Bryan Colangelo is the first to admit it.

"You can't help but look back and wonder 'what if?' " he said.

What if David Robinson had played for the Suns? It almost happened, and the Suns would have had that dominating center for which they have pined for so long.

On May 17, 1987, seven NBA teams were involved in the draft lottery, including the Suns. Seven envelopes containing logos of the seven lottery teams were placed in a glass bin. Their selection determined the order of the first seven draft picks.

"There were two of 'em left," then-San Antonio general manager Bob Bass, now with New Orleans, said to reporters recently. "Two big envelopes, like 24 inches by 24. When I reached down in, I decided to take the one on the bottom. That's David Robinson. The other envelope was Armon Gilliam."

Indeed, Bass landed the top pick and selected Robinson, even though he was obligated to first serve a two-year Naval commitment. The Suns had the second pick and landed 6-foot-9 forward Gilliam, who stayed with them for just two-plus seasons before becoming a well-traveled starter and sixth man in the league.

"There was some question about whether we should draft someone who wouldn't be available for two years," Bass said. "But not by me."

Robinson, who is retiring after this season, was named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players. He helped the Spurs win an NBA title and was named an MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year and a Rookie of the Year.

He has played all 14 years of his career in San Antonio.

"It is unlikely these days that that's the case," Colangelo said, "although when you get your hands on someone special, generally it will wind up such that you try to maintain a relationship out of pure respect, but also what's right for the organization.

"Obviously he has meant a lot to that team on the basketball floor, but more importantly he has meant a lot to them off the floor as well."

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The Bucks took Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). The Suns chose Neal Walk.

For his part, Robinson has always enjoyed Phoenix.

He has friends in the Suns organization, likes to play golf in the area and is faithful to Houston's restaurant on Camelback when he comes to town.

"If things had fallen a different way," Colangelo said, "it makes you think of the impact he could have made on this organization."

COPYRIGHT 2002, AZCENTRAL.COM. Used with permission.