprinting cards. Second, he played for San Antonio, which is one of the smallest markets in the NBA. Third, his teammate Tim Duncan, an even greater player, overshadowed him. It's fantastic, but the prominent men of the Spurs in the late 1990s included two players in the top 20 NBA players of all time: Robinson, who was ranked at #20, and Duncan at #9.
The upshot of all this is that David Robinson's cards need to have the value you would expect from a player of his quality. Not even close. And while the prices of some of David Robinson’s cards will increase, they probably won’t buy as much as we would like. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have great cards or that collecting “The Admiral” is not worthwhile. As you will see, David Robinson has some of the coolest basketball cards out there.
1989 Hoops David Robinson #138
A PSA 10 sold for $400
You either love them or hate them, but draft pick cards were very popular in the early 1990s. Here, the center is enjoying his moment in the sun as the #1 pick in the 1987 NBA Draft. That selection would start the Spurs on the path to their greatest moments of success from the late 1990s into the early 2000s. The Hoops design of this year is simple and effective, highlighting the joy in this picture.
The 1989 Hoops David Robinson #310 was once a very valuable item. Back in 2021, a PSA 10 was worth well over $1,000. However, the price has decreased steadily as the hobby discovered the importance of population counts. There are 10,762 of these babies, with over 800 PSA 10s. There are way too many to hold any value. It doesn’t help that this is a Hoops card, either.
1989 Hoops David Robinson #310
A PSA 10 sold for $250
The 1989 Hoops David Robinson #310 card tends to sell for much lower prices than its equivalent #138. I can’t really figure out why. The action shot of “The Admiral” taking a free throw is more attractive, at least to my mind, than the draft snapshot. And if anything, the population count favors this one, with over 9,000 graded items as opposed to over 10,000 for the #138. Maybe NBA Draft night photos were more unique then, and therefore, this card turned out to be more memorable. Either way, this has become the less well-known among his David Robinson rookie cards. But due to over-printing, neither will be breaking any records for value.
1990 Skybox David Robinson #260
A PSA 10 sold for $182
The 1990 Skybox David Robinson #260 does not have the “junk wax” feel you expect from a 1990 basketball card. Instead, it has the gravitas of a work of art. It captures the power of “The Admiral” with a subtlety that none of his other cards match. Sadly, this David Robinson card's value decreased over the years due to its high population. But it remains a thing of beauty.
1990 Hoops David Robinson #270
A PSA 10 sold for #47
No one will ever accuse Hoops of putting too much effort into their card designs. The 1990 release has the same arch concept as the 1989 one, featuring two David Robinson rookie cards. But the color scheme does give the card a very different feel. The 1990 Hoops David Robinson #270 card also provides the beautiful San Antonio Spurs logo of the time, which really makes this card pop. And, of course, the picture of Robinson signaling that he is open when he clearly isn’t is a classic.
1991 Fleer #237 David Robinson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan
A PSA 10 sold for $202
One of the coolest basketball cards ever includes five of the greatest players of their generation. It officially features David Robinson. Magic Johnson and one Michael Jordan. But the 1991 Fleer #237 David Robinson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan card also features Patrick Ewing and Kevin Johnson. Man, that is a talent-heavy photo. It is a beautiful memento of a time when the All-Star game made sense and featured the East battling the West. Of course, this was a pretty common card, so it does for an exceptionally high price.
1992 Impel Olympicards David Robinson #16
A PSA 10 sold for $39.99
Sure, this card is worth a little. But the voyage of the 1992 US Olympic “Dream Team” is one of the most memorable moments in basketball history. And the young David Robinson was part of that team, sharing center duties with Patrick Ewing. Robinson also had some unforgettable moments in Barcelona, not least of which was when he took out his saxophone and laid down some first-rate jazz riffs at a party. The man could do it all. I love the 1992 Impel Olympicards David Robinson #16 because it captures that Olympic spirit. And Robinson looks like he is ready to audition for the cast of Baywatch here.
1993 Upper Deck David Robinson #474
A PSA 10 sold for $5.50
What does the 1993 Upper Deck David Robinson #474 remind you of? That's right; this insert was like a live-action Panini “Downtown” card. It was way ahead of its time. It showcased the city lights of San Antonio (such as they are) in the background of “The Admiral’s” top-notch jump shot. And the card is dirt cheap and may remain so. However, the population count is extremely low. There are only 12 graded copies of this. So it may be worth getting one.
1994 Topps Finest David Robinson Refractor #180
A PSA 10 sold for $300
The early Topps Finest refractors are some of the era's coolest and most innovative cards. The 1994 Topps Finest David Robinson Refractor #180 is among the most beautiful, though not the most valuable in the release. The picture shows David as he is best remembered, looking like a figure chiseled out of freaking granite. The card will go up considerably in value for two main reasons. First, look at how gorgeous this David Robinson card is. Second, the population count could be much higher. There are 16 copies of this without coating and 17 with the coating. And none of the sales are particularly recent. So, expect the value of this card to go up. It certainly should.
1995 Upper Deck David Robinson #349
A PSA 10 sold for $3.28
This David Robinson card is just a common insert. Therefore, we won’t see much value from 1995 Upper Deck David Robinson #349. Nonetheless, it's hard to ignore the almost perfect aesthetics of this card. The absolute power and assurance of “The Admiral” going up for that dunk. The bemused look of defeat on the face of poor Vlade Divac says it all. And the minimalist Upper Deck design brings out the best in this photo. No notes.
1996-97 Fleer Ultra Full Court Embossed #4
A PSA 10 sold for $120
The 1996-97 Fleer Ultra Full Court Embossed series is best known for its Michael Jordan card. But no offense to Jordan; David is more charismatic and looks better in his cards. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Therefore, the 1996-97 Fleer Ultra Full Court Embossed #4 card is darn good-looking. Something about that green background. It shouldn’t work, but it really does. It is worth noting that the 1996 Fleer Ultra Full Court Embossed cards look even better in person, as the embossment stands out beautifully.
1997-98 Metal Universe 78 Precious Metal Gems David Robinson #78
A PSA 8 sold for $3,850
The Precious Metal Gems series is undefeated for value. The 1997-98 Metal Universe 78 Precious Metal Gems David Robinson #78 card has “The Admiral” in the dominant pose we loved him for. The red background here makes the power of his stance stand out all the more. As I said above, most of David’s cards will not gain much value. However, this one is a real exception. The set is incredibly popular, and its low population diminishes its value. Only 11 of these red versions, with 8 being the highest grade. Meanwhile, only two of the Green version are non-graded higher than 7. So, there is plenty of scope for growth with these.
1998-99 Topps Finest Refractor David Robinson #83
A PSA 10 sold for $50
The 1998 Topps Finest refractors may be less iconic and historical than the pioneering 1994 release. But they have a cleaner look and are spectacular in their own way. Like all these early refractors, the 1998-99 Topps Finest Refractor David Robinson #83 came with a coating. There are 9 PSA-graded copies of it without the coating and only 1 with it. So, if you have a copy of one of these, get it graded.
1999-2000 Topps Chrome David Robinson Refractor #73
A PSA 10 sold for $250
The 1990s refractors are absolutely glorious. And David Robinson has a particular aptitude for them. What I love about the 1999-2000 Topps Chrome David Robinson Refractor #73 card is that it showcases Robinson’s incredible dribbling and handling skills. Ones that no center of his generation could hope to match. As always, the population count is working for future value with these refractors. There are only 6 copies of this, five of which are 9s. No 10s, if you were wondering, so try to land a gem mint.
2001 Upper Deck Playmakers Limited David Robinson #85
A PSA 10 sold for $40
A wonderful and unique late-career David Robinson card. I love the contrast between the colors and the blurred left side in the 2000 Upper Deck Playmakers Limited David Robinson #85 card. “The Admiral” was part of a glorious one-two punch with the great Tim Duncan during this period. The two were known as the “Twin Towers,” which became a pretty unpleasant moniker in 2001.
2003-04 Exquisite DAVID ROBINSON Auto 3 Color Patch Card /100
A PSA 8 sold for $700
We will never get a David Robinson RPA, so we must settle for post-retirement beauties like this one. It really works between the classy signature of “The Admiral” and his remarkably photogenic visage. Indeed, most of his patch autos look great. The 2003-04 Exquisite DAVID ROBINSON Auto 3 Color Patch Card /100 has a particularly imaginative design and is an early one. Therefore, it is particularly beloved.
Final Word On David Robinson Basketball Cards
For reasons we have already discussed, David Robinson cards do not have the value you would expect from a player of his caliber. That has nothing to do with his legacy and is only related to some historical accidents. Paradoxically, I can think of no player who looks more photogenic in his cards. “The Admiral” was partially made for cards.
However, there is some scope for profit in his cards. The refractors from the mid-1990s are often criminally undervalued. Considering they have low population counts and feature a top-notch Hall of Famer, the market should eventually catch up to their price. So, have a few when that happens.
