When the Spurs' David Robinson retires after the 2002-03 season, the diminishing club of athletes who have spent their entire careers with the same teams will grow even smaller.

Combined with last year's retirements of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. in baseball, the era of the one-team career appears to be about over.

"When you look back at the people who came into the league at the same time as David, probably under 2 percent of all those guys stayed with their franchises," said Keith Kreiter, a player agent with Edge Sports International in Chicago. "He's such an exception."

Of players in pro basketball, baseball, football and hockey, 14 who have retired in the past 10 years with Hall of Fame credentials spent their entire careers with the same teams. Just three are from the NBA ? Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Isiah Thomas.

"These guys are not a dying breed, but a dead breed of athlete," said Howard Bloom, publisher of the online journal Sports Business News.