029 - Dave Robisch

Robo—The Reluctant Traveler … Four teams in two weeks. Five in five weeks … His forwarding address had a forwarding address … “It was a freak thing that happened. It’ll never happen again. It was the times and uncertainties of the ABA.” … Shouldn’t have been a shocker with the league gasping, a merger looming, franchises folding. Yet for him? It was … Four years in the books—all with Denver … Hadn’t missed a game in pro career, playing in 335 straight … Thought he’d be there a while. Future looked bright. The Nuggets were coming off a league-best 65-19 season and had just added David Thompson … So he put roots in the ground a mile high, in Rockies country. Bought a home during the summer of ’75, planned to raise his budding family there … Uprooted fast. Oct. 8: Traded to Baltimore for Dan Issel and more than half a million so the cash-strapped Claws could square their debt with the Colonels for the Big Horse and keep the lights on. Deal engineered by ABA prez John Y. Brown, whose wife Ellie owned the Kentucky franchise … His reaction: “I feel like I’ve fallen off the bottom of the earth. I mean, that team may die any day now.” … Wasn’t far off. The league pulled the plug two weeks later—days after his Claws exhibition debut, a 100-88 exhibition loss to the Squires in front of 500 fans … Didn’t remain unemployed for long. Chosen by the Spirits with the third overall pick in the Oct. 21 dispersal draft … Never played a game with the Gateway City squad. “I was with St. Louis for about two minutes before they shipped me to San Diego for a draft choice and cash.” … Made it in time for the Sails’ season opener, keeping the streak alive—even if the franchise barely had a pulse … Came off the bench the first three games; started the next eight …

Put up 21.4 and 14.0 as a starter. “I was off to my best start ever. But the day the furniture came to San Diego, that franchise folded.” … “Nobody told us. The players were handed a press release saying the team folded.” …

The following day, Nov. 12: The Sails players were auctioned off like his recently delivered furniture. Indiana snagged him and Bo Lamar; San Antonio took Mark Olberding. The rest were left on the curb … “I’m glad to be with the Pacers where you have a stable situation and a winning one.” … Finished the regular season having played an ABA-record 87 games—more than the league schedule allowed. And extended his playing streak to 422 … After the merger, was a one-man community relations department during the ’76 and ’77 off-seasons—soliciting support to keep the Pacers afloat … And along the way, got comfortable again: Bought a home in nearby Carmel and opened a sporting goods store with his brother … Stability didn’t last—nor did the business venture … Placed on trading block mid-Nov. ’76; didn’t accompany the squad on a two-game road trip, snapping his streak at 431 … Should’ve had takers. His first pro coach, Alex Hannum described his game best: “Not a shot blocker in the Russell sense—but a shot spoiler … On offense, he can shoot, set screens, roll to the basket—things a center must do.” … Knew his strengths; understood his role. “I’ve always been a good shooter from 15 to 18 feet.” … “I’m not expected to score a lot of points—just do what’s necessary to help the team.” … Traded the following year, on Dec. 13, ’77 to the Lakers along with Adrian Dantley for James Edwards and Earl Tatum. Loyalty had earned him a one-way ticket west and a seat on the bench, backing up Kareem … Less playing time in Los Angeles, but more exposure than he wanted: Stripped down, jock-and-all, on live national TV while a teammate talked to the press post-game. No one realized he was in the background—until it was too late. Could’ve been called the Accidental Flasher. “Maybe this will lead to endorsements for Jockey shorts,” he joked afterward. It didn’t. CBS publicist Beano Cook deadpanned: “His pants were down which is apropos of our ratings.” … Bounced around after that—going from Cleveland, back to Denver for parts of four seasons, then brief stops in San Antonio and Kansas City … Called it quits after the ’83-84 season … “I’ve had a good career. This is a good time to go out. I always promised myself when basketball was no longer any fun, I’d go onto other things.” … Walked away as one of the ABA’s steadiest players. Twice ranked No. 1 in offensive efficiency, and No. 1 overall in ABA career … Five top four finishes in turnover percentage—third-best in ABA … But who knew? No one tracked these statistics back then … Fifth-round pick by Denver and third-rounder by Boston in ’71 … Signed with the Rockets as they were called back then because they offered a guaranteed one-year deal and the Celtics did not. “The contract I got from Denver was too good to turn down—the no-cut clause was part of it.” … All-State at Springfield High—31.1 points a night as a senior. Tournament record 152 points and 77 rebounds over four games … Recruited coast to coast. The finalists: Kansas, Cincinnati, Michigan, USC, and ASU … Chose to play at KU under coach Ted Owens … “Dave was about the finest competitive shooter I’ve been around,” noted Coach. “Down the stretch, if you needed a basket, Dave would find a way.” … Put up 26.5 points and 12.1 boards as a junior … Led Jayhawks to a 27-3 record and Final Four finish as a senior—run ended against UCLA, 68–60, on the Astrodome’s raised floor before 31,428 … Left as school’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,754 points—less than only Clyde Lovellette; more than Wilt … Two-time Big Eight POY. Two-time All-American … 6-foot-10 lefty could pitch, too: All-Big Eight in baseball in ’69—struck out 55 batters in 56 innings … Born David George Robisch on Dec. 22, 1949, in Cincinnati … Did a little coaching, then worked in state government for a quarter century, capping off career as trustee of Capital Township … Sons Brett and Scott played college basketball at Oklahoma St. … Inducted into sports halls of fame at Illinois, Springfield High, Kansas, and KU … Greatest honor? His Kansas No. 40 jersey hangs in the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse … Decades later: Still bitter over a phantom second-half traveling call in the Final Four against the Bruins that cost him a bucket, and his team momentum. “I just wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t been called for traveling.”

Sources: Baltimore Evening Sun, 10/8/1976 [contacted at his Denver home: “I was shocked at the trade. How would you feel going from a contender to ane expansion team that may die tomorrow?” Deal prompted by Claws financial concerns, with $200K going to Kentucky], 10/9/1976 [“I don’t know if I’ll report; my lawyer is talking to [Claws’ GM] Lee Silverman.” …”I feel live I’ve fallen off the bottom of the earth. I mean, that team may die any day now.”], 10/10/1976 [money to cover the original expense of the Claws getting Issel from Kentucky]; 10/11/1976 [Kentucky claimed most of the $550K as payment for Issel]; 10/14/1975 [reported yesterday]; Baltimore Sun, 10/9/1976 [Claws hadn’t paid money to Kentucky for Issel], 10/14/1975 [stiff-legged smoothness; record 152 points in four tournament games]; 10/17/1975 [Claws lose to Squires, 100-88, before 450 fans; scored 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting in 26 minutes]; Belleville News-Democrat, 3/18/2000 [Set tourney scoring and rebounding records at Springfield]; Boulder Daily Camera, 5/16/1971 [Springfield tournament record 152 points]; Cedar Raids Gazette, 5/13/1977 [Comparing the ABA and NBA? “I didn’t notice much difference between the two leagues.”]; Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/18/2010;Daily Oklahoman, 2/14/1997 [elbows], 5/1/1998 [Sons Brett and Scott play college basketball]; Denver Post, 12/14/1971 [Hannum quotes], 3/29/1972 [known as Mr. Clutch in college]; Houston Chronicle, 3/6/2011 [Final Four played on Astrodome’s raised floor]; Indianapolis News, 12/14/1975; Decatur Daily, 4/201975; Garden City Telegram, 3/4/1970 [honorable mention All-American after junior year]; Indianapolis Star, 6/29/1977 [community relations efforts], 2/15/1984; Jersey Journal, 2/16/1979; Kansas City Star, 10/23/1984 [quits pro ball, quotes], 2/11/2022 [Final Four details; traveling call]; Kentucky New Era, 10/9/1975 [Brown orchestrated Issel to Denver deal]; Los Angeles Times, 4/30/1979 [Robisch wears converse shoes]; Louisville Courier Journal, 12/3/1975; [ABA prsident John Y Brown; wife Ellie is Kentucky owner]; Newark Star-Ledger, 2/15/1979; Omaha World Herald, 3/26/1971, 4/6/1977 [good 15-to-18 foot shooter]; San Diego Union, 10/22/1975 [Third overall pick in dispersal draft; traded for a second round choice]; Springfield State Journal-Register, 4/24/1974, 5/25/1974, 10/29/1975, 11/17/1994; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10/22/1975; Sporting News, 1/25/1969, 2/1/1969, 2/14/1970, 11/17/1975, 12/29/1979, 7/5/1980; Taylorville Daily Breeze Carrier, 3/4/1989 [Robisch gets WBL coaching job]; Topeka Capital Journal, 5/16/1971; Topeka Daily Capital, 2/14/1979 [“I’m not expected to score a lot of points here, just do what is necessary to help the team.”]; University Daily Kansan, 2/22/2017; Wichita Eagle, 4/13/1969 [baseball background], 10/5/2008; kansan.com, accessed 12/15/2025; kuathletics.com, accessed 12/15/2025; springfieldsportshalloffame.com, accessed 12/15/2025; youtube.com/watch?v=vmpMoToGhio, accessed 12/15/2025.