Alvin Cyrrale Robertson (born July 22, 1962) is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who played in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) from 1984 to 1993, and for one final season in
1995–96. 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 the
1985–86 season. He is also the only guard in NBA history to have recorded a
quadruple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
.
Career
Best known for his defense, the 6'4" Robertson played for ten years after being selected by the
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
with the seventh pick in the
1984 NBA draft
The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season. The draft is generally c ...
out of Crowder Junior College and the
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...
. After five seasons with the Spurs, He finished out his career with the
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
, the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
and the
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
. He also was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic gold-medal team.
In 1986, Robertson became the inaugural winner of the
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The NBA's Most Improved Player Award (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of s ...
. This also marked the first of four
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, a ...
appearances for the
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
(the others coming in 1987, 1988, and 1991). He also won the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswrit ...
in 1986, and led the league in
steals in 1986, 1987 and 1991. Robertson still holds the top career steals-per-game average in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
, with 2.71 per contest over 779 career games.
Robertson thrice led the league in steals. In 1985–86 he averaged a league-leading 3.7 steals per game,
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.
Robertson led the Spurs in steals four of the five seasons he was with the club, three times averaging more than three per game.
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
Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and “The Point God”, is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Paul is widely regarded as one o ...
surpassed it by recording a steal in 108 consecutive games from
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
to
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
.
A multi-dimensional player, Robertson is one of only four NBA players to record a
quadruple-double
In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the term ...
(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 the
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
on . He is also the only non-
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
to record a quadruple-double, and the only player to do so with steals as the fourth category (the other three were with blocks).
On May 28, 1989, Robertson was traded by the Spurs with
Cadillac Anderson and a 1989 2nd round draft pick (
Frank Kornet
Francis Milton Kornet (born January 27, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (30th overall) of the 1989 NBA draft. Kornet played two seasons in the NBA, both with t ...
was later selected) to the Milwaukee Bucks for
Terry Cummings
Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings (born March 15, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Cummings was voted Rookie of the Year and was a two-time All-Star, a ...
and a 1990 2nd round draft pick (
Tony Massenburg
Tony Arnel Massenburg (born July 31, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. He shares a National Basketball Association (NBA) record with Chucky Brown, Joe Smith & Jim Jackson for having played with twelve different teams ov ...
was later selected). 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.
During the 1993–94 season, the
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
traded Robertson to the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
in exchange for
Mark Macon
Mark L. Macon (''born April 14, 1969'') is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He is the former head coach of Binghamton University and a current staff member at his alma mater, Temple University.
Playing career
Macon w ...
and
Marcus Liberty
Marcus Liberty (born October 27, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player. He played four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Liberty played college basketball for the University of Illinois.
High school
After ...
. However, he never saw any playing time for the Nuggets due to pre-existing back injuries.
Robertson scored the first points in
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
' history.
Ed Pinckney
Edward Lewis Pinckney (born March 27, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player.
College career
He attended Villanova University and was a part of the Villanova Wildcats' 1981 heralded recruiting class that included Gary McLa ...
won the franchise's opening tip-off against the
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
, Robertson hit a
three-pointer
A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two po ...
, and the Raptors were ahead 3–0.
Personal life
Robertson is the father of
Tyrell Johnson,
2008 NFL 2nd round draft choice of the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. He is also the father of
Elgin Cook
Elgin Rashad Cook (born January 15, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Lenovo Tenerife of the Spanish Liga ACB. The son of former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Alvin Robertson, he played college basketball for ...
, a professional basketball player. His brother, Ken Robertson, played basketball for
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. ...
.
Legal problems
Robertson has had a history of off-court problems, during and after his career. In August 1997, he pleaded
no contest
' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense.
In criminal Trial (law), trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the def ...
to four
misdemeanor
A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...
charges of abusing a former girlfriend and was sentenced to one year in prison. 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.
He also spent a month in jail during the 1990 NBA off-season on domestic assault charges against his then-wife. Robertson was arrested again in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, s ...
in January 2007, on a variety of charges, several related to
domestic violence
Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
.
On February 26, 2010, Robertson was arrested and charged for the alleged sexual assault of a child, trafficking an underage child for purposes of sex and forcing a sexual performance by a child (he was later found not guilty). Authorities claim that Robertson was part of a ring that kidnapped a 14-year-old girl from San Antonio, forced her to have sex with clients and to dance at a
Corpus Christi strip club in 2009. The girl escaped her alleged captors, prompting an investigation.
Alvin Robertson was cleared of all charges, and it was determined that the entire story was made up. There is still no explanation on why the accuser made this story up. Robertson was found not guilty of all charges on November 30, 2015.
In August 2018, Robertson was arrested in San Antonio on an outstanding warrant for violating a protective order.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 79 , , 9 , , 21.3 , , .498 , , .364 , , .734 , , 3.4 , , 3.5 , , 1.6 , , 0.3 , , 9.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 35.1 , , .514 , , .276 , , .795 , , 6.3 , , 5.5 , , style="background:#E0CEF2;", 3.7 , , 0.5 , , 17.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 81 , , 78 , , 33.3 , , .466 , , .271 , , .753 , , 6.3 , , 5.2 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 3.2* , , 0.4 , , 17.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 36.3 , , .465 , , .284 , , .748 , , 6.1 , , 6.8 , , 3.0 , , 0.8 , , 19.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 65 , , 65 , , 35.2 , , .483 , , .200 , , .723 , , 5.9 , , 6.0 , , 3.0 , , 0.6 , , 17.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 32.1 , , .503 , , .154 , , .741 , , 6.9 , , 5.5 , , 2.6 , , 0.2 , , 14.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 32.1 , , .485 , , .365 , , .757 , , 5.7 , , 5.5 , , style="background:#CFECEC;", 3.0* , , 0.2 , , 13.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 82 , , 79 , , 30.0 , , .430 , , .319 , , .763 , , 4.3 , , 4.4 , , 2.6 , , 0.4 , , 12.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 39 , , 32 , , 27.3 , , .479 , , .309 , , .629 , , 3.5 , , 4.0 , , 2.3 , , 0.2 , , 8.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
, 30 , , 22 , , 31.4 , , .434 , , .343 , , .690 , , 4.4 , , 3.6 , , 2.2 , , 0.3 , , 9.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, 77 , , 69 , , 32.2 , , .470 , , .272 , , .677 , , 4.4 , , 4.2 , , 2.2 , , 0.5 , , 9.3
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 779 , , 680 , , 31.7 , , .477 , , .295 , , .743 , , 5.2 , , 5.0 , , bgcolor="EOCEF2" , 2.7 , , 0.4 , , 14.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star
, 4 , , 2 , , 15.0 , , .389 , , — , , 1.000 , , 3.3 , , 1.8 , , 0.5 , , — , , 4.5
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 3 , , 3 , , 32.7 , , .276 , , — , , .846 , , 4.7 , , 6.3 , , 2.3 , , 0.3 , , 9.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
, style="text-align:left;",
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, 3 , , 3 , , 39.7 , , .566 , , .429 , , .778 , , 4.7 , , 9.3 , , , 4.0 , , 0.3 , , 23.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 38.8 , , .522 , , .000 , , .706 , , 5.8 , , 4.8 , , 2.3 , , 0.0 , , 23.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, 3 , , 3 , , 39.3 , , .592 , , .333 , , .769 , , 6.0 , , 5.0 , , 2.7 , , 0.0 , , 23.7
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 13 , , 13 , , 37.7 , , .515 , , .353 , , .754 , , 5.3 , , 6.2 , , 2.8 , , 0.2 , , 20.2
See also
*
List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
This article provides two lists:
:A list of National Basketball Association players by total career regular season steals.
:A progressive list of steals leaders showing how the record has increased through the years.
Steals leaders
This is a lis ...
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Alvin
1962 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in Canada
American men's basketball players
American people convicted of assault
Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball players
Basketball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Basketball players from Ohio
Crowder College alumni
Detroit Pistons players
Florida Beachdogs players
Junior college men's basketball players in the United States
Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Milwaukee Bucks players
National Basketball Association All-Stars
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball
People from Barberton, Ohio
San Antonio Spurs draft picks
San Antonio Spurs players
Shooting guards
Toronto Raptors players
United States men's national basketball team players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople