“Maybe they should be in a different country” – David Robinson was upset with people not supporting U.S. troops in Iraq War

On Jul 11, 2026

Having graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the U.S. Navy for two years before joining the NBA, former San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson strongly supported President George W. Bush’s decision to go to war against Iraq in 2003.

Robinson was also the first to speak out when some NBA stars, like Steve Nash and Nick Van Exel, who were backcourt partners in Dallas that year, expressed their opposition to the war. The “Admiral” said that U.S. citizens or residents must support the government’s decisions, including decisions about when to go to war.

“I get a little bit upset,” Robinson said. “The time for debate is really beforehand. Obviously, history will speak on whether this was the right thing or the wrong thing, but right now (the soldiers) are out there. Support ’em. There’s plenty of time for commentary later.”

A deadly aerial assault that lasted weeks

The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was part of a larger campaign dubbed the War on Terror, which was launched after the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in 2001. A year later, the United States Congress gave Bush the authority to use military force against Iraq.

On March 20, 2003, U.S. military forces led a “shock and awe” aerial assault on Iraq. The first couple of weeks of the invasion resulted in the deaths not only of Iraqi soldiers but also of innocent civilians. Nash and the others criticized the violence and condemned the deaths. However, Robinson wasn’t too thrilled with their thoughts.

“If it’s an embarrassment to them,” he added. “Maybe they should be in a different country, because this is America and we’re supposed to be proud of the guys we elected and put in office.”

Argument is what makes America great

While Robinson called out those who opposed the war, his Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich, who graduated from the Air Force Academy and served five years of active duty in the Air Force, said that dissenting opinions from different NBA stars show how democracy works in the United States — it’s what makes this country great.

“My reaction to that is that it’s further proof how great our country is, because you can’t have opinions of any sort in some places. No matter how unpopular someone’s opinion might be, he or she is allowed to have it in this country, and that’s what makes it great,” said Popovich.

Interestingly, Robinson’s Spurs and Nash’s Phoenix Suns faced off in the 2003 Western Conference finals, where San Antonio prevailed 4-2. They went on to defeat the New Jersey Nets in the 2003 NBA Finals.

Later that year, Pop and “The Admiral” joined the rest of the team in making the traditional champion’s White House visit, where they met President Bush. Aside from congratulating Finals MVP Tim Duncan, Bush also made special mention of Robinson and Popovich in his speech, calling them model citizens for their work in the community.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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