Dave Robisch

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1949)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Dave Robisch

| image = Dave Robisch 1973.jpg

| width =

| caption = Robisch, circa 1973

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 235

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|12|22}}

| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

| high_school = Springfield (Springfield, Illinois)

| college = Kansas (1968–1971)

| draft_year = 1971

| draft_round = 3

| draft_pick = 44

| draft_team = Boston Celtics

| career_start = 1971

| career_end = 1984

| career_number = 25, 12, 24, 40, 35

| career_position = Center / power forward

| years1 = 1971–1975

| team1 = Denver Rockets / Nuggets

| years2 = 1975

| team2 = San Diego Sails

| years3 = 1975–{{nbay|1977|start}}

| team3 = Indiana Pacers

| years4 = {{nbay|1977|start}}–{{nbay|1978|end}}

| team4 = Los Angeles Lakers

| years5 = {{nbay|1979|start}}–{{nbay|1980|start}}

| team5 = Cleveland Cavaliers

| years6 = {{nbay|1980|start}}–{{nbay|1983|start}}

| team6 = Denver Nuggets

| years7 = {{nbay|1983|end}}

| team7 = San Antonio Spurs

| years8 = {{nbay|1983|end}}

| team8 = Kansas City Kings

| highlights =

• Second-team All-American – AP (1971)
• Third-team All-American – NABC, UPI (1971)
• Big Eight Player of the Year (1970)
• 3× First-team All-Big Eight (1969–1971)
• No. 40 jersey retired by Kansas Jayhawks

| stats_league = ABA and NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 10,581 (11.4 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 6,173 (6.6 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 1,655 (1.8 apg)

}}

David George Robisch (born December 22, 1949) is a retired American professional basketball player in the ABA and NBA.{{cite journal|date=March 30, 1973|title=Indiana excites Dave Robisch|journal=Star-News UPI|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IGo0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=8QkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3152,6755931&dq=dave-robisch+basketball&hl=en}} Robisch played at the University of Kansas, where he was initiated into the Sigma Nu fraternity. He was positioned at center and forward for the Denver Rockets / Nuggets (1971–75, 1980–83), Indiana Pacers (1975–77), San Diego Sails (1975), Los Angeles Lakers (1977–79), Cleveland Cavaliers (1979–80), San Antonio Spurs (1983) and Kansas City Kings (1984).

He contributed to the Nuggets' victory in the 1974–75 ABA Western Division.

On October 8, 1975, Robisch was part of one of the more infamous trades in ABA history. The Baltimore Claws, despite financial problems, had obtained the rights to star Dan Issel from the Kentucky Colonels. The Claws were unable to come through with the $500,000 they owed the Colonels for Issel. Under pressure from the league, the Claws traded Issel to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Robisch and $500,000 (which was used to pay the Kentucky Colonels the money owed for Issel). The Baltimore Claws would soon fold as a franchise before the final ABA season began, which led to his player rights being acquired by the San Diego Sails. However, the Sails would soon fold as a franchise 11 games after rebranding from their previous San Diego Conquistadors name, which led to Robisch's player rights going to the Indiana Pacers for the rest of the season instead.