San Antonio Spurs
Encyclopedia
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division
of the Western Conference
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA).
The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association
teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger
and is the only former ABA team to have won an NBA championship
. The Spurs have won four NBA championships, more than any NBA franchise except the Boston Celtics
, Los Angeles Lakers
, and Chicago Bulls
. The Spurs' perfect record in NBA Finals series is surpassed only by the Chicago Bulls, who have won six without a loss; the Bulls and Spurs are the only two teams to maintain perfect records through multiple Finals series. As of July 2009, the Spurs rank third among active franchises for the highest winning percentage in NBA history; they have only missed the playoffs 4 times as an NBA franchise.
In their 33 NBA seasons since 1976–1977, the Spurs have captured 17 division titles, which gives the Spurs the most division titles in the NBA during that 33-year span (the Lakers are second with 16). They have made the playoffs in 19 of the last 20 seasons, and have not missed the playoffs in the 14 seasons since Tim Duncan
was drafted by the Spurs in 1997.
with the Carver Academy
and George Gervin
with the George Gervin Youth Center.
The Spurs set several NBA attendance records while playing at the Alamodome
, including the largest crowd ever for a NBA Finals
game in 1999, and the Spurs continue to sell out the smaller, more intimate AT&T Center
(formerly SBC Center) on a regular basis.
Since 2003, the team has been forced on an extended road trip for much of February since the AT&T Center hosts the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
. This is informally known as the "Rodeo Road Trip." The Spurs have consistently posted winning road records during this period, including an NBA-record longest single road trip winning streak (8 games, achieved in 2003).
When the Spurs won the NBA title, the teams victory parade has always included the team traveling the San Antonio River
on boats adjacent to the San Antonio River Walk
.
Since 1997, the Spurs have won 69.6 percent of their games, the best winning percentage in professional sports.
The San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals
of the original version of the American Basketball Association
(ABA) in 1967.
Led by Player/Coach Cliff Hagan
the Dallas Chaparrals were one of 11 teams to take the floor in the inaugural season of the upstart ABA. The Chaps second season was a bit of a disappointment, as the team finished in 4th place with a mediocre 41–37 record. In the playoffs the Chaparrals quickly fell to the New Orleans Buccaneers
. The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas. In fact, during the 1970–71 season, the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas" and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, playing games in Fort Worth, Texas
, at the Tarrant County Coliseum, as well as Lubbock, Texas
, at the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
, but this proved a failure and the team returned full-time to Dallas in time for the 1971–72 season, splitting their games at Moody Coliseum
and Dallas Convention Center Arena
.
While the Chaparrals had been modestly successful on the court, they were sinking financially by their third season, largely because the ownership group refused to spend much money on the team. After missing the playoffs for the first time in their existence in the 1972–73 season, nearly all of the owners wanted out. A group of 36 San Antonio businessmen, led by Angelo Drossos
, John Schaefer and Red McCombs
worked out a "lend-lease" deal with the Dallas ownership group. Drossos and his group would lease the team for three years and move it to San Antonio, and agreed to return the team to Dallas if no purchase occurred by 1975. After the deal was signed, the team was renamed the San Antonio Gunslingers. However, before they even played a game the name was changed to Spurs. The team's primary colors were changed from the red, white, and blue of the Chaparrals to the now familiar black, silver and white motif of the Spurs.
In the first game at the HemisFair Arena
the Spurs lost to the San Diego Conquistadors
, despite attracting a noisy crowd of 6,000 fans. A smothering defense was the team's image, as they held opponents less than 100 points an ABA record 49 times. The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran James Silas, and the team would get stronger as the season went on as they twice took advantage of the Virginia Squires
, acquiring Swen Nater
, who would go on to win Rookie of the Year, in November, and "The Iceman" George Gervin
in January. The ABA tried to halt the Gervin deal, claiming it was detrimental to the league, but a judge would rule in the Spurs' favor, and Gervin made his Spurs debut on February 7. The Spurs would go on to finish with a 45–39 record, good for 3rd place in the Western Division. In the playoffs, the Spurs would battle the Indiana Pacers
to the bitter end before falling in 7 games. San Antonio embraced the Spurs with open arms; the Spurs drew 6,303 fans per game, surpassing the Chaparrals' entire total attendance in only 18 games. By comparison, the old Chaparrals had been lucky to draw crowds in triple digits. Drossos and McCombs knew a runaway hit when they saw it. After only one year, they exercised their option to tear up the lease agreement, buy the franchise outright and keep the team in San Antonio for good.
The team quickly made themselves at home at HemisFair Arena, playing to increasingly large and raucous crowds. Despite a respectable 17–10 start during the 1974–75 season, Coach Tom Nissalke
was fired as owners become tired of the Spurs' slow defensive style of games. He would be replaced by Bob Bass
, who stated that the Spurs would have an entirely new playing style: "It is my belief that you cannot throw a set offense at another professional team for 48 minutes. You've got to let them play some schoolyard basketball." George Gervin and James Silas took that style to heart, as the Spurs became an exciting fast breaking team on the way to a solid 51–33 record, good enough for 2nd place in the West. Gervin said, "Our whole theory was that you shoot 100 times, we'll shoot 107." However, in the playoffs the Spurs would fall to the Indiana Pacers in 6 games.
Even though playoff success would elude the team, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the top teams in the ABA. Moreover, their gaudy attendance figures made them very attractive to the NBA, despite the size of the market. Although San Antonio had over 650,000 people at the time (and has since grown to become the seventh-largest city in the United States), it has always been a medium-sized market because the surrounding suburban and rural areas aren't much larger than the city itself. In June 1976, the ABA-NBA merger
took place, moving San Antonio's sole professional sports franchise into a new league. The Spurs, Denver Nuggets
, Indiana Pacers
and New York Nets moved to the NBA for the 1976–77 season.
The Spurs and the other three ABA teams agreed to pay the owners of two other strong ABA teams that folded instead of joining the NBA. John Y. Brown, Jr.
, the owner of the Kentucky Colonels
, received $3 million, which he used to purchase the NBA's Buffalo Braves
and later the Boston Celtics
, after selling star guard Louie Dampier
to the Spurs. The owners of the Spirits of St. Louis
received a portion of all television profits during their NBA tenure, which amounts to roughly 1/7 of the Spurs' television profit every year. This agreement has placed particular financial pressure on the Spurs and the other three former ABA teams.
, who had played in Texas for five years prior to the merger.
During the 1977–78 season, George Gervin and David Thompson
of the Denver Nuggets battled all season for the NBA scoring title. On the final day of the season, Thompson took the lead by scoring 73 points in an afternoon game against the Detroit Pistons
. That night Gervin knew that he needed 58 points against the Jazz in New Orleans. Gervin got off to a good start by scoring 20 points in the 1st quarter. In the 2nd, The Iceman was even better, setting a single period record with 33 points. Early on in the 3rd period Gervin scored his 58 points on the way to 63 capturing the scoring title. While Gervin was lighting up the scoreboard the Spurs were winning the Central Division with a 52–30 record. However, in the playoffs the Spurs would be stunned in 6 games by the Washington Bullets despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33.2 ppg. The following season in the 1979 Conference Finals the Spurs led the series 3–1 but the Bullets came back to win the last 3 games and came from behind to win the 7th game 107–105 handing the Spurs an absolute heartbreaking loss. The Spurs would have to wait another 20 years to make it to their first NBA finals.
The Spurs would go on to capture 5 division titles in their first 7 years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant. However, in the playoffs, the Spurs would never find a break, losing to teams like the Washington Bullets, the Boston Celtics
, the Houston Rockets
, and the Los Angeles Lakers
.
As the 1980s progressed, the Spurs would see their shares of highs and lows. For the first few seasons of the decade, the Spurs continued their success of the 1970s with records of 52–30 in 1980–81, 48–34 in 1981–82, and 53–29 in 1982–83 (it was during this period that the Spurs were moved to the Western Conference). Despite their regular season success, the Spurs were unable to win any NBA championships, losing in the Western Conference playoffs to the Houston Rockets
in the first round of the 1981
and the Los Angeles Lakers
in in 4 games 1982
and in 6 games in the 1983
Western Finals despite getting both wins at the Forum in the 1983 series. They lost every home game in both series in 1982 and 1983 vs the Lakers as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and co were too strong. The Spurs didn't make the conference finals until 1995.
After the 1984–85 season, Gervin, who arguably had been the Spurs' biggest star, was traded to the Chicago Bulls in what effectively signaled the end of the era that began when the Spurs first moved to San Antonio.
standout David Robinson
. Although drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the 1989–90 season to see Robinson actually play, due to a two-year commitment he had to serve with the United States Navy. Although there was speculation that Robinson might choose not to sign with the Spurs and to become a free agent once his Navy commitment ended, Robinson decided in the end to come to San Antonio.
Although the 1988–89 season was the second-worst in Spurs history at 21–61, it was notable for several reasons. It was the first season of full ownership for Red McCombs, who was an original investor in the team and helped solidify local ownership for the team. Additionally, the 1988–89 season featured the debut of Larry Brown
as the Spurs head coach who moved to San Antonio after winning the NCAA
National Championship with the University of Kansas
in 1988.
David Robinson
finally joined the Spurs for the 1989–90 season after the end of his Naval commitment. While it was generally thought his arrival would make the Spurs respectable again, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Led by Robinson, 1989 draftee Sean Elliott
and free agent acquisition Terry Cummings
, the Spurs achieved the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA history, finishing with a record of 56–26. They also jumped all the way to first place in the Midwest Division, their first in 7 years.
The Spurs eventually lost in the Western Conference semifinals after losing a seven-game series to the eventual Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers
. Robinson had one of the most successful rookie seasons for a center in NBA history, finishing the season as the unanimous Rookie of the Year while averaging 24.3 points and 12.0 rebounds.
The Spurs began the 1990s with great optimism. The team became a perennial playoff presence, although unable to advance further than the second round of the NBA Playoffs under Brown's tutelage. Late in the 1991–92 season, McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with Bob Bass
, who finished the season as interim head coach. Without a healthy David Robinson, the Spurs were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. McCombs made national headlines during the summer of 1992 with the hiring of former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian
. The Tarkanian experiment proved a flop, as the coach was fired 20 games into the 1992–93 season with the Spurs record at 9–11. After Rex Hughes
filled the coaching shoes for one game, NBA veteran John Lucas
was named head coach. It was Lucas's first NBA coaching assignment, although he had gained recognition in league circles for his success in helping NBA players rehab from drug abuse.
The Lucas era started out successfully. His coaching propelled the team to a 39–22 finish over the rest of the regular season, and the team reached the Western Conference semi-finals, losing to the Phoenix Suns
. The 1992–93 season also marked the last that the Spurs would play in HemisFair Arena. In 1993, local businessman Peter M. Holt
and a group of 22 investors purchased the Spurs from Red McCombs for $75 million.
The following season, the Spurs' first in the newly built Alamodome
, Lucas led the Spurs to a 55–27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs to the Utah Jazz
, which led to the immediate firing of Lucas as head coach. Prior to the season the Spurs traded fan-favorite Elliott to the Detroit Pistons
in return for rebounding star Dennis Rodman
.
Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill
for the 1994–95 season, which would turn out to be the Spurs' most successful regular season until 2006. Elliott returned to the team after an uneventful season with the Pistons, and the team finished with the NBA's best record at 62–20, cracking the 60-win mark for the first time in franchise history. David Robinson was named the league's Most Valuable Player. The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets
4–2. After the pregame MVP award ceremony honoring David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon dominated the game, outscoring Robinson 42–22 in a narrow 1 point Rockets win. The Spurs lost Game 2 at home but took Games 3 and 4 in Houston. Game 5 of the series was highlighted by the famous Dream Shake move by Hakeem Olajuwon
in Game 5 at the Alamodome the Spurs lost 111–90 in front of 35,000 fans and lost the series in Houston in Game 6. Throughout the season, and particularly in the playoffs, there appeared to be friction developing between Rodman and several Spurs' teammates, most notably Robinson. Rodman was traded to the Chicago Bulls
after the season, and helped lead them to the next 3 titles.
The Spurs finished the next season (1995–96) under Hill at 59–23 and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals to the Jazz. Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the 1996–97 season, especially with the signing of Dominique Wilkins
. An injury limited Robinson to just six games during the season, and Elliott also missed more than half the season due to injury. Without Robinson and Elliott, the Spurs were a rudderless team. The lone bright spot was Wilkins, whose role was just to be a relief off the bench, leading the team in scoring with an average of 18.2 ppg. The Spurs ended the season with a 20–62 record, the worst in franchise history—and to date, the last time they have missed the playoffs. Hill only lasted 18 games as coach that season, eventually being fired and replaced by Spurs General Manager
Gregg Popovich
, who had also served a stint under Brown as an assistant coach. Wilkins would play his lone season in 1996–1997 for San Antonio, knowing his minutes and playing time would greatly diminish next season.
Although the 1996–97 season was not successful on the court for the Spurs, the offseason proved to be the opposite. With the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA's draft lottery, which gave them the top pick in the 1997 draft
. The Spurs used their pick to select Wake Forest University
product and consensus All-American Tim Duncan
.
's last visit as a Bull, as he led the team to its third-straight championship.
With a healthy Robinson and Duncan and the additions of playoff veterans such as Mario Elie
and Jerome Kersey
, the Spurs looked forward to the 1998–99 season. Prior to the beginning of training camps, however, the NBA owners, led by commissioner David Stern
, locked out
the players in order to force a new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association
(NBPA). The season was delayed over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999.
Playing a shortened 50-game season, the Spurs ended up with a 37–13 record. The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11–1. In the NBA Finals
, they faced the Cinderella
New York Knicks
, who had made history by becoming the first (and to this date, the only) 8th seed to ever make the NBA Finals, and, on June 25, 1999, won the series and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 (final score: 78–77) on the Knicks' home court, Madison Square Garden
. Duncan was named the Finals MVP. The Spurs set a new NBA Finals one-game attendance record when 39,554 fans attended Game 2. The previous record was set only two days earlier, when 39,514 spectators attended Game 1. The Spurs became the first former ABA team to reach the NBA Finals. Their victory was the first NBA title to be won by a former ABA team.
Coming off their first NBA Championship, the Spurs were still among the best teams in the West and battling for first place in the Midwest Division during the 1999–2000 season. On March 14, the Spurs playoff spirits got a lift when Sean Elliott
, who received a kidney transplant prior to the season, returned and played in the last 19 games. As the season wound down, Tim Duncan would suffer a knee injury and the Spurs finished in second place with a 53–29 record. Without Duncan, the Spurs would be knocked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in four games. The long-term viability of the Spurs franchise in San Antonio was, however, achieved during the 1999–2000 season, as Bexar County
voters approved increases on car rental and hotel taxes which would allow for the construction of a new arena near the Freeman Coliseum
.
The Spurs finished with 58–24 records for both the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons but found themselves suffering playoff ousters in both seasons from the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers
, getting swept from the 2001 Conference Finals and losing in five games during the 2002 second round.
Entering the 2002–03 season, the team knew it would be memorable for at least two reasons, as David Robinson announced that it would be his last in the NBA and the Spurs would begin play at their new arena, the SBC Center
, named after telecommunications giant SBC, whose corporate headquarters are located in San Antonio (SBC became AT&T after its acquisition of its former parent company). To mark this occasion, the Spurs revamped their "Fiesta Colors" logo and reverted to the familiar silver and black motif (though, during the time of the Fiesta logo, the uniform remained silver and black).
This version of the Spurs was very different from the team that had won the title a few years earlier. Second-year French star Tony Parker
, drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft, was now the starting point guard for the Spurs. The squad featured a variety of newly acquired three-point shooters, including Stephen Jackson
, Danny Ferry
, Bruce Bowen
, Steve Kerr
, Steve Smith
and Argentina product Manu Ginóbili
, a 1999 second-round draft choice playing in his first NBA season. After splitting their first two games on the road, the Spurs christened the SBC Center in style on November 1 by beating the Toronto Raptors
91–72. The Spurs would not get off to a flying start as they had a 19–13 record heading into January, which had them 7 games out of first place in the Midwest Division. In January the Spurs began to gel and seemed prepped to make a run, when they embarked on a nine-game road trip from January 25 to February 16 while the rodeo was in town. However, it would be hardly a bump in the road for the charging Spurs, who won 8 of the 9 and began to climb their way to first place. The Spurs went on to erase their 7-game deficit and finished the season in a tie with the Dallas Mavericks
for the best record in the NBA. Thanks to a tiebreaker, the Spurs won their third straight Division title as Tim Duncan claimed his second straight NBA MVP. In the playoffs
, the Spurs defeated the Suns, Lakers and Mavericks en route to facing the New Jersey Nets
in the NBA Finals
. The series against the Nets marked the first time two former ABA teams played each other for the NBA Championship. The Spurs won the series 4–2, giving them their second NBA Championship in franchise history. Duncan was named both the NBA Regular Season and Finals MVP for the season. Robinson retired after the season. By winning the NBA Championship, the Spurs denied New Jersey from having both NBA and NHL championship
s in the same year.
Image:Spurs_White_House.jpg|330px|The Spurs visit the White House after their championship in 2003.|left|thumb
rect 142 49 196 101 Kevin Willis
rect 202 58 252 99 Bruce Bowen
rect 293 61 341 102 Malik Rose
rect 425 78 462 117 Head Coach, Gregg Popovich
rect 58 49 88 80 Danny Ferry
rect 83 82 129 186 Manu Ginóbili
poly 240 139 259 73 286 76 305 147 Tim Duncan
rect 171 103 239 191 George W. Bush
rect 362 82 398 111 Asst. Coach, P. J. Carlesimo
rect 335 112 381 159 Steve Kerr
poly 13 130 34 100 54 121 59 180 15 182 Owner, Peter Holt
circle 57 105 20 Tony Parker
rect 0 0 515 331 The Spurs visit the White House after their championship in 2003.
desc top-left
Coming off their second NBA Championship, the retirement of David Robinson
left a void in San Antonio's daunting defense, while playoff hero Steve Kerr
and veteran forward Danny Ferry
also sailed off into the sunset. Meanwhile, backup point guard Speedy Claxton
was wooed away by the Warriors
, and Stephen Jackson
bolted for Atlanta
for a significant pay raise. With several holes to fill in their rotation, the Spurs would make several key signings in the offseason to shore up their depth. Rasho Nesterovic was signed from Minnesota to help ease the lose of Robinson. Hedo Turkoglu was acquired in a salary dump when Sacramento
got Brad Miller
, also was brought in to fill a key role as a scoring forward to replace Jackson. The most notable off-season acquisition would prove to be the signing of veteran Robert Horry
.
The Spurs, playing with 9 new players, struggled early as they missed the presence of David Robinson while the new players struggled to fit in, as they held a 9–10 record on December 3. However, the Spurs would turn it around, as they ended December on 13-game winning streak and quickly climbed back to the top of the NBA standings. The Spurs would battle all year for the top spot in the Western Conference, as they ended the season on another strong note winning their final 11 games. However, they would fall 1 game short of a division title and the best record in the West, posting a record of 57–25. In the playoffs, the Spurs remained hot as they swept the Memphis Grizzlies
in 4 straight games. In the second round, the Spurs found themselves in another showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs' winning streak would continue as they captured the first two games at home, bringing their winning streak from the end of the regular season up to 17 games. However, as the series shifted to Los Angeles, the Spurs would suddenly have trouble finding the basket, as they lost both games as the Lakers evened the series. The series was playing out similarly to the match-up between the two teams a year earlier. In Game 5 at the SBC Center, Tim Duncan seemingly delivered the Spurs a 73–72 win as he gave the Spurs a lead with a dramatic shot with just 0.4 seconds remaining. However, the Lakers' Derek Fisher
would launch a game-winner as time expired which would go in, giving the Lakers a stunning 74–73 win to take a 3–2 series lead. The Spurs protested the shot, arguing that the clock started late, which the Spurs claimed was why replays showed Fisher got off the shot in time. An AP report and the three officials in attendance stated that replays showed the shot was released by Fisher before time expired. The officials, however, could not consider the Spurs' claim that the clock did not start immediately when the ball was inbounded. After the stunning loss, the Spurs traveled to Los Angeles for Game 6, where they lost the game and the series. The Spurs spent the following offseason tweaking the team.
After their disappointing second round collapse, the Spurs looked to regain the NBA crown. With the acquisition of guard Brent Barry
from Seattle
, the Spurs would get off to a quick start, posting a 12–3 record in November. The Spurs would stay hot through December as they established a 25–6 record entering the New Year. With the later additions of center Nazr Mohammed
from New York
(acquired in a midseason trade of Malik Rose
), and veteran forward Glenn Robinson
from free agency
, alongside regulars Bruce Bowen
, Robert Horry
, Tony Parker
, Manu Ginóbili
, and Tim Duncan
, the Spurs would be near the top in the Western Conference all season, battling the Phoenix Suns
for the best record in the NBA. Just as it appeared the Spurs would cruise toward the playoffs their season suddenly hit a bump in the road when Tim Duncan went down in a March 20 loss to the Detroit Pistons
with a sprained ankle. The rest of the way the Spurs would limp home, winning 9 of their last 17 as they held on to the Southwest Division by just one game with a 59–23 record. However, by the time the playoffs rolled around, Duncan was ready to return.
In the postseason
, the Spurs' playoff run would get off to a rocky start as they dropped Game 1 to the Denver Nuggets
93–87. The Spurs would quickly turn things around as they would road back to win the next 4 games to win the series in 5, while Duncan got stronger as the series went on, scoring 39 points in a key overtime win in Game 4. In the 2nd round against the Seattle SuperSonics
, the Spurs would get off to a fast start by winning the first 2 games at home by double digits. With a shot to take a commanding 3–0 series lead, Tim Duncan missed a final shot at the buzzer as the Sonics held on for a 92–91 win. The Sonics would also win Game 4 to send the series back to San Antonio tied at 2 games apiece. In Game 5, faced with seeing another meltdown, the Spurs looked toward Manu Ginóbili
, who took over with a game high 39 points in leading the Spurs to a solid 103–90 win. The Spurs would go on to capture the series in 6 games win a 98–96 win in Seattle to close it out. In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs would face the Phoenix Suns
, and took control early, winning the first 2 games on the road. They would stay hot as the series came home, winning Game 3 to take a 3–0 series lead. However, with a chance to close things out at home, the Spurs saw the Suns hang on for a 111–106 win in Game 4. Back in Phoenix for Game 5, Tim Duncan
would take over, leading the Spurs in points with 31 and 15 rebounds as the Spurs won the West with a 101–95 win.
In the NBA Finals
, the Spurs would face the defending champion Detroit Pistons
. The first 2 games in San Antonio were both Spurs' victories as Manu Ginóbili
led the way with 26 and 27 points, in blow out wins by the Spurs. However, as the series shifted to Detroit, the Spurs were the ones who were blown-out, losing Games 3 and 4 big margins as the Pistons evened the series. Faced with a 3rd straight loss in Detroit, the Spurs would play much tougher in Game 5 which would become a classic as the game went into overtime. After scoring 0 points in the first half, Robert Horry
had the "hot hand" in the second half overtime as he nailed a clutch 3-point shot with 9 second remaining to give the Spurs a dramatic 96–95 win.
However with a chance to close things out back at home in Game 6, the Spurs would lose 95–86, setting up the first NBA Finals Game 7 in 11 years. With the whole world watching Game 7 in San Antonio, the game went back and forth and was tied 57–57 after 3 Quarters. In the 4th quarter, it would be Tim Duncan
-time as he had his best game of the series with 25 points as the Spurs pulled away late to win their 3rd NBA Title in 7 years with an 81–74 win in Game 7. Tim Duncan
was named Finals MVP, becoming only the fourth player to win the MVP award three times (joining Magic Johnson
, Shaquille O'Neal
, and Michael Jordan
). Also, Manu Ginóbili
established himself as an NBA star, earning local, national, and international fan praise (particularly in his home country of Argentina
) and a berth in that season's All-Star Game.
Coming off their third NBA Championship in six years, there was a sense that the Spurs were the class of the NBA, and once again would be the team to beat in the NBA for the Championship. For the 2005–06 season, the Spurs acquired the two-time All-Star Michael Finley
and one-time All Star Nick Van Exel
. Not surprisingly, the Spurs would come flying out of the gate, winning 16 of their first 19 games. Once again, the Spurs would get challenged within their own division by the Dallas Mavericks
as they held the two best records in the Western Conference all season, battling for first place. In the end, the experience of the Spurs would be the difference as they won the Southwest Division again with a new franchise best record of 63–19.
The Spurs qualified for the playoffs for the ninth year in a row. (Until this season, the Spurs and Indiana Pacers
shared the NBA's longest active consecutive playoff appearance streak with nine in a row, though San Antonio has qualified for its 10th consecutive appearance during the 2006–07 season, while Indiana's playoff streak ended.) In the playoffs, the Spurs would get a surprisingly tough test from the Sacramento Kings
in the first round as they need an overtime win in Game 2 to win the first two games at home, before losing the next two on the road. After regaining control of the series with a 109–98 win in Game 5, the Spurs won the series in six games as they won the finale 105–83 to set up another second round "Lone-Star Showdown" with the Mavericks.
Game 1 would set the tone of the series as it was tight all the way with Tim Duncan
scoring a game-high 31 points in an 87–85 win. However, in Game 2, the Spurs were rocked at home, losing by 22 points. As the series shifted to Dallas, the Mavericks gained control winning two close nail-bitters to take a 3–1 series lead. However, the Spurs would not go down without a fight as they rebounded to win a physical war in Game 5 by a score of 98–97, as former Maverick Michael Finley
got hit with a low blow from Jason Terry
in the final seconds. Terry, who had played well against the Spurs all series, would be suspended for Game 6 and the Spurs took full advantage, winning on the road 91–86 to force a 7th game at the AT&T Center. In Game 7, Tim Duncan
would lead the way for the Spurs with 41 points and 15 rebounds. However, he was matched by Dirk Nowitzki
. The Spurs erased an early 20-point deficit and forced the game into overtime. However, in overtime it was not meant to be as the Mavericks were on fire, scoring 15 points to win the game 119–111.
After their disappointing defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks
, the Spurs entered the 2006–07 season refreshed with renewed determination, as they felt fatigue played a large role as they failed to win a second straight NBA Title. The Spurs began their 2007 season on foreign soil as they opened up their training camp in France in October 2006, which they thought could build camaraderie between players.
With a 97–91 opening-night victory on November 2 at Dallas, Gregg Popovich became the fourth head coach in North American professional sports history to post 10 straight opening night victories (others are: Tom Landry
, Bill Fitch and George Allen). The Spurs got off to a strong start in the regular season, winning 11 of their first 14 games, including victories over Dallas, Phoenix and Houston. During that stretch, Tim Duncan became the 98th member of the 15,000-point club at Seattle. However, the Spurs franchise-record 12-game road winning streak came to a halt with a 111–102 loss at Golden State on November 27. With a win against Sacramento on December 2, 2006, the Spurs moved past the Celtics to become the second winningest franchise in NBA history (based on winning percentage) at .595. But as the season unfolded, the Spurs failed to live up to their lofty expectations. Following a 9–7 record in January, the Spurs started February with a 1–3 record. They struggled down the stretch in many of those defeats, and the Spurs quickly found themselves far behind the Dallas Mavericks
and the Phoenix Suns
. In fact, the Spurs were, during this period, a mere 1.5 games ahead of the third-place Houston Rockets
in the Southwest Division. Trade rumors began swirling around the Spurs. Unaccustomed to struggling during the regular season, the Spurs were frustrated. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, Popovich had to choose whether or not to keep the team together. His decision was not to make a trade. Then, it was as if their whole season had magically turned around in one moment. With quiet determination, the Spurs spent the rest of the season flying under the radar, winning thirteen games in a row during February and March. The Spurs won those games with either tough defense or by hitting big shots down the stretch. The Spurs were an NBA-best 25–6 in the final 31 games. During the 31-game stretch, the Spurs averaged 98.8 points while holding their opponents to 87.9 ppg. With that streak, the Spurs began climbing back up in the Western Conference standings. Despite their massive turnaround, the Spurs would not catch the Mavs who won the Southwest Division by nine games. However, with the NBA's top ranked defense and a 58–24 record, the Spurs entered the postseason in good shape.
When the bell rang for the second season, they were able to put the Denver Nuggets
away in five games. While the Spurs were bouncing the Nuggets, the Mavericks, who had an NBA best 67–15 record in the regular season, were unraveling, losing to the Golden State Warriors
in six games. The Mavericks' upset loss set the Spurs second-round series against the Phoenix Suns
as the key series in the entire NBA Playoffs, as this series featured the teams with the two best records remaining in the Western Conference. The Spurs went on to win 4–2 in the very contentious and controversial series versus the Suns. The series featured a Robert Horry foul on Steve Nash toward the end of the fourth game which resulted in Horry being suspended for two games. Those who said the second-round series against the Suns was the true NBA Finals would be proven right, as the Spurs easily dispatched the Utah Jazz
in five games to reach the NBA Finals. In the 2007 NBA Finals
, the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers
and captured their fourth title in nine years. Duncan proclaimed that that championship was "the best" of the four championships, and acknowledged he played "sub-par" and thus received only one vote for NBA Finals MVP from a panel of ten. The award was won by Tony Parker who dominated in the Finals averaging 24.5 ppg on 57% shooting. Tony Parker became the first European-born player to win the Finals MVP.
Just before the 2007 NBA Draft
, the Spurs purchased the Austin Toros
of the NBA Development League
, becoming the second NBA team to purchase an NBADL team. This move made the Spurs the sole NBA affiliate of the Toros and gave them greater control over the management of the team, including coaching and the offensive and defensive schemes.
The 2007–2008 season saw the Spurs go 56–26 and finish 3rd in the Western Conference where 7 games separated all 8 playoff teams. The season was marked by major trades and acquisitions by many teams, most notably Kevin Garnett
and Ray Allen
being acquired by the Boston Celtics
, Pau Gasol
going to the Los Angeles Lakers
, and Shaquille O'Neal
going to the Phoenix Suns
. Although the Spurs avoided any major deals, they still made a mid-season trade to acquire Kurt Thomas
from Seattle
. Despite a strong 17–3 start and an 11-game winning streak between February and March, the Spurs stayed relatively under the radar of the major trades and other quickly rising teams.
The Spurs faced Phoenix in the first round in a rematch of the previous year's controversial semifinal series. The Spurs rode the momentum of a thrilling Game 1 win (thanks in part to a rare, extra-clutch OT 3-pointer by Tim Duncan) to defeat the Suns in five games. The Spurs second round opponent would prove to be more than a handful as the veteran Spurs faced Chris Paul
the up-and-coming New Orleans Hornets. The Spurs and the Hornets would battle for seven hard fought games (with New Orleans earning the upper hand throughout much of the series), but the Spurs scrapped together a game 7 win on the road (marking their first ever game 7 win on the road and series win after being down 0–2) to advance to the Western Conference Finals against Kobe Bryant
and the Lakers, where their run would come to an end after five games.
The Spurs began the 2008–09 season
with three consecutive losses, their worst start to a season since 1973. Manu Ginóbili played in only 44 games as he continued to struggle with a right ankle injury. As a result, the Spurs were forced to depend on Tony Parker
and Tim Duncan
to carry the load; Parker responded by posting career-high averages in points and assists per game. The Spurs finished with a 54–28 record and third place in the West, they also claim the division title in the Southwest Division but, with Ginobili out for the playoffs, were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks
in their first round series, four games to one. The loss represented the Spurs' first defeat in the first round of the playoffs since the 1999–2000 season, and the first with Tim Duncan in the line-up.
Two days before the 2009 NBA Draft
, Spurs general manager R. C. Buford
acted to address the team's age and health concerns by acquiring 29-year-old swingman
Richard Jefferson
from the Milwaukee Bucks
. The Spurs sent 38-year-old Bruce Bowen
, 36-year-old Kurt Thomas
, and 34-year-old Fabricio Oberto
to the Bucks, who swapped Oberto to the Detroit Pistons
for Amir Johnson
. The Spurs held three second-round picks in the 2009 draft. Their selection of Pittsburgh Panthers
forward DeJuan Blair
with the #37 pick was described as a "steal" by analysts; the Spurs later drafted two guards they had been targeting with the No. 37 pick, taking Miami Hurricanes shooting guard
Jack McClinton
and point
/shooting guard Nando de Colo
from France with the No. 51 and No. 53 picks, respectively. On July 10, 2009, the Spurs signed Detroit Pistons
power forward
Antonio McDyess
to a three-year deal worth approximately $15 million in guaranteed money.
The Spurs struggled with injuries during the regular season, but managed another 50-win season and a rematch with the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. After falling to the Mavericks in Game 1, the Spurs went on to win the series in six games. The Spurs however, were swept out of the playoffs in the following round by the Phoenix Suns.
During the 2010 NBA Draft
, the Spurs managed held the highest draft pick since the Tim Duncan
draft a decade earlier. They drafted rookie James Anderson
from Oklahoma State at #20. However, Anderson was soon sitting out of the first half of the season due to injuries. The Big Three however maintained a good healthy status for the '10 part of the season, and went on to obtain the league's best starting record of 25–4 by Christmas Eve. Also fueling the Spurs' re-emergence was a thoroughly revamped Richard Jefferson
, whom Popovich personally coached over the summer to find his touch. English bigman Ryan Richards was another draftee of the Spurs, this one at No. 49, however two shoulder surgeries soon left him out of any immediate possibilities. A truly significant development however was the success of R.C. Buford in bringing the Brazilian 7-footer Tiago Splitter
to San Antonio from Spain. Still, Splitter missed the preseason, and was injured during the 2010 FIBA World Championship
in Turkey. Yet Popovich was able to ease him lightly into the roster as the season gradually progressed. Popovich proved successful in breathing younger life into the Spurs by these modifications, and the addition of Chris Quinn
and Gary Neal
, who especially proved to be a valuable asset for the early surge in the season. In the first round in the playoffs Spurs faced the Memphis Grizzlies
in Game 1, The Spurs fell short 101–98. In Game 2 The Spurs won 93–87. The Spurs went on to lose the next two games the series was 3–1. In Game 5 The Spurs were down by three 95–92 with 9 seconds left Manu Ginobili
made a three to tie the game, but the referees reviewed it and counted it as a two. With 2.9 sec Spurs fouled Zach Randolph
, Randolph made both free throws the score was now 97–94, with 1.7 sec left of the game. The Spurs gave the ball to Gary Neal
and Neal makes the three to send it to Overtime. The Spurs went on to win the game 110–103. The Spurs lost Game 6 99–91 and lost the series 4–2.
font, with the stylized spur
substituting for the letter U, has been a part of the team's identity for many years. The logo incorporated 'Fiesta colors' of pink, orange and teal used from 1989–2002 (though the uniforms remained the same), and alignment from straight to arched beginning with the 2002-03 NBA season
.
The Spurs have always worn black on the road and white at home, except from the 1973–75 ABA
seasons where the home uniform was always silver. Until the 1988-89 NBA season
the road uniform had "San Antonio" on the front while the home uniform featured the team nickname adopted from the Spurs logo; from 1973–82 the road uniform lettering is black with silver trim. Since the 1989-90 NBA season
the Spurs uniform has remained practically the same, with the road uniform now using the team nickname from their logo; a minor change included the addition of another black (road) and white (home) trim to the already silver-trimmed block numbers in the 2002–03 season.
The Spurs wear black sneakers and socks on the road, and white sneakers and socks at home, a practice that began in the 2002–03 season. At times throughout the season the Spurs wear a jersey that says "Los Spurs" in homage to the Latino population that enjoys the NBA as well. The event is called "Noche Latina." This is done with other teams within the NBA as well.
4- NBA Western Conference Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)
19- Division Titles (11 Midwest) (6 Southwest)(2 Central)
1- McDonald's Championship (1999)
4- Finals MVP (Tim Duncan 1999, 2003, 2005 ,Tony Parker 2007)
3- MVP (David Robinson 1995, Tim Duncan 2002, 2003)
3- Rookie of the Year (Swen Nater 1974 (ABA), David Robinson 1990, Tim Duncan 1998)
2- Defensive Player of the Year (Alvin Robertson 1986, David Robinson 1995)
1- Sixth Man Award (Manu Ginobili 2008)
1- Most Improved Player (Alvin Robertson 1986)
1- Coach of the Year (Greg Popovich 2003)
San Antonio Spurs
For a complete list of current and former players, see the San Antonio Spurs players category.
, (
1999 NBA Draft
57th pick) and Tony Parker
(
2001 NBA Draft
29th pick), who have both become All Stars
.
>
1During the 1996–97 season, Bob Hill coached 18 regular season games. Hill was fired on December 10, 1996, and Gregg Popovich coached the remaining 64 regular season games.
2During the 1992–93 season, Jerry Tarkanian coached 20 regular season games. Tarkanian was fired on December 18, 1992. Rex Hughes
then coached one regular season game, and John Lucas coached the remaining 61 regular season games as well as the playoffs.
3During the 1991–92 season, Larry Brown coached 38 regular season games. Brown was fired on January 21, 1992, and Bob Bass coached the remaining 44 regular season games as well as the playoffs.
4During the 1983–84 season, Morris McHone coached 31 regular season games. McHone was fired on December 28, 1983, and Bob Bass coached the remaining 51 regular season games.
5During the 1979–80 season, Doug Moe coached 66 regular season games. Moe was fired on March 1, 1980, and Bob Bass coached the remaining 16 regular season games as well as the playoffs.
Southwest Division (NBA)
The Southwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA).
The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger
ABA-NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
and is the only former ABA team to have won an NBA championship
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
. The Spurs have won four NBA championships, more than any NBA franchise except the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
. The Spurs' perfect record in NBA Finals series is surpassed only by the Chicago Bulls, who have won six without a loss; the Bulls and Spurs are the only two teams to maintain perfect records through multiple Finals series. As of July 2009, the Spurs rank third among active franchises for the highest winning percentage in NBA history; they have only missed the playoffs 4 times as an NBA franchise.
In their 33 NBA seasons since 1976–1977, the Spurs have captured 17 division titles, which gives the Spurs the most division titles in the NBA during that 33-year span (the Lakers are second with 16). They have made the playoffs in 19 of the last 20 seasons, and have not missed the playoffs in the 14 seasons since Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
was drafted by the Spurs in 1997.
The Spurs in San Antonio
The Spurs are the city's only team in any of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues, and the only major-league team in the city's history to have lasted more than five years. Spurs players are active members of the San Antonio community, and many former Spurs are still active in San Antonio, like David RobinsonDavid Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
with the Carver Academy
Carver Academy
The Carver Academy is a non-profit, private school located in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded by David Robinson, former NBA basketball player with the San Antonio Spurs, and his wife Valerie...
and George Gervin
George Gervin
George "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
with the George Gervin Youth Center.
The Spurs set several NBA attendance records while playing at the Alamodome
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
, including the largest crowd ever for a NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
game in 1999, and the Spurs continue to sell out the smaller, more intimate AT&T Center
AT&T Center
AT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
(formerly SBC Center) on a regular basis.
Since 2003, the team has been forced on an extended road trip for much of February since the AT&T Center hosts the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, USA is one of the largest livestock shows and rodeos in the country. Started in 1950, the annual event takes place over three weeks in February...
. This is informally known as the "Rodeo Road Trip." The Spurs have consistently posted winning road records during this period, including an NBA-record longest single road trip winning streak (8 games, achieved in 2003).
When the Spurs won the NBA title, the teams victory parade has always included the team traveling the San Antonio River
San Antonio River
The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in north central San Antonio, approximately four miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the Guadalupe River about ten miles from...
on boats adjacent to the San Antonio River Walk
San Antonio River Walk
The San Antonio River Walk is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath downtown San Antonio, Texas...
.
Since 1997, the Spurs have won 69.6 percent of their games, the best winning percentage in professional sports.
The ABA years: Dallas Chaparrals (1967–1973)
The San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals
Dallas Chaparrals
The Dallas Chaparrals were a charter member of the American Basketball Association, later becoming the San Antonio Spurs and joining the NBA.The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas...
of the original version of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA) in 1967.
Led by Player/Coach Cliff Hagan
Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner," played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks...
the Dallas Chaparrals were one of 11 teams to take the floor in the inaugural season of the upstart ABA. The Chaps second season was a bit of a disappointment, as the team finished in 4th place with a mediocre 41–37 record. In the playoffs the Chaparrals quickly fell to the New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
. The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas. In fact, during the 1970–71 season, the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas" and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, playing games in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, at the Tarrant County Coliseum, as well as Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, at the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
City Bank Coliseum is a 6,893-seat multi-purpose arena in Lubbock, Texas. It is the home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders club ice hockey team and former home of the now-defunct Lubbock Renegades af2 arena football team...
, but this proved a failure and the team returned full-time to Dallas in time for the 1971–72 season, splitting their games at Moody Coliseum
Moody Coliseum
Moody Coliseum is an 8,998-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Texas. The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs basketball team. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association before they moved...
and Dallas Convention Center Arena
Dallas Convention Center Arena
The Dallas Convention Center Arena is a 7,428-seat multi-purpose arena in Dallas, Texas, USA. It was opened in 1957. It hosted the Dallas Chaparrals, of the ABA, from 1967 to 1973, when the team relocated to San Antonio and became the San Antonio Spurs. It also hosts other local sporting events and...
.
The ABA years: Coming to San Antonio (1973–1976)
Angelo Drossos
Angelo Drossos was the owner of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team from 1973 to 1988, from its time in the American Basketball Association through the ABA-NBA merger and into its years in the National Basketball Association...
, John Schaefer and Red McCombs
Red McCombs
Billy Joe "Red" McCombs is the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Vikings, and the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin...
worked out a "lend-lease" deal with the Dallas ownership group. Drossos and his group would lease the team for three years and move it to San Antonio, and agreed to return the team to Dallas if no purchase occurred by 1975. After the deal was signed, the team was renamed the San Antonio Gunslingers. However, before they even played a game the name was changed to Spurs. The team's primary colors were changed from the red, white, and blue of the Chaparrals to the now familiar black, silver and white motif of the Spurs.
In the first game at the HemisFair Arena
HemisFair Arena
HemisFair Arena was an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, United States.It was home to the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, from 1973 to 1993 and the San Antonio Force, of the AFL, during the 1992 season, their only year of existence....
the Spurs lost to the San Diego Conquistadors
San Diego Conquistadors
The San Diego Conquistadors, nicknamed the "Q's", were an American Basketball Association team based in San Diego, California. They were the only expansion team in the history of the ABA. The team played from 1972 to 1975. They were replaced in the ABA by the San Diego Sails.-San Diego...
, despite attracting a noisy crowd of 6,000 fans. A smothering defense was the team's image, as they held opponents less than 100 points an ABA record 49 times. The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran James Silas, and the team would get stronger as the season went on as they twice took advantage of the Virginia Squires
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
, acquiring Swen Nater
Swen Nater
Swen Eric Nater is a retired Dutch professional basketball player, primarily in the ABA and NBA.-Basketball career:Nater helped John Wooden's UCLA Bruins win two NCAA titles....
, who would go on to win Rookie of the Year, in November, and "The Iceman" George Gervin
George Gervin
George "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
in January. The ABA tried to halt the Gervin deal, claiming it was detrimental to the league, but a judge would rule in the Spurs' favor, and Gervin made his Spurs debut on February 7. The Spurs would go on to finish with a 45–39 record, good for 3rd place in the Western Division. In the playoffs, the Spurs would battle the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
to the bitter end before falling in 7 games. San Antonio embraced the Spurs with open arms; the Spurs drew 6,303 fans per game, surpassing the Chaparrals' entire total attendance in only 18 games. By comparison, the old Chaparrals had been lucky to draw crowds in triple digits. Drossos and McCombs knew a runaway hit when they saw it. After only one year, they exercised their option to tear up the lease agreement, buy the franchise outright and keep the team in San Antonio for good.
The team quickly made themselves at home at HemisFair Arena, playing to increasingly large and raucous crowds. Despite a respectable 17–10 start during the 1974–75 season, Coach Tom Nissalke
Tom Nissalke
Thomas Edward "Tom" Nissalke is a retired former American professional basketball coach in the NBA and American Basketball Association...
was fired as owners become tired of the Spurs' slow defensive style of games. He would be replaced by Bob Bass
Bob Bass
Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association....
, who stated that the Spurs would have an entirely new playing style: "It is my belief that you cannot throw a set offense at another professional team for 48 minutes. You've got to let them play some schoolyard basketball." George Gervin and James Silas took that style to heart, as the Spurs became an exciting fast breaking team on the way to a solid 51–33 record, good enough for 2nd place in the West. Gervin said, "Our whole theory was that you shoot 100 times, we'll shoot 107." However, in the playoffs the Spurs would fall to the Indiana Pacers in 6 games.
Even though playoff success would elude the team, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the top teams in the ABA. Moreover, their gaudy attendance figures made them very attractive to the NBA, despite the size of the market. Although San Antonio had over 650,000 people at the time (and has since grown to become the seventh-largest city in the United States), it has always been a medium-sized market because the surrounding suburban and rural areas aren't much larger than the city itself. In June 1976, the ABA-NBA merger
ABA-NBA merger
The ABA–NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
took place, moving San Antonio's sole professional sports franchise into a new league. The Spurs, Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and New York Nets moved to the NBA for the 1976–77 season.
The Spurs and the other three ABA teams agreed to pay the owners of two other strong ABA teams that folded instead of joining the NBA. John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
, the owner of the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
, received $3 million, which he used to purchase the NBA's Buffalo Braves
Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers....
and later the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, after selling star guard Louie Dampier
Louie Dampier
Louis "Louie" Dampier is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6-foot-tall guard, Dampier is one of only a handful of men to play all nine seasons in the American Basketball Association , all with the Kentucky Colonels...
to the Spurs. The owners of the Spirits of St. Louis
Spirits of St. Louis
The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the American Basketball Association that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger. They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the St...
received a portion of all television profits during their NBA tenure, which amounts to roughly 1/7 of the Spurs' television profit every year. This agreement has placed particular financial pressure on the Spurs and the other three former ABA teams.
Into the NBA: The George Gervin years (1976–1985)
Although there was some initial skepticism in league circles regarding the potential success and talent levels of the incoming ABA teams, the Spurs would prove worthy of NBA inclusion during the 1976–77 season with a record of 44–38, good for a tie for fourth place overall in the Eastern Conference. This was done in spite of significant handicaps the NBA imposed on the incoming ABA teams, limiting their draft picks and television revenues during their early time in the merged league. They gained a new rival in the form of the Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, who had played in Texas for five years prior to the merger.
During the 1977–78 season, George Gervin and David Thompson
David Thompson (basketball)
David O'Neil Thompson is a former American professional basketball star with the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , as well as the Seattle SuperSonics...
of the Denver Nuggets battled all season for the NBA scoring title. On the final day of the season, Thompson took the lead by scoring 73 points in an afternoon game against the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. That night Gervin knew that he needed 58 points against the Jazz in New Orleans. Gervin got off to a good start by scoring 20 points in the 1st quarter. In the 2nd, The Iceman was even better, setting a single period record with 33 points. Early on in the 3rd period Gervin scored his 58 points on the way to 63 capturing the scoring title. While Gervin was lighting up the scoreboard the Spurs were winning the Central Division with a 52–30 record. However, in the playoffs the Spurs would be stunned in 6 games by the Washington Bullets despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33.2 ppg. The following season in the 1979 Conference Finals the Spurs led the series 3–1 but the Bullets came back to win the last 3 games and came from behind to win the 7th game 107–105 handing the Spurs an absolute heartbreaking loss. The Spurs would have to wait another 20 years to make it to their first NBA finals.
The Spurs would go on to capture 5 division titles in their first 7 years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant. However, in the playoffs, the Spurs would never find a break, losing to teams like the Washington Bullets, the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
, and the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
As the 1980s progressed, the Spurs would see their shares of highs and lows. For the first few seasons of the decade, the Spurs continued their success of the 1970s with records of 52–30 in 1980–81, 48–34 in 1981–82, and 53–29 in 1982–83 (it was during this period that the Spurs were moved to the Western Conference). Despite their regular season success, the Spurs were unable to win any NBA championships, losing in the Western Conference playoffs to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in the first round of the 1981
1981 NBA Playoffs
The 1981 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament which followed National Basketball Association's 1980–81 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics winning their 14th overall championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets in...
and the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in in 4 games 1982
1982 NBA Playoffs
The 1982 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981-1982 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers, four games to two in the NBA Finals...
and in 6 games in the 1983
1983 NBA Playoffs
The 1983 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1982-1983 season. This was the final postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season...
Western Finals despite getting both wins at the Forum in the 1983 series. They lost every home game in both series in 1982 and 1983 vs the Lakers as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and co were too strong. The Spurs didn't make the conference finals until 1995.
After the 1984–85 season, Gervin, who arguably had been the Spurs' biggest star, was traded to the Chicago Bulls in what effectively signaled the end of the era that began when the Spurs first moved to San Antonio.
Difficult years (1985–1989)
The next four seasons were a dark time in Spurs' history with the team having a combined record of 115–213 from 1985–86 until 1988–89. The losing seasons and dwindling attendance often caused the Spurs to be mentioned as a potential candidate for relocation to another city. The lone bright spot during this period was the Spurs being awarded the top pick in the 1987 NBA draft through NBA Draft Lottery. The Spurs used this selection on United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
standout David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
. Although drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the 1989–90 season to see Robinson actually play, due to a two-year commitment he had to serve with the United States Navy. Although there was speculation that Robinson might choose not to sign with the Spurs and to become a free agent once his Navy commitment ended, Robinson decided in the end to come to San Antonio.
Although the 1988–89 season was the second-worst in Spurs history at 21–61, it was notable for several reasons. It was the first season of full ownership for Red McCombs, who was an original investor in the team and helped solidify local ownership for the team. Additionally, the 1988–89 season featured the debut of Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
as the Spurs head coach who moved to San Antonio after winning the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
National Championship with the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1988.
Mr. Robinson's neighborhood (1989–1997)
David Robinson
-Sports personalities:*David Robinson , American player*David Robinson , cricketer*David Robinson , English professional player; striker from 1988 to 1998...
finally joined the Spurs for the 1989–90 season after the end of his Naval commitment. While it was generally thought his arrival would make the Spurs respectable again, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Led by Robinson, 1989 draftee Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
and free agent acquisition Terry Cummings
Terry Cummings
Robert Terrell "Terry" Cummings is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association for 18 seasons as a power forward and occasional center.-College and NBA years:...
, the Spurs achieved the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA history, finishing with a record of 56–26. They also jumped all the way to first place in the Midwest Division, their first in 7 years.
The Spurs eventually lost in the Western Conference semifinals after losing a seven-game series to the eventual Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. Robinson had one of the most successful rookie seasons for a center in NBA history, finishing the season as the unanimous Rookie of the Year while averaging 24.3 points and 12.0 rebounds.
The Spurs began the 1990s with great optimism. The team became a perennial playoff presence, although unable to advance further than the second round of the NBA Playoffs under Brown's tutelage. Late in the 1991–92 season, McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with Bob Bass
Bob Bass
Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association....
, who finished the season as interim head coach. Without a healthy David Robinson, the Spurs were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. McCombs made national headlines during the summer of 1992 with the hiring of former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian , also known as "Tark the Shark", is a retired college basketball coach known as one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history...
. The Tarkanian experiment proved a flop, as the coach was fired 20 games into the 1992–93 season with the Spurs record at 9–11. After Rex Hughes
Rex Hughes
Rex Hughes is a former college and professional basketball coach. He coached men's basketball at Kent State University, and would later serve as an NBA head and assistant coach...
filled the coaching shoes for one game, NBA veteran John Lucas
John Lucas II
John Harding Lucas II is a retired American professional basketball player and a current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.-Basketball playing career and substance abuse:...
was named head coach. It was Lucas's first NBA coaching assignment, although he had gained recognition in league circles for his success in helping NBA players rehab from drug abuse.
The Lucas era started out successfully. His coaching propelled the team to a 39–22 finish over the rest of the regular season, and the team reached the Western Conference semi-finals, losing to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. The 1992–93 season also marked the last that the Spurs would play in HemisFair Arena. In 1993, local businessman Peter M. Holt
Peter Holt
Peter M. Holt is a businessman. He is the CEO of Holt Cat, the largest Caterpillar dealership in the United States and chairman, CEO, and owner of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, which owns the 4-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, theWNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars, the AHL's San Antonio Rampage,...
and a group of 22 investors purchased the Spurs from Red McCombs for $75 million.
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
, Lucas led the Spurs to a 55–27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs to the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, which led to the immediate firing of Lucas as head coach. Prior to the season the Spurs traded fan-favorite Elliott to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in return for rebounding star Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
.
Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill
Bob Hill
Robert W. Hill is an American basketball coach. Hill grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio moving to Worthington, Ohio for high school. Upon graduating from high School, Hill entered Bowling Green State University. Hill is currently the head coach of the Tokyo Apache in Japan...
for the 1994–95 season, which would turn out to be the Spurs' most successful regular season until 2006. Elliott returned to the team after an uneventful season with the Pistons, and the team finished with the NBA's best record at 62–20, cracking the 60-win mark for the first time in franchise history. David Robinson was named the league's Most Valuable Player. The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
4–2. After the pregame MVP award ceremony honoring David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon dominated the game, outscoring Robinson 42–22 in a narrow 1 point Rockets win. The Spurs lost Game 2 at home but took Games 3 and 4 in Houston. Game 5 of the series was highlighted by the famous Dream Shake move by Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
in Game 5 at the Alamodome the Spurs lost 111–90 in front of 35,000 fans and lost the series in Houston in Game 6. Throughout the season, and particularly in the playoffs, there appeared to be friction developing between Rodman and several Spurs' teammates, most notably Robinson. Rodman was traded to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
after the season, and helped lead them to the next 3 titles.
The Spurs finished the next season (1995–96) under Hill at 59–23 and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals to the Jazz. Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the 1996–97 season, especially with the signing of Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
. An injury limited Robinson to just six games during the season, and Elliott also missed more than half the season due to injury. Without Robinson and Elliott, the Spurs were a rudderless team. The lone bright spot was Wilkins, whose role was just to be a relief off the bench, leading the team in scoring with an average of 18.2 ppg. The Spurs ended the season with a 20–62 record, the worst in franchise history—and to date, the last time they have missed the playoffs. Hill only lasted 18 games as coach that season, eventually being fired and replaced by Spurs General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
, who had also served a stint under Brown as an assistant coach. Wilkins would play his lone season in 1996–1997 for San Antonio, knowing his minutes and playing time would greatly diminish next season.
Although the 1996–97 season was not successful on the court for the Spurs, the offseason proved to be the opposite. With the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA's draft lottery, which gave them the top pick in the 1997 draft
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
. The Spurs used their pick to select Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
product and consensus All-American Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
.
The championship form (1999–present)
The Twin Towers: Duncan and Robinson (1997–2003)
Duncan quickly emerged as a force in the NBA during the 1997–98 season, averaging 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game as a power forward. He was named First Team All-NBA while winning Rookie of the Year honors. The team ended up at 56–26, breaking their own record from 1989–90 for the biggest single-season improvement for wins, but once again lost to the Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals. While both Duncan and Robinson played low-post roles, the two seamlessly meshed on the court. The March 14, 1998, game against the Chicago Bulls set the Spurs' current regular-season home attendance record. An Alamodome crowd of 37,492 came to see Michael JordanMichael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
's last visit as a Bull, as he led the team to its third-straight championship.
With a healthy Robinson and Duncan and the additions of playoff veterans such as Mario Elie
Mario Elie
Mario Antoine Elie is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Currently, he works as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.-Early life and career:...
and Jerome Kersey
Jerome Kersey
Jerome Kersey is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association for a number of teams, but most notably for the Portland Trail Blazers. He also has served in various coaching roles in the NBA. Kersey is currently a resident of Happy Valley, Oregon in...
, the Spurs looked forward to the 1998–99 season. Prior to the beginning of training camps, however, the NBA owners, led by commissioner David Stern
David Stern
David Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984 succeeding Larry O'Brien...
, locked out
Lockout (industry)
A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...
the players in order to force a new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association
National Basketball Players Association
The National Basketball Players Association is a trade association that represents basketball players in the National Basketball Association . It was previously a labor union before dissolving during the 2011 NBA lockout. It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major...
(NBPA). The season was delayed over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999.
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage...
, they faced the Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, who had made history by becoming the first (and to this date, the only) 8th seed to ever make the NBA Finals, and, on June 25, 1999, won the series and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 (final score: 78–77) on the Knicks' home court, Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. Duncan was named the Finals MVP. The Spurs set a new NBA Finals one-game attendance record when 39,554 fans attended Game 2. The previous record was set only two days earlier, when 39,514 spectators attended Game 1. The Spurs became the first former ABA team to reach the NBA Finals. Their victory was the first NBA title to be won by a former ABA team.
Coming off their first NBA Championship, the Spurs were still among the best teams in the West and battling for first place in the Midwest Division during the 1999–2000 season. On March 14, the Spurs playoff spirits got a lift when Sean Elliott
Sean Elliott
Sean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
, who received a kidney transplant prior to the season, returned and played in the last 19 games. As the season wound down, Tim Duncan would suffer a knee injury and the Spurs finished in second place with a 53–29 record. Without Duncan, the Spurs would be knocked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in four games. The long-term viability of the Spurs franchise in San Antonio was, however, achieved during the 1999–2000 season, as Bexar County
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
voters approved increases on car rental and hotel taxes which would allow for the construction of a new arena near the Freeman Coliseum
Freeman Coliseum
The Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum is a sports and concert venue in San Antonio, Texas, USA, built in 1949.It has been host to thousands of events including the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, concerts, trade shows, motor sports, circus, professional sports including professional bull riding,...
.
The Spurs finished with 58–24 records for both the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons but found themselves suffering playoff ousters in both seasons from the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, getting swept from the 2001 Conference Finals and losing in five games during the 2002 second round.
2002–03: Champions again
Entering the 2002–03 season, the team knew it would be memorable for at least two reasons, as David Robinson announced that it would be his last in the NBA and the Spurs would begin play at their new arena, the SBC Center
AT&T Center
AT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
, named after telecommunications giant SBC, whose corporate headquarters are located in San Antonio (SBC became AT&T after its acquisition of its former parent company). To mark this occasion, the Spurs revamped their "Fiesta Colors" logo and reverted to the familiar silver and black motif (though, during the time of the Fiesta logo, the uniform remained silver and black).
This version of the Spurs was very different from the team that had won the title a few years earlier. Second-year French star Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
, drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft, was now the starting point guard for the Spurs. The squad featured a variety of newly acquired three-point shooters, including Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jesse Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. Jackson is a 6'8" guard-forward.-Early life, high school, and college:Jackson was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur, Texas...
, Danny Ferry
Danny Ferry
Daniel John Willard "Danny" Ferry is a retired American professional basketball player and the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
, Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'7", 200-lb. Bowen played small forward and graduated from Edison High School and Cal State Fullerton...
, Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
, Steve Smith
Steve Smith (basketball)
Steven Delano "Steve" Smith is a retired American basketball player. He played with several teams in his 14-season National Basketball Association career, including the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs, but is perhaps best known for his five-year stint with the...
and Argentina product Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
, a 1999 second-round draft choice playing in his first NBA season. After splitting their first two games on the road, the Spurs christened the SBC Center in style on November 1 by beating the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
91–72. The Spurs would not get off to a flying start as they had a 19–13 record heading into January, which had them 7 games out of first place in the Midwest Division. In January the Spurs began to gel and seemed prepped to make a run, when they embarked on a nine-game road trip from January 25 to February 16 while the rodeo was in town. However, it would be hardly a bump in the road for the charging Spurs, who won 8 of the 9 and began to climb their way to first place. The Spurs went on to erase their 7-game deficit and finished the season in a tie with the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
for the best record in the NBA. Thanks to a tiebreaker, the Spurs won their third straight Division title as Tim Duncan claimed his second straight NBA MVP. In the playoffs
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
, the Spurs defeated the Suns, Lakers and Mavericks en route to facing the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the NBA Finals
2003 NBA Finals
The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002–03 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs...
. The series against the Nets marked the first time two former ABA teams played each other for the NBA Championship. The Spurs won the series 4–2, giving them their second NBA Championship in franchise history. Duncan was named both the NBA Regular Season and Finals MVP for the season. Robinson retired after the season. By winning the NBA Championship, the Spurs denied New Jersey from having both NBA and NHL championship
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s in the same year.
2003–04
Image:Spurs_White_House.jpg|330px|The Spurs visit the White House after their championship in 2003.|left|thumb
- Names/People
rect 142 49 196 101 Kevin Willis
Kevin Willis
Kevin Alvin Willis is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He is a 7-foot power forward/center...
rect 202 58 252 99 Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'7", 200-lb. Bowen played small forward and graduated from Edison High School and Cal State Fullerton...
rect 293 61 341 102 Malik Rose
Malik Rose
Malik Jabari Rose is an American former professional basketball player, and current broadcaster, serving as a studio analyst for the New York Knicks, and the lead color analyst for the NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros.-High school and college:Rose graduated from Overbrook High School in...
rect 425 78 462 117 Head Coach, Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
rect 58 49 88 80 Danny Ferry
Danny Ferry
Daniel John Willard "Danny" Ferry is a retired American professional basketball player and the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
rect 83 82 129 186 Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
poly 240 139 259 73 286 76 305 147 Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
rect 171 103 239 191 George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
rect 362 82 398 111 Asst. Coach, P. J. Carlesimo
rect 335 112 381 159 Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
poly 13 130 34 100 54 121 59 180 15 182 Owner, Peter Holt
Peter Holt
Peter M. Holt is a businessman. He is the CEO of Holt Cat, the largest Caterpillar dealership in the United States and chairman, CEO, and owner of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, which owns the 4-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, theWNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars, the AHL's San Antonio Rampage,...
circle 57 105 20 Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
- Unknown People
- rect 458 104 494 139 unknown-Person-1
- rect 372 50 406 80 unknown-Person-2
- rect 400 97 424 135 unknown-Person-3
- Image Source Below.
rect 0 0 515 331 The Spurs visit the White House after their championship in 2003.
desc top-left
Coming off their second NBA Championship, the retirement of David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
left a void in San Antonio's daunting defense, while playoff hero Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr
Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history...
and veteran forward Danny Ferry
Danny Ferry
Daniel John Willard "Danny" Ferry is a retired American professional basketball player and the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
also sailed off into the sunset. Meanwhile, backup point guard Speedy Claxton
Speedy Claxton
Craig "Speedy" Claxton is an American former professional basketball player. He is now a college scout with the Golden State Warriors.-College:...
was wooed away by the Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jesse Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. Jackson is a 6'8" guard-forward.-Early life, high school, and college:Jackson was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur, Texas...
bolted for Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
for a significant pay raise. With several holes to fill in their rotation, the Spurs would make several key signings in the offseason to shore up their depth. Rasho Nesterovic was signed from Minnesota to help ease the lose of Robinson. Hedo Turkoglu was acquired in a salary dump when Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
got Brad Miller
Brad Miller (basketball)
Bradley Alan Miller is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA...
, also was brought in to fill a key role as a scoring forward to replace Jackson. The most notable off-season acquisition would prove to be the signing of veteran Robert Horry
Robert Horry
Robert Keith Horry Jr. is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association , winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics...
.
The Spurs, playing with 9 new players, struggled early as they missed the presence of David Robinson while the new players struggled to fit in, as they held a 9–10 record on December 3. However, the Spurs would turn it around, as they ended December on 13-game winning streak and quickly climbed back to the top of the NBA standings. The Spurs would battle all year for the top spot in the Western Conference, as they ended the season on another strong note winning their final 11 games. However, they would fall 1 game short of a division title and the best record in the West, posting a record of 57–25. In the playoffs, the Spurs remained hot as they swept the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
in 4 straight games. In the second round, the Spurs found themselves in another showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs' winning streak would continue as they captured the first two games at home, bringing their winning streak from the end of the regular season up to 17 games. However, as the series shifted to Los Angeles, the Spurs would suddenly have trouble finding the basket, as they lost both games as the Lakers evened the series. The series was playing out similarly to the match-up between the two teams a year earlier. In Game 5 at the SBC Center, Tim Duncan seemingly delivered the Spurs a 73–72 win as he gave the Spurs a lead with a dramatic shot with just 0.4 seconds remaining. However, the Lakers' Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
would launch a game-winner as time expired which would go in, giving the Lakers a stunning 74–73 win to take a 3–2 series lead. The Spurs protested the shot, arguing that the clock started late, which the Spurs claimed was why replays showed Fisher got off the shot in time. An AP report and the three officials in attendance stated that replays showed the shot was released by Fisher before time expired. The officials, however, could not consider the Spurs' claim that the clock did not start immediately when the ball was inbounded. After the stunning loss, the Spurs traveled to Los Angeles for Game 6, where they lost the game and the series. The Spurs spent the following offseason tweaking the team.
2004–05: 3rd championship
After their disappointing second round collapse, the Spurs looked to regain the NBA crown. With the acquisition of guard Brent Barry
Brent Barry
Brent Robert Barry is an American former professional basketball player. The , shooting guard was selected out of Oregon State University by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly after to the Los Angeles Clippers.Barry played professionally...
from Seattle
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, the Spurs would get off to a quick start, posting a 12–3 record in November. The Spurs would stay hot through December as they established a 25–6 record entering the New Year. With the later additions of center Nazr Mohammed
Nazr Mohammed
Nazr Tahiru Mohammed [NAW-zee] is an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. He plays the center position. He is 6 ft 10 in and 250 lb...
from New York
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(acquired in a midseason trade of Malik Rose
Malik Rose
Malik Jabari Rose is an American former professional basketball player, and current broadcaster, serving as a studio analyst for the New York Knicks, and the lead color analyst for the NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros.-High school and college:Rose graduated from Overbrook High School in...
), and veteran forward Glenn Robinson
Glenn Robinson
Glenn A. "Big Dog" Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He last played during the 2004–05 season.-Early life:...
from free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, alongside regulars Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'7", 200-lb. Bowen played small forward and graduated from Edison High School and Cal State Fullerton...
, Robert Horry
Robert Horry
Robert Keith Horry Jr. is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association , winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics...
, Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
, Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
, and Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
, the Spurs would be near the top in the Western Conference all season, battling the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
for the best record in the NBA. Just as it appeared the Spurs would cruise toward the playoffs their season suddenly hit a bump in the road when Tim Duncan went down in a March 20 loss to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
with a sprained ankle. The rest of the way the Spurs would limp home, winning 9 of their last 17 as they held on to the Southwest Division by just one game with a 59–23 record. However, by the time the playoffs rolled around, Duncan was ready to return.
In the postseason
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
, the Spurs' playoff run would get off to a rocky start as they dropped Game 1 to the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
93–87. The Spurs would quickly turn things around as they would road back to win the next 4 games to win the series in 5, while Duncan got stronger as the series went on, scoring 39 points in a key overtime win in Game 4. In the 2nd round against the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, the Spurs would get off to a fast start by winning the first 2 games at home by double digits. With a shot to take a commanding 3–0 series lead, Tim Duncan missed a final shot at the buzzer as the Sonics held on for a 92–91 win. The Sonics would also win Game 4 to send the series back to San Antonio tied at 2 games apiece. In Game 5, faced with seeing another meltdown, the Spurs looked toward Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
, who took over with a game high 39 points in leading the Spurs to a solid 103–90 win. The Spurs would go on to capture the series in 6 games win a 98–96 win in Seattle to close it out. In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs would face the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, and took control early, winning the first 2 games on the road. They would stay hot as the series came home, winning Game 3 to take a 3–0 series lead. However, with a chance to close things out at home, the Spurs saw the Suns hang on for a 111–106 win in Game 4. Back in Phoenix for Game 5, Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
would take over, leading the Spurs in points with 31 and 15 rebounds as the Spurs won the West with a 101–95 win.
In the NBA Finals
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
, the Spurs would face the defending champion Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. The first 2 games in San Antonio were both Spurs' victories as Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
led the way with 26 and 27 points, in blow out wins by the Spurs. However, as the series shifted to Detroit, the Spurs were the ones who were blown-out, losing Games 3 and 4 big margins as the Pistons evened the series. Faced with a 3rd straight loss in Detroit, the Spurs would play much tougher in Game 5 which would become a classic as the game went into overtime. After scoring 0 points in the first half, Robert Horry
Robert Horry
Robert Keith Horry Jr. is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association , winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics...
had the "hot hand" in the second half overtime as he nailed a clutch 3-point shot with 9 second remaining to give the Spurs a dramatic 96–95 win.
However with a chance to close things out back at home in Game 6, the Spurs would lose 95–86, setting up the first NBA Finals Game 7 in 11 years. With the whole world watching Game 7 in San Antonio, the game went back and forth and was tied 57–57 after 3 Quarters. In the 4th quarter, it would be Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
-time as he had his best game of the series with 25 points as the Spurs pulled away late to win their 3rd NBA Title in 7 years with an 81–74 win in Game 7. Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
was named Finals MVP, becoming only the fourth player to win the MVP award three times (joining Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, and Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
). Also, Manu Ginóbili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
established himself as an NBA star, earning local, national, and international fan praise (particularly in his home country of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) and a berth in that season's All-Star Game.
2005–06
Michael Finley
Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
and one-time All Star Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel
Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...
. Not surprisingly, the Spurs would come flying out of the gate, winning 16 of their first 19 games. Once again, the Spurs would get challenged within their own division by the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
as they held the two best records in the Western Conference all season, battling for first place. In the end, the experience of the Spurs would be the difference as they won the Southwest Division again with a new franchise best record of 63–19.
The Spurs qualified for the playoffs for the ninth year in a row. (Until this season, the Spurs and Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
shared the NBA's longest active consecutive playoff appearance streak with nine in a row, though San Antonio has qualified for its 10th consecutive appearance during the 2006–07 season, while Indiana's playoff streak ended.) In the playoffs, the Spurs would get a surprisingly tough test from the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the first round as they need an overtime win in Game 2 to win the first two games at home, before losing the next two on the road. After regaining control of the series with a 109–98 win in Game 5, the Spurs won the series in six games as they won the finale 105–83 to set up another second round "Lone-Star Showdown" with the Mavericks.
Game 1 would set the tone of the series as it was tight all the way with Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
scoring a game-high 31 points in an 87–85 win. However, in Game 2, the Spurs were rocked at home, losing by 22 points. As the series shifted to Dallas, the Mavericks gained control winning two close nail-bitters to take a 3–1 series lead. However, the Spurs would not go down without a fight as they rebounded to win a physical war in Game 5 by a score of 98–97, as former Maverick Michael Finley
Michael Finley
Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
got hit with a low blow from Jason Terry
Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry is an American professional basketball player playing with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He plays shooting guard, although he also can play point guard. His nickname, "JET," derives from his initials...
in the final seconds. Terry, who had played well against the Spurs all series, would be suspended for Game 6 and the Spurs took full advantage, winning on the road 91–86 to force a 7th game at the AT&T Center. In Game 7, Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
would lead the way for the Spurs with 41 points and 15 rebounds. However, he was matched by Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
. The Spurs erased an early 20-point deficit and forced the game into overtime. However, in overtime it was not meant to be as the Mavericks were on fire, scoring 15 points to win the game 119–111.
2006–07: 4th championship
After their disappointing defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
, the Spurs entered the 2006–07 season refreshed with renewed determination, as they felt fatigue played a large role as they failed to win a second straight NBA Title. The Spurs began their 2007 season on foreign soil as they opened up their training camp in France in October 2006, which they thought could build camaraderie between players.
With a 97–91 opening-night victory on November 2 at Dallas, Gregg Popovich became the fourth head coach in North American professional sports history to post 10 straight opening night victories (others are: Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
, Bill Fitch and George Allen). The Spurs got off to a strong start in the regular season, winning 11 of their first 14 games, including victories over Dallas, Phoenix and Houston. During that stretch, Tim Duncan became the 98th member of the 15,000-point club at Seattle. However, the Spurs franchise-record 12-game road winning streak came to a halt with a 111–102 loss at Golden State on November 27. With a win against Sacramento on December 2, 2006, the Spurs moved past the Celtics to become the second winningest franchise in NBA history (based on winning percentage) at .595. But as the season unfolded, the Spurs failed to live up to their lofty expectations. Following a 9–7 record in January, the Spurs started February with a 1–3 record. They struggled down the stretch in many of those defeats, and the Spurs quickly found themselves far behind the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
and the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. In fact, the Spurs were, during this period, a mere 1.5 games ahead of the third-place Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in the Southwest Division. Trade rumors began swirling around the Spurs. Unaccustomed to struggling during the regular season, the Spurs were frustrated. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, Popovich had to choose whether or not to keep the team together. His decision was not to make a trade. Then, it was as if their whole season had magically turned around in one moment. With quiet determination, the Spurs spent the rest of the season flying under the radar, winning thirteen games in a row during February and March. The Spurs won those games with either tough defense or by hitting big shots down the stretch. The Spurs were an NBA-best 25–6 in the final 31 games. During the 31-game stretch, the Spurs averaged 98.8 points while holding their opponents to 87.9 ppg. With that streak, the Spurs began climbing back up in the Western Conference standings. Despite their massive turnaround, the Spurs would not catch the Mavs who won the Southwest Division by nine games. However, with the NBA's top ranked defense and a 58–24 record, the Spurs entered the postseason in good shape.
When the bell rang for the second season, they were able to put the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
away in five games. While the Spurs were bouncing the Nuggets, the Mavericks, who had an NBA best 67–15 record in the regular season, were unraveling, losing to the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in six games. The Mavericks' upset loss set the Spurs second-round series against the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
as the key series in the entire NBA Playoffs, as this series featured the teams with the two best records remaining in the Western Conference. The Spurs went on to win 4–2 in the very contentious and controversial series versus the Suns. The series featured a Robert Horry foul on Steve Nash toward the end of the fourth game which resulted in Horry being suspended for two games. Those who said the second-round series against the Suns was the true NBA Finals would be proven right, as the Spurs easily dispatched the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in five games to reach the NBA Finals. In the 2007 NBA Finals
2007 NBA Finals
The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2006-07 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland...
, the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
and captured their fourth title in nine years. Duncan proclaimed that that championship was "the best" of the four championships, and acknowledged he played "sub-par" and thus received only one vote for NBA Finals MVP from a panel of ten. The award was won by Tony Parker who dominated in the Finals averaging 24.5 ppg on 57% shooting. Tony Parker became the first European-born player to win the Finals MVP.
Just before the 2007 NBA Draft
2007 NBA Draft
The 2007 NBA Draft was held on June 28, 2007 at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. It was broadcast on television in 115 countries. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
, the Spurs purchased the Austin Toros
Austin Toros
The Austin Toros are a NBA Development League minor league basketball team based in Cedar Park, Texas, United States.The team plays home games at Cedar Park Center.Their logo is the design of a bull and basketball with the state of Texas in the background...
of the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
, becoming the second NBA team to purchase an NBADL team. This move made the Spurs the sole NBA affiliate of the Toros and gave them greater control over the management of the team, including coaching and the offensive and defensive schemes.
2007–08
The 2007–2008 season saw the Spurs go 56–26 and finish 3rd in the Western Conference where 7 games separated all 8 playoff teams. The season was marked by major trades and acquisitions by many teams, most notably Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
and Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
being acquired by the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
going to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, and Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
going to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. Although the Spurs avoided any major deals, they still made a mid-season trade to acquire Kurt Thomas
Kurt Thomas (basketball)
Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls. Thomas is a 6'9", 230 lb. power forward/center known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense. Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995, Thomas played college basketball at Texas...
from Seattle
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
. Despite a strong 17–3 start and an 11-game winning streak between February and March, the Spurs stayed relatively under the radar of the major trades and other quickly rising teams.
The Spurs faced Phoenix in the first round in a rematch of the previous year's controversial semifinal series. The Spurs rode the momentum of a thrilling Game 1 win (thanks in part to a rare, extra-clutch OT 3-pointer by Tim Duncan) to defeat the Suns in five games. The Spurs second round opponent would prove to be more than a handful as the veteran Spurs faced Chris Paul
Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
the up-and-coming New Orleans Hornets. The Spurs and the Hornets would battle for seven hard fought games (with New Orleans earning the upper hand throughout much of the series), but the Spurs scrapped together a game 7 win on the road (marking their first ever game 7 win on the road and series win after being down 0–2) to advance to the Western Conference Finals against Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
and the Lakers, where their run would come to an end after five games.
2008–09: A down season
The Spurs began the 2008–09 season
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
with three consecutive losses, their worst start to a season since 1973. Manu Ginóbili played in only 44 games as he continued to struggle with a right ankle injury. As a result, the Spurs were forced to depend on Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
and Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
to carry the load; Parker responded by posting career-high averages in points and assists per game. The Spurs finished with a 54–28 record and third place in the West, they also claim the division title in the Southwest Division but, with Ginobili out for the playoffs, were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in their first round series, four games to one. The loss represented the Spurs' first defeat in the first round of the playoffs since the 1999–2000 season, and the first with Tim Duncan in the line-up.
2009–2010
Two days before the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
, Spurs general manager R. C. Buford
R. C. Buford
R. C. Buford is the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team. He was given the title by his predecessor, Gregg Popovich, in 2002 after five seasons as team president. He is also the president of sports franchises for Spurs Sports & Entertainment.Buford played college basketball...
acted to address the team's age and health concerns by acquiring 29-year-old swingman
Swingman
A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
from the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
. The Spurs sent 38-year-old Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'7", 200-lb. Bowen played small forward and graduated from Edison High School and Cal State Fullerton...
, 36-year-old Kurt Thomas
Kurt Thomas (basketball)
Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls. Thomas is a 6'9", 230 lb. power forward/center known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense. Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995, Thomas played college basketball at Texas...
, and 34-year-old Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Oberto
Fabricio Raúl Jesús Oberto is an Argentine professional basketball player. At and , he plays as a center. With Liga Nacional de Básquet in his native Argentina, Oberto began playing professionally in 1993 and later played overseas with teams in Spain and Greece...
to the Bucks, who swapped Oberto to the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
for Amir Johnson
Amir Johnson
Amir Jalla Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. He plays the position of power forward.-NBA career:...
. The Spurs held three second-round picks in the 2009 draft. Their selection of Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
forward DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Lamont Blair is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Before turning pro Blair played center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009...
with the #37 pick was described as a "steal" by analysts; the Spurs later drafted two guards they had been targeting with the No. 37 pick, taking Miami Hurricanes shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
Jack McClinton
Jack McClinton
Jack Paul McClinton is an American professional basketball player. A former college basketball player, he was the starting shooting guard for the University of Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team. He was selected in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2009 NBA Draft...
and point
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
/shooting guard Nando de Colo
Nando de Colo
Nando de Colo is a French professional basketball player. His parents are from Portugal.-Pro career:...
from France with the No. 51 and No. 53 picks, respectively. On July 10, 2009, the Spurs signed Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
Antonio McDyess
Antonio McDyess
Antonio Keithflen McDyess is an American professional basketball player. McDyess is listed at 6'9" , 245 lb. and is a power forward/center. In 2009 he signed a 3-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs....
to a three-year deal worth approximately $15 million in guaranteed money.
The Spurs struggled with injuries during the regular season, but managed another 50-win season and a rematch with the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. After falling to the Mavericks in Game 1, the Spurs went on to win the series in six games. The Spurs however, were swept out of the playoffs in the following round by the Phoenix Suns.
2010 – 2011
During the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
, the Spurs managed held the highest draft pick since the Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
draft a decade earlier. They drafted rookie James Anderson
James Anderson (basketball)
James Lee Anderson is an American basketball player with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball at Oklahoma State University. In 2010, Anderson was named Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year and a first team All-American...
from Oklahoma State at #20. However, Anderson was soon sitting out of the first half of the season due to injuries. The Big Three however maintained a good healthy status for the '10 part of the season, and went on to obtain the league's best starting record of 25–4 by Christmas Eve. Also fueling the Spurs' re-emergence was a thoroughly revamped Richard Jefferson
Richard Jefferson
Richard Allen Jefferson is a 6 ft 7 in American professional basketball player currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
, whom Popovich personally coached over the summer to find his touch. English bigman Ryan Richards was another draftee of the Spurs, this one at No. 49, however two shoulder surgeries soon left him out of any immediate possibilities. A truly significant development however was the success of R.C. Buford in bringing the Brazilian 7-footer Tiago Splitter
Tiago Splitter
Tiago Splitter is a Brazilian professional basketball player who also holds Spanish citizenship. Along with his native language Portuguese, he also speaks English and Spanish...
to San Antonio from Spain. Still, Splitter missed the preseason, and was injured during the 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
in Turkey. Yet Popovich was able to ease him lightly into the roster as the season gradually progressed. Popovich proved successful in breathing younger life into the Spurs by these modifications, and the addition of Chris Quinn
Chris Quinn
Christopher James Quinn is an American professional basketball player who plays for Khimki Moscow Region of the Russian Professional Basketball League.-High school:...
and Gary Neal
Gary Neal
Gary Neal is an American professional basketball guard for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Neal attended Aberdeen High School and Calvert Hall College High School in Maryland then played college basketball at La Salle University before tranfserring to Towson University...
, who especially proved to be a valuable asset for the early surge in the season. In the first round in the playoffs Spurs faced the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
in Game 1, The Spurs fell short 101–98. In Game 2 The Spurs won 93–87. The Spurs went on to lose the next two games the series was 3–1. In Game 5 The Spurs were down by three 95–92 with 9 seconds left Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
made a three to tie the game, but the referees reviewed it and counted it as a two. With 2.9 sec Spurs fouled Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph
Zachary Randolph , nicknamed Z-Bo, is an American professional basketball player currently with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA...
, Randolph made both free throws the score was now 97–94, with 1.7 sec left of the game. The Spurs gave the ball to Gary Neal
Gary Neal
Gary Neal is an American professional basketball guard for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Neal attended Aberdeen High School and Calvert Hall College High School in Maryland then played college basketball at La Salle University before tranfserring to Towson University...
and Neal makes the three to send it to Overtime. The Spurs went on to win the game 110–103. The Spurs lost Game 6 99–91 and lost the series 4–2.
Logo and Uniforms
Since becoming the San Antonio Spurs in 1973, the team colors have been black, silver and white. The distinctive logo of the word Spurs in EurostileEurostile
The Eurostile type font style is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Aldo Novarese in 1962. Novarese originally made Eurostile for one of the best-known Italian foundries, Nebiolo, in Turin....
font, with the stylized spur
Spur
A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids and to back up the natural aids . The spur is used in every equestrian discipline...
substituting for the letter U, has been a part of the team's identity for many years. The logo incorporated 'Fiesta colors' of pink, orange and teal used from 1989–2002 (though the uniforms remained the same), and alignment from straight to arched beginning with the 2002-03 NBA season
2002-03 NBA season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the 2003 NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
.
The Spurs have always worn black on the road and white at home, except from the 1973–75 ABA
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
seasons where the home uniform was always silver. Until the 1988-89 NBA season
1988-89 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...
the road uniform had "San Antonio" on the front while the home uniform featured the team nickname adopted from the Spurs logo; from 1973–82 the road uniform lettering is black with silver trim. Since the 1989-90 NBA season
1989-90 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs*Defensive Player of the Year: Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons...
the Spurs uniform has remained practically the same, with the road uniform now using the team nickname from their logo; a minor change included the addition of another black (road) and white (home) trim to the already silver-trimmed block numbers in the 2002–03 season.
The Spurs wear black sneakers and socks on the road, and white sneakers and socks at home, a practice that began in the 2002–03 season. At times throughout the season the Spurs wear a jersey that says "Los Spurs" in homage to the Latino population that enjoys the NBA as well. The event is called "Noche Latina." This is done with other teams within the NBA as well.
List of San Antonio Spurs titles and awards
4- NBA Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)4- NBA Western Conference Championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)
19- Division Titles (11 Midwest) (6 Southwest)(2 Central)
1- McDonald's Championship (1999)
4- Finals MVP (Tim Duncan 1999, 2003, 2005 ,Tony Parker 2007)
3- MVP (David Robinson 1995, Tim Duncan 2002, 2003)
3- Rookie of the Year (Swen Nater 1974 (ABA), David Robinson 1990, Tim Duncan 1998)
2- Defensive Player of the Year (Alvin Robertson 1986, David Robinson 1995)
1- Sixth Man Award (Manu Ginobili 2008)
1- Most Improved Player (Alvin Robertson 1986)
1- Coach of the Year (Greg Popovich 2003)
Arena history
Dallas (Texas) Chaparrals- State Fair ColiseumState Fair ColiseumFair Park Coliseum is a 7,513-seat multi-purpose arena in Dallas, Texas on the Fair Park grounds. It was home to the Dallas Black Hawks ice hockey team and Dallas Chaparrals basketball team. It was built in 1955....
(1967–1973) - Moody ColiseumMoody ColiseumMoody Coliseum is an 8,998-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Texas. The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs basketball team. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association before they moved...
(1967–1973) - Tarrant County Coliseum (1970–1971)
- Lubbock Municipal ColiseumLubbock Municipal ColiseumCity Bank Coliseum is a 6,893-seat multi-purpose arena in Lubbock, Texas. It is the home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders club ice hockey team and former home of the now-defunct Lubbock Renegades af2 arena football team...
(1970–1971)
San Antonio Spurs
- HemisFair ArenaHemisFair ArenaHemisFair Arena was an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, United States.It was home to the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, from 1973 to 1993 and the San Antonio Force, of the AFL, during the 1992 season, their only year of existence....
(1973–1993) - AlamodomeAlamodomeThe Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
(1993–2002) - AT&T CenterAT&T CenterAT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC...
(formerly SBC Center) (2002–present)
Basketball Hall of Famers
- George "The Iceman" GervinGeorge GervinGeorge "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
– 1996 - Artis GilmoreArtis GilmoreArtis Gilmore is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association...
– 2011 - Moses MaloneMoses MaloneMoses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
– 2001 - David RobinsonDavid Robinson (basketball)David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
– 2009 - Dennis RodmanDennis RodmanDennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
– 2011 - Dominique WilkinsDominique WilkinsJacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
– 2006
Retired numbers
- 00 – Johnny MooreJohnny Moore (basketball)John Brian "Johnny" Moore is a retired American professional player in the NBA. He spent his entire career playing point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, save one game for the New Jersey Nets. Over 520 games in his NBA career, Moore averaged 9.4 points, 7.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.96 steals...
, G, 1980–88 & 1989–90 - 6 – Avery JohnsonAvery JohnsonAvery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
, G, 1991, 1992–1993, 1994–2001 - 13 – James Silas, G, 1972–81
- 32 – Sean ElliottSean ElliottSean Michael Elliott is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-Early life:Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona and was youngest of three boys. He was a very intelligent boy growing up and attended the G.A.T.E. program at Toleson Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona...
, F, 1989–93 & 1994–2001 - 44 – George GervinGeorge GervinGeorge "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
, G, 1974–85 (Hall of Famer) - 50 – David RobinsonDavid Robinson (basketball)David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
, C, 1989–2003 (Hall of Famer)
Notable former players
|
Dale Ellis Dale Ellis is a retired American professional basketball player, who played in the National Basketball Association.... Danny Ferry Daniel John Willard "Danny" Ferry is a retired American professional basketball player and the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association... Michael Finley Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:... Mike Gale Michael Eugene Gale is a retired American basketball player.Gale was a 6'4" guard at Elizabeth City State University. He was drafted in the third round of the 1971 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and by the Kentucky Colonels in the 1971 American Basketball Association draft... Andrew Gaze Andrew Barry Casson Gaze is Australia's best known basketball player, and one of its most successful. He is considered as the greatest player in the history of the NBL.... George Gervin George "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls... Artis Gilmore Artis Gilmore is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association... Shane Heal Shane Douglas Heal is a retired Australia professional basketball player who last played with the Gold Coast Blaze of the National Basketball League, retiring at the end of the 2008/09 season. During his early years as a player, Heal played for the Brisbane Bullets and the Geelong Supercats... George Hill (basketball) George Jesse Hill, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA. While playing for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis he received many honors, including Summit League 'Player of the Year' and was an 'Honorable Mention All-American' his junior... Robert Horry Robert Keith Horry Jr. is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association , winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics... Stephen Jackson Stephen Jesse Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. Jackson is a 6'8" guard-forward.-Early life, high school, and college:Jackson was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur, Texas... Rich Jones (basketball) Richard Wesley "House" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'6" forward from the University of Memphis, Jones played seven seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the Dallas/Texas Chaparrals, the San Antonio Spurs, and the New York Nets... George Karl George Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,... Larry Kenon Larry Joe Kenon is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'9" forward who had a productive career in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association , Kenon played for the New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors and... Steve Kerr Stephen Douglas "Steve" Kerr is a retired American professional basketball player. He shot .454 from three point range over his career and currently holds the record as the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history... Mike Mitchell (NBA) Michael Anthony Mitchell was an American professional basketball player in the NBA from 1978 to 1990.Mitchell, who was born in Atlanta, played collegiately at Auburn University. He started his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but played most of his career for the San Antonio Spurs.... Swen Nater Swen Eric Nater is a retired Dutch professional basketball player, primarily in the ABA and NBA.-Basketball career:Nater helped John Wooden's UCLA Bruins win two NCAA titles.... Ed Nealy Eddie Carl Nealy is a retired American basketball player. At 6'7" and 238 pounds, he played as a forward.... Radoslav Nesterovic Radoslav "Rašo" Nesterović , usually referred to in English as Rasho Nesterovic , is a retired Slovenian professional basketball player. He holds citizenship in both Slovenia and Greece. In the NBA he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and Toronto Raptors... |
Fabricio Oberto Fabricio Raúl Jesús Oberto is an Argentine professional basketball player. At and , he plays as a center. With Liga Nacional de Básquet in his native Argentina, Oberto began playing professionally in 1993 and later played overseas with teams in Spain and Greece... Mark Olberding Mark Allen Olberding is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'8" forward from the University of Minnesota, Olberding played 12 seasons in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association as a member of the San Diego Sails , San Antonio Spurs , Chicago Bulls ,... Billy Paultz William Edward "Bill" Paultz is a retired American professional basketball player.Paultz played college basketball at Saint John's University and was selected in the seventh round of the 1970 NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets and by the Virginia Squires in the 1970 ABA Draft. Paultz opted to... Will Perdue William Edward Perdue is a retired American NBA basketball player who won four NBA Championships. Perdue is now an ESPN basketball commentator and analyst.Perdue attended Merritt Island High School, Merritt Island, Florida... Chuck Person Chuck Connors Person is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.-High school and college:... Terry Porter Terry Porter is an American professional basketball coach and former player in the National Basketball Association . A native of Wisconsin, he played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point before being drafted 24th by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1985 NBA Draft... Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA... Alvin Robertson Alvin Cyrrale Robertson is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1984 to 1993, and for one final season in 1995–96.-Career:... David Robinson (basketball) David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were... Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The... Malik Rose Malik Jabari Rose is an American former professional basketball player, and current broadcaster, serving as a studio analyst for the New York Knicks, and the lead color analyst for the NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros.-High school and college:Rose graduated from Overbrook High School in... Steve Smith (basketball) Steven Delano "Steve" Smith is a retired American basketball player. He played with several teams in his 14-season National Basketball Association career, including the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs, but is perhaps best known for his five-year stint with the... Rod Strickland Rodney "Rod" Strickland is a retired American professional basketball player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis... Kurt Thomas (basketball) Kurt Vincent Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls. Thomas is a 6'9", 230 lb. power forward/center known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense. Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995, Thomas played college basketball at Texas... Beno Udrih Beno Udrih is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. He was traded to the Bucks on June 23, 2011 after spending four seasons in Sacramento. -Early career:... Kevin Willis Kevin Alvin Willis is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He is a 7-foot power forward/center... Dominique Wilkins Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA... Avery Johnson Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons... |
International rights
The Spurs own the NBA rights to the players listed in the table below. The typical pattern is to allow the player to develop in leagues outside the USA. The player is free to negotiate contracts in other leagues and is not obligated to play in the NBA. Sometimes, a player's overseas contract may have an expensive buyout clause that would discourage the Spurs from seeking to bring him in. The Spurs have had past success in finding foreign talent; some examples of this success include the selections of Manu GinóbiliManu Ginobili
Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
, (
1999 NBA Draft1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
57th pick) and Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
(
2001 NBA Draft2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
29th pick), who have both become All Stars
NBA All-Star Weekend
The National Basketball Association holds an All-Star Weekend every February, the festival has a variety of basketball-related events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star Game held on Sunday night.-The All-Star Game:...
.
| C |  | Robertas Javtokas Robertas Javtokas Robertas Javtokas is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. Javtokas is 2.11 m in height and weighs 122 kg . He plays the center position. He has been a member of the Lithuanian national team since 2000... | 2001 NBA Draft 2001 NBA Draft The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick... | 56th pick |
| C |  | Sergei Karaulov Sergei Karaulov Sergei Karaulov is an Uzbek professional basketball player who was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2004 NBA Draft. He is a 2.16 m , center.... | 2004 NBA Draft 2004 NBA Draft The 2004 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2004 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm . In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible... | 58th pick |
| SF |  | Viktor Sanikidze Viktor Sanikidze Viktor Sanikidze is a Georgian professional basketball player. He plays at both the small forward and power forward positions.-Early years:... | 2004 NBA Draft 2004 NBA Draft The 2004 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2004 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York and was broadcast live on ESPN at 7:00 pm . In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible... | 42nd pick |
| PF |  | James Gist | 2008 NBA Draft 2008 NBA Draft The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including... | 57th pick |
| PG/SG |  | Nando de Colo Nando de Colo Nando de Colo is a French professional basketball player. His parents are from Portugal.-Pro career:... | 2009 NBA Draft 2009 NBA Draft The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S... | 53rd pick |
| PF |  | Ryan Richards | 2010 NBA Draft 2010 NBA Draft The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur... | 49th pick |
| SF |  | Dāvis Bertāns Dāvis Bertāns Dāvis Bertāns is a Latvian professional basketball player. He was born in Valmiera, Latvia, and is 2.08 m tall and he weighs 95 kg . He plays at the small forward position... | 2011 NBA Draft 2011 NBA Draft The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball... | 42nd pick |
| F-C |  | Erazem Lorbek Erazem Lorbek Erazem Lorbek is a Slovenian professional basketball player. He is a forward-center who currently plays with the Liga ACB club FC Barcelona.-Pro career:... | 2005 NBA Draft 2005 NBA Draft The 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues... | with the 15th pick in 2011, in return for George Hill George Hill George Hill may refer to:*George Hill , American basketball player*George Hill , American race car driver*George Hill , 4-time U.S... |
| G-F |  | Adam Hanga Ádám Hanga Ádám Hanga is a Hungarian professional basketball player who currently plays for Bàsquet Manresa. His NBA rights were acquired by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2011 NBA Draft, as the 59th pick of the draft.... | 2011 NBA Draft 2011 NBA Draft The 2011 NBA Draft was held on June 23, 2011 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball... | 59th pick |
Head coaches
| Years Active | Name | Record (W–L) | Winning Percentage | Playoff Record (W–L) |
Postseason Percentage | Playoff Appearances | Division Titles | Conference Titles | NBA Championships | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19961–present | Gregg Popovich Gregg Popovich Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the... |
679–326 | .676 | 101–59 | .631 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 4 | Head Coach, Spurs |
| 1994–961 | Bob Hill Bob Hill Robert W. Hill is an American basketball coach. Hill grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio moving to Worthington, Ohio for high school. Upon graduating from high School, Hill entered Bowling Green State University. Hill is currently the head coach of the Tokyo Apache in Japan... |
124–58 | .681 | 14–11 | .560 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Fired by Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as... , April 2007 |
| 19922–94 | John Lucas John Lucas II John Harding Lucas II is a retired American professional basketball player and a current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.-Basketball playing career and substance abuse:... |
94–49 | .657 | 6–8 | .429 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Assistant Coach, Los Angeles Clippers |
| 19922 | Jerry Tarkanian Jerry Tarkanian Jerry Tarkanian , also known as "Tark the Shark", is a retired college basketball coach known as one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history... |
9–11 | .450 | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Retired from Fresno State California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of... in 2002 |
| 19923 | Bob Bass Bob Bass Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association.... |
26–18 | .591 | 0–3 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Retired as GM of New Orleans Hornets in 2004 |
| 1988–923 | Larry Brown Larry Brown (basketball) Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats.... |
153–131 | .539 | 7–7 | .500 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Fired as Head Coach by the Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte Bobcats The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA... |
| 1986–88 | Bob Weiss Bob Weiss Robert William "Bob" Weiss is a retired American professional basketball player and head coach in the NBA. He is currently coaching Shanxi Zhongyu in the Chinese Basketball Association.... |
59–105 | .360 | 0–3 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fired by Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as... , January 2006 |
| 1984–86 | Cotton Fitzsimmons Cotton Fitzsimmons Lowell "Cotton" Fitzsimmons was a college and NBA basketball coach. A native of Hannibal, Missouri, he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas... |
76–88 | .463 | 2–6 | .250 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Deceased |
| 19834–84 | Bob Bass Bob Bass Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association.... |
26–25 | .510 | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Retired as GM of New Orleans Hornets in 2004 |
| 19834 | Morris McHone Morris McHone Morris McHone is a former professional basketball coach. He served as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs for several seasons under coach Stan Albeck, replacing him in 1983 when Albeck took a job with the New Jersey Nets. However, McHone only lasted 31 games, and was fired midway... |
11–20 | .355 | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Head Coach, Sioux Falls Skyforce Sioux Falls Skyforce The Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989... |
| 1980–83 | Stan Albeck Stan Albeck Stan Albeck is a former professional basketball coach. Albeck has coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association , including the Denver Rockets, the San Diego Conquistadors, , the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey... |
153–93 | .622 | 13–14 | .481 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Partially paralyzed by stroke in 2001 |
| 19805 | Bob Bass Bob Bass Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association.... |
8–8 | .500 | 1–2 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Retired as GM of New Orleans Hornets in 2004 |
| 1976–805 | Doug Moe Doug Moe Douglas Edwin Moe is an American professional basketball coach. He is most closely associated with the Denver Nuggets franchise.... |
177–135 | .567 | 9–13 | .409 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Assistant Coach, Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... |
1During the 1996–97 season, Bob Hill coached 18 regular season games. Hill was fired on December 10, 1996, and Gregg Popovich coached the remaining 64 regular season games.
2During the 1992–93 season, Jerry Tarkanian coached 20 regular season games. Tarkanian was fired on December 18, 1992. Rex Hughes
Rex Hughes
Rex Hughes is a former college and professional basketball coach. He coached men's basketball at Kent State University, and would later serve as an NBA head and assistant coach...
then coached one regular season game, and John Lucas coached the remaining 61 regular season games as well as the playoffs.
3During the 1991–92 season, Larry Brown coached 38 regular season games. Brown was fired on January 21, 1992, and Bob Bass coached the remaining 44 regular season games as well as the playoffs.
4During the 1983–84 season, Morris McHone coached 31 regular season games. McHone was fired on December 28, 1983, and Bob Bass coached the remaining 51 regular season games.
5During the 1979–80 season, Doug Moe coached 66 regular season games. Moe was fired on March 1, 1980, and Bob Bass coached the remaining 16 regular season games as well as the playoffs.