MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - It's not every day you get the chance to chat to one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time, and it’s even more surprising when he turns out to be the nicest guy in the room.

The day gets even better when he opens up and provides some brilliant insight into how an average young man becomes a true superstar of a global game.

That’s what happened on Thursday at the opening of the Basketball without Borders (BWB) Asia camp in Dandenong on Melbourne's outskirts when I had the privilege of interviewing David Robinson.

In junior high school Robinson quit basketball, feeling he just wasn't that good at the sport. A late growth spurt brought him back to hoops, and from there he made every post a winner with some wind beneath his wings.

"I was fortunate enough to have a lot of coaches that really believed in me and I think that's the key," the 50-year-old San Antonio Spurs legend said.

Robinson's workrate was legendary in NBA circles, but he feels it's something his coaches cultivated.

"If you find somebody who sees something in you that you don't even see in yourself, they can draw that out of you," he said. "I had a few coaches who just kept telling me, 'You have no idea how good you can be. I'm watching you, you've got the potential to be great, but you've got to find that'. I think that just drove me."

A member of the USA's 1986 FIBA Basketball World Cup title run and two-time Olympic gold medalist firmly believes players can achieve more simply because they believe they can, especially when that generates a desire to develop their skills and a respect for the game.

That's a lesson he wants to pass onto junior coaches around the world, and one he's putting into practice coaching at his first Basketball Without Borders camp.

"I love it when I come out here and see these kids and they find someone that believes in them, because there's no limit to what you can do if you have that," he said.

Robinson's tale is a two-way story, however. While he says some of it comes down to "finding the right coaches", he said players need to give their coaches a reason to believe in them.

"A lot of it is attitude. When people see that not only do you have talent, but you have drive and desire, that's a big deal," he said.

And that deal goes beyond basketball.

"When I work with kids, I'm always telling them the way you approach this game is important, it's a reflection of how you treat life," he said. "If you work hard out here, I've got a feeling you're going to work hard somewhere else, how you approach things is going to show in everything you do.

"If you come out here not interested, I can probably guess you're not interested in a lot of things about your life, and you don’t ever want to put that out about yourself."

Words worth noting, as was the smile and genuine enthusiasm The Admiral carried throughout the day. You can read some more of his views here.

Here#s to you Mr Robinson.

Growing success
The Basketball without Borders (BWB) camp was undoubtedly another positive step for a sport that is moving in the right direction Downunder.

To see NBA, NBL, FIBA, Basketball Australia and government representatives all together under one roof, celebrating Australia’s growing success in basketball, is a real positive. Only good things can come from strengthening these partnerships, and some announcements are closer than you might think.

Of course, Matthew Dellavedova this week added to our growing list of NBA champions, Ben Simmons to our growing list of lottery picks and Thon Maker reached new heights for the growing number of Sudanese refugees who have used a new life in Australia as a springboard to a basketball career.

One thing you noticed at the Basketball without Borders (BWB) camp was a lot of basketball people walking around with their chests pushed out. There is a new attitude around the sport Downunder.

Will it last? Who knows, but if basketball people believe in the sport others are far more likely to follow suit.

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

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