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| {{Short description|National Basketball Association team in San Antonio}} | |||
| {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2015}} | |||
| {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} | |||
| {{Infobox NBA team | |||
| {{Infobox basketball club | |||
| | name = San Antonio Spurs | | name = San Antonio Spurs | ||
| | current = |
| current = 2024–25 San Antonio Spurs season | ||
| | logo = San Antonio Spurs.svg | | logo = San Antonio Spurs.svg | ||
| | imagesize = |
| imagesize = 240px | ||
| | conference = ] | | conference = ] | ||
| | division = ] | | division = ] | ||
| | founded = 1967 |
| founded = 1967 | ||
| | history = {{ubl|''']'''|1967–1970, 1971–1973 (ABA)|'''Texas Chaparrals'''|1970–1971 (ABA)|'''San Antonio Spurs'''|1973–1976 (ABA)|1976–present (NBA)<ref>{{cite web|title=Franchise History–NBA Advanced Stats|url=https://www.nba.com/stats/history|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=NBA.com|access-date=May 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NBA.com/Stats–San Antonio Spurs seasons|url=https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612759/seasons|website=Stats.NBA.com|access-date=December 2, 2022|archive-date=December 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202053052/https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612759/seasons|url-status=live}}</ref>}} | |||
| | history = '''] (ABA)''' <br />1967–1970, 1971–1973<br />'''Texas Chaparrals (ABA)'''<br />1970–1971<br />'''San Antonio Spurs'''<br />1973–present | |||
| | arena = |
| arena = ] | ||
| | |
| location = ] | ||
| | colors = Silver, black, white<!-- Silver is the first listed color, per https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-unveil-statement-edition-uniform-honoring-teams-legacy-in-texas. --><ref>{{cite press release|title=Spurs Unveil Statement Edition Uniform Honoring Team's Legacy In Texas|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-unveil-statement-edition-uniform-honoring-teams-legacy-in-texas|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Spurs.com|date=July 25, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2022|quote=The San Antonio Spurs today unveiled their Nike NBA Statement Edition uniform featuring the team’s iconic silver and black color palette and the recently introduced Texas and SATX secondary logos.|archive-date=July 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725143638/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-unveil-statement-edition-uniform-honoring-teams-legacy-in-texas|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NBA LockerVision - San Antonio Spurs - Icon Edition - Story Guide|url=https://lockervision.nba.com/outfit/san-antonio-spurs/icon-edition|publisher=NBA Properties, Inc.|website=LockerVision.NBA.com|access-date=November 7, 2023|quote=The San Antonio Spurs Icon Edition uniform represents the team's iconic brand identity. This uniform features Spurs Black as the base color and showcases the jersey wordmark "Spurs". The team's core brand elements are further brought to life through the Spurs Silver side inserts and the team's primary icon on both sides of the shorts.|archive-date=October 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020171559/https://lockervision.nba.com/outfit/san-antonio-spurs/icon-edition|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=San Antonio Spurs Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet|url=https://mediacentral.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/logos/nba/sas/SanAntonio_Spurs_Logosheet.jpg|publisher=NBA Properties, Inc.|access-date=November 17, 2017|archive-date=April 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418014454/https://mediacentral.nba.com/wp-content/uploads/logos/nba/sas/SanAntonio_Spurs_Logosheet.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref><br />{{color box|#C4CED4}} {{color box|#000000}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}} | |||
| | colors = Silver, Black, White<ref>{{cite web|title=San Antonio Spurs Reproduction Guideline Sheet|url=http://courtside.nba.com/QuickPlace/nbalogo/Main.nsf/$defaultview/BCACF4B43CFCFEDA85257385006B0C8F/$File/SanAntonio_Spurs_logosheet.pdf?OpenElement|publisher=NBA Media Central (requires username and password: both nbamedia)|date=June 25, 2008|accessdate=May 29, 2015}}</ref><br />{{color box|#BBC4CA}} {{color box|#000000}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}} | |||
| | sponsor = None | |||
| | owner = ] | |||
| | |
| president = ] | ||
| | gm = ] | |||
| | General Manager = ] | |||
| | coach = ] | | coach = ] (on leave) <br /> ] (acting) | ||
| | owner = ] (Peter John Holt, Chairman and CEO)<ref>{{cite news|title=Peter J. Holt And Corinna Holt Richter to succeed Julianna Hawn Holt And Peter M. Holt on Spurs Sports & Entertainment Board of Managers|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/peter-j-holt-and-corinna-holt-richter-succeed-julianna-hawn-holt-and-peter-m-holt-spurs-sports|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Spurs.com|date=March 29, 2019|access-date=June 1, 2019|archive-date=July 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731201311/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/peter-j-holt-and-corinna-holt-richter-succeed-julianna-hawn-holt-and-peter-m-holt-spurs-sports|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| | affiliate = ] | |||
| | affiliation = ] | |||
| | league_champs = '''5''' (], ], ], ], ]) | |||
| | |
| league_champs = '''5''' (], ], ], ], ]) | ||
| | div_champs = ''' |
| conf_champs = '''6''' (], ], ], ], ], ]) | ||
| | div_champs = '''22''' (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]) | |||
| | ret_nums = ''' |
| ret_nums = '''10''' (<!-- Do not add Bill Russell. Only names hanging up in the arena should be listed here. -->], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]) | ||
| | |
| website = {{URL|https://www.nba.com/spurs}} | ||
| | |
| 1_title = Association | ||
| | 1_pattern_b = _sanantoniospurs_association | |||
| | h_pattern_b = _saspursh | |||
| | 1_pattern_s = _sanantoniospurs_association | |||
| | h_shorts = FFFFFF | |||
| | 2_title = Icon | |||
| | h_pattern_s = _saspursh | |||
| | 2_pattern_b = _sanantoniospurs_icon | |||
| | a_body = 000000 | |||
| | 2_pattern_s = _sanantoniospurs_icon | |||
| | a_pattern_b = _saspursa | |||
| | |
| 3_title = Statement | ||
| | 3_pattern_b = _sanantoniospurs_statement_2223 | |||
| | a_pattern_s = _saspursa | |||
| | 3_pattern_s = _sanantoniospurs_statement_2223 | |||
| | 3_body = BBC4CA | |||
| | 4_title = City | |||
| | 3_pattern_b = _saspurs3 | |||
| | 4_pattern_b = _sanantoniospurs_city2324 | |||
| | 3_shorts = BBC4CA | |||
| | 4_pattern_s = _sanantoniospurs_city2324 | |||
| | 3_pattern_s = _saspurs3 | |||
| | 5_title = Classic | |||
| | 5_pattern_b = _sanantoniospurs_classic2223 | |||
| | 5_pattern_s = _sanantoniospurs_classic2223 | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{Portal|Basketball}} | |||
| The '''San Antonio Spurs''' are an American professional ] team based in ] |
The '''San Antonio Spurs''' are an American professional ] team based in ]. The Spurs compete in the ] (NBA) as a member of the ] of the ]. The team plays its home games at ]. | ||
| The Spurs are one of four former ] (ABA) teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ],<ref>{{cite press release|title=Former ABA teams, NBA and Spirits of St. Louis announce conditional settlement|url=https://pr.nba.com/nba-aba-spirits-settlement/|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=PR.NBA.com|date=January 7, 2014|access-date=December 1, 2020|archive-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125231517/https://pr.nba.com/nba-aba-spirits-settlement/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Monroe |first1=Mike |title=Ex-ABA players, Spurs settle suit |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-look-to-settle-ABA-players-association-5663361.php |newspaper=Mysa |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=August 2, 2014 |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411074234/https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-look-to-settle-ABA-players-association-5663361.php |url-status=live }}</ref> one of two former ABA teams to have won an ] (the other being the ]), and the only former ABA team to have won multiple championships.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mendoza |first1=Madalyn |title=On this day in San Antonio history: The Spurs won their first NBA Championship 19 years ago |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Today-in-San-Antonio-history-The-Spurs-won-their-13023872.php |newspaper=Mysa |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=June 25, 2018 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109010439/https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Today-in-San-Antonio-history-The-Spurs-won-their-13023872.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The franchise has won NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.<ref name="Forbes Poppovich">{{cite web |last1=Berri |first1=David |title=Can Gregg Popovich Continue The Greatest Run In NBA History? |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidberri/2018/10/04/can-gregg-popovich-continue-the-greatest-run-in-nba-history/ |website=Forbes |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=October 4, 2018 |archive-date=December 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221153851/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidberri/2018/10/04/can-gregg-popovich-continue-the-greatest-run-in-nba-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As of the 2022–23 season, the Spurs had the highest winning percentage among active NBA franchises.<ref>{{cite web |title=San Antonio Spurs officially become 'best' franchise in NBA history |url=https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/san-antonio-spurs-los-angeles-lakers-nba-history-030315 |website=FOX Sports |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=March 3, 2015 |archive-date=April 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408195658/https://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/san-antonio-spurs-los-angeles-lakers-nba-history-030315 |url-status=live }}</ref> As of May 2017, the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the ] over the previous three decades.<ref>{{cite web|title=These Are the 5 Winningest Franchises in Modern Day American Sports|url=https://www.sportscasting.com/sports/winningest-franchises-pro-sports/|website=Sportscasting|access-date=April 8, 2019|date=May 22, 2017|archive-date=July 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712163628/https://www.sportscasting.com/sports/winningest-franchises-pro-sports/|url-status=dead}}</ref> From 1999–2000 to 2016–17, the Spurs won 50 games each season,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Devine |first1=Dan |title=The San Antonio Spurs' near-two-decade streak of 50-win seasons is over |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/spurs-near-two-decade-streak-50-win-seasons-175900894.html |website=sports.yahoo.com |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=April 4, 2018 |archive-date=March 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307215137/https://sports.yahoo.com/spurs-near-two-decade-streak-50-win-seasons-175900894.html |url-status=live }}</ref> setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://global.nba.com/news/spurs-extend-league-record-50-win-seasons-18-straight/|title=Spurs Extend League Record For 50-Win Seasons to 18 Straight|website=NBA Global|access-date=July 12, 2019|archive-date=October 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024031853/http://global.nba.com/news/spurs-extend-league-record-50-win-seasons-18-straight/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2018–19 season, the Spurs matched an NBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances with 22.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Feldman |first1=Dan |title=Spurs match record by making playoffs 22nd straight year |url=https://nba.nbcsports.com/2019/03/31/spurs-match-record-by-making-playoffs-22nd-straight-year/ |website=NBC Sports |access-date=April 4, 2019 |date=March 31, 2019 |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505101622/https://nba.nbcsports.com/2019/03/31/spurs-match-record-by-making-playoffs-22nd-straight-year/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The team's recent success has coincided with the tenure of current head coach ]<ref name="Forbes Poppovich" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Jeff |title=In San Antonio, success is spelled S-P-U-R-S |url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/In-San-Antonio-success-is-spelled-S-P-U-R-S-5360678.php |newspaper=San Antonio Express-News |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=March 30, 2014 |archive-date=October 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001115742/https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/In-San-Antonio-success-is-spelled-S-P-U-R-S-5360678.php |url-status=live }}</ref> and with the playing careers of Spurs icons ] (1989–2003) and ] (1997–2016). In the 2022–23 season, the Spurs celebrated the club's 50th anniversary. | |||
| The Spurs are one of four former ] teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ] and the only former ABA team to have won an ]. The Spurs' five NBA championships are the fourth most in history behind only the ] (17), ] (16), and ] (6). The Spurs currently rank first among active franchises for the highest winning percentage in NBA history. | |||
| In their 38 NBA seasons since 1976–1977, the Spurs have won 20 division titles. They have made the playoffs in 24 of the last 25 seasons (since 1989–1990) and have missed the playoffs four times since entering the NBA; they have not missed the playoffs in the 18 seasons since ] was drafted by the Spurs in 1997. With their 50th win in the 2014–2015 season, the Spurs extended their record for most consecutive 50+ win seasons to 16 (the 1998/1999 season was shortened to 50 games because of a lockout and based on their win percentage of .740, would have easily surpassed 50 wins in an 82-game season, and thus extend the record by 2 more seasons). Thus, since the 1997/1998 season, the Spurs have actually had 18 consecutive seasons with a winning percentage of .610 or greater during the regular season which is also an NBA record. Only the team's current head coach, ], who had been the team's general manager before replacing ] in 1996, has had a longer tenure with the Spurs. | |||
| ==The Spurs in San Antonio== | ==The Spurs in San Antonio== | ||
| Spurs players are active members of the San Antonio community, and many former Spurs are still active in San Antonio, including ] with the ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecarveracademy.org/page.cfm?p=10 |title=History |publisher=Carver Academy |date=September 17, 2001 |access-date=January 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728093246/http://www.thecarveracademy.org/page.cfm?p=10 |archive-date=July 28, 2011}}</ref> and ] with the George Gervin Youth Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iceman44.org/ |title=George Gervin Youth Center |website=Iceman44.org |date=December 12, 2012 |access-date=January 27, 2013 |archive-date=March 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331203733/http://www.iceman44.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| The Spurs set several NBA attendance records while playing at the ] including the largest crowd ever for |
The Spurs set several NBA attendance records while playing at the ] including the largest crowd ever for an ] game in 1999,<ref>{{cite web |author=www.spursportal.com |url=http://www.spursportal.com/ |title=San Antonio Spurs News, Schedule, Players, Scores, Stats, history... @ Spursportal |website=Spursportal.com |access-date=January 27, 2013 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308033356/http://www.spursportal.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Spurs continue to sell out the smaller ] (formerly SBC Center and AT&T Center) on a regular basis. | ||
| Since 2003, the team has been forced |
Since 2003, the team has been forced into an extended road trip for much of February since the Frost Bank Center hosts the ] during that month. This is informally known as the "Rodeo Road Trip".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.woai.com/content/blogs/don/story/Spurs-rodeo-road-trip-more-important-than-ever/3YLxk--nsUWdXZH56T495w.cspx |title=Spurs rodeo road trip more important than ever | WOAI.COM: San Antonio News |access-date=April 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100409072221/http://www.woai.com/content/blogs/don/story/Spurs-rodeo-road-trip-more-important-than-ever/3YLxk--nsUWdXZH56T495w.cspx |archive-date=April 9, 2010}}</ref> The Spurs have consistently posted winning road records during this period, including an NBA-record longest single road-trip winning streak (eight games out of nine, achieved in 2003).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/2003_games.html|title=2002–03 San Antonio Spurs|work=Basketball-Reference.com|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=July 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730215620/https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/2003_games.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
| When the Spurs have won the NBA title, the team's victory parades have been boat trips on the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hojnacki |first=Sean |title=Spurs Parade 2014: Expectations for NBA Championship Celebration |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2100160-spurs-parade-2014-expectations-for-nba-championship-celebration |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627012617/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2100160-spurs-parade-2014-expectations-for-nba-championship-celebration |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Spurs' NBA title sinks in with River Walk parade |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/spurs-championship-parade-gregg-popovich-lebron-james-taunt-photos-video-river-walk-vine-san-antonio-heat-nba-finals/dd733j54297v1fe1xwpjux17w |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=www.sportingnews.com |date=October 28, 2021 |language=en |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627012617/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/spurs-championship-parade-gregg-popovich-lebron-james-taunt-photos-video-river-walk-vine-san-antonio-heat-nba-finals/dd733j54297v1fe1xwpjux17w |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gonzalez |first=John W. |date=June 19, 2003 |title=Spurs parade down San Antonio Riverwalk |url=https://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/article/Spurs-parade-down-San-Antonio-Riverwalk-2112964.php |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=Chron |language=en-US |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627012618/https://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/article/Spurs-parade-down-San-Antonio-Riverwalk-2112964.php |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| When the Spurs have won the NBA title, the team's victory parades have been boat trips on the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2007-06/18/content_896910.htm |title=Spurs parade for 4th NBA champion title |publisher=Chinadaily.com.cn |date= |accessdate=2013-01-27}}</ref> | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ==Franchise history== | |||
| ===1967–1973: |
===1967–1973: Beginnings as the Dallas/Texas Chaparrals=== | ||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | |||
| {{Main|Dallas Chaparrals}} | {{Main|Dallas Chaparrals}} | ||
| The San Antonio Spurs started out as the ] of the original version of the ] (ABA). Coached by Player/Coach ] 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 ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/dalaba/chaparrals.html |title=Dallas Chaparrals (1967–1973) |publisher=sportsecyclopedia.com |date=October 6, 2005 |accessdate=January 26, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| The |
The San Antonio Spurs started out as the ] of the original version of the ] (ABA). Coached by player/coach ], 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 fourth place with a mediocre 41–37 record. In the playoffs, the Chaparrals quickly fell to the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/dalaba/chaparrals.html |title=Dallas Chaparrals (1967–1973) |website=Sportsecyclopedia.com |date=October 6, 2005 |access-date=January 26, 2012 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305175147/http://sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/dalaba/chaparrals.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
| The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas. In fact, during the ], the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas" and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, playing games in ], at the ], as well as ], at the ], but this proved a failure and the team returned full-time to Dallas in time for the ], splitting their games at ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/Dallas-Chaparrals.html |title=Dallas Chaparrals History |website=Remembertheaba.com |date=January 5, 1971 |access-date=May 21, 2009 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304203215/http://www.remembertheaba.com/Dallas-Chaparrals.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| ===1973–1976: Coming to San Antonio=== | |||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | |||
| 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 ], nearly all of the owners wanted out. A group of 36 San Antonio businessmen, led by ], John Schaefer and ] 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. | |||
| ===1973–1976: Moving to San Antonio=== | |||
| After the deal was signed, the team was renamed the San Antonio Gunslingers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/San-Antonio-Spurs.html |title=San Antonio Spurs page |publisher=Remembertheaba.com |accessdate=May 21, 2009}}</ref> 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. | |||
| While the Chaparrals had been modestly successful on the court, they were sinking financially by their third season. The financial difficulties were largely caused by the ownership group's refusal to invest much money on the team. After missing the playoffs for the first time in their existence in the ], nearly all of the owners wanted out. The team decided to sell the team to a different city, and the Chaparrals had to choose between San Antonio and ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zone |first=Jeff Garcia, Spurs |date=April 15, 2020 |title=San Antonio wasn't the only city the ABA Chaparrals were eyeing in move from Dallas |url=https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-zone/san-antonio-wasnt-the-only-city-the-aba-chaparrals-were-eyeing-in-move-from-dallas |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=WOAI |language=en |archive-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308131653/https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-zone/san-antonio-wasnt-the-only-city-the-aba-chaparrals-were-eyeing-in-move-from-dallas |url-status=live }}</ref> A group of 35 San Antonio businessmen—led by ], John Schaefer, and ]—worked out a "lend-lease" deal with the Dallas ownership group. Drossos and his group would lease the team for three years with an option to purchase. | |||
| ], a metal tool designed to be worn on the heels of cowboy boots for the purpose of controlling a horse's movement and direction |
], a metal tool designed to be worn on the heels of cowboy boots for the purpose of controlling a horse's movement and direction.]] | ||
| After the deal was signed, the team was renamed the San Antonio Gunslingers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/San-Antonio-Spurs.html |title=San Antonio Spurs page |website=Remembertheaba.com |access-date=May 21, 2009 |archive-date=December 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218222429/http://www.remembertheaba.com/san-antonio-spurs.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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, with the branding taking effect for the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Behind The Name – Spurs|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/behind_the_name.html|publisher=National Basketball Association|date=July 21, 2015|access-date=July 21, 2015|archive-date=July 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719135910/https://www.nba.com/spurs/features/behind_the_name.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In their first game at ], the Spurs lost to the ] despite attracting a crowd of 6,000 fans. A smothering defense was the team's trademark, as they held opponents to less than 100 points in an ABA-record 49 games. The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran ], and the team grew stronger by acquiring ] (who would go on to win the ]) and ] from the ] in January. The ABA tried to halt the Gervin deal, claiming it was detrimental to the league; however, a judge ruled in the Spurs' favor and Gervin made his Spurs debut on February 7, 1974. The Spurs finished their inaugural season under that banner with a 45–39 record, good for third place in the Western Division. In the playoffs, the team was defeated by the ] in seven games in the first round. 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. Drossos, Schaefer 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/San-Antonio-Spurs.html |title=Spurs ABA History |website=Remembertheaba.com |access-date=May 21, 2009 |archive-date=December 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218222429/http://www.remembertheaba.com/san-antonio-spurs.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| 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 ], Coach ] was fired as the team's ownership become tired of the Spurs' slow playing style. He was replaced by ], who said, "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." Gervin and Silas took that style to heart, as the Spurs became an exciting fast-break team. The team finished the season with a 51–33 record and finished in second place in the West. In the playoffs, the Spurs fell to the Pacers in six games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1975 ABA Western Division Semifinals - Pacers vs. Spurs |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1975-aba-western-division-semifinals-pacers-vs-spurs.html |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en |archive-date=October 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231020041548/https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1975-aba-western-division-semifinals-pacers-vs-spurs.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| In the playoffs, the Spurs would battle the ] to the bitter end before falling in seven 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. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/San-Antonio-Spurs.html |title=Spurs ABA History |publisher=Remembertheaba.com |accessdate=May 21, 2009}}</ref> | |||
| Even though playoff success would elude the team before the merger, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the best teams in the ABA. Moreover, their gaudy attendance figures made them very attractive to the NBA, even though San Antonio, then as now, was a medium-sized market. Although San Antonio proper had over 650,000 people at the time (and has since grown to become the ]), the surrounding suburban and rural areas have never been much larger than the city itself. | |||
| 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 ], Coach ] was fired as owners become tired of the Spurs' slow defensive style of games. He would be replaced by ], 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 second 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 six games. | |||
| In June 1976, the ] took place, moving San Antonio's sole professional sports franchise into a new league. The Spurs, the ], the ] and the ] joined the NBA for the 1976–77 season. The Spurs and the other three ABA teams added in the merger agreed to pay the owners of two other strong ABA teams that folded instead of joining the NBA. ], the owner of the ], received $3 million, which he used to purchase the NBA's ] and later the ], after selling star guard ] to the Spurs. The owners of the ] received a portion of all television profits during their NBA tenure, which amounted to approximately one-seventh of the Spurs' television profit every year. This agreement placed particular financial pressure on the Spurs and the other three surviving former ABA teams.<ref>Darren Rovell. . ESPN.com, January 22, 2001.</ref> In 2014, 38 years after the completion of the merger, the Spirits' owners reached an agreement with the NBA to end the perpetual payments and take a lump sum of $500 million instead.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gaines |first1=Cork |title=NBA Will Pay Two Brothers $500 Million To Get Out Of A Crazy Business Deal Made In 1976 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/nba-will-pay-two-brothers-500-million-to-get-out-of-crazy-business-deal-made-in-1976-2014-1 |website=Business Insider |access-date=February 29, 2020 |date=January 7, 2014 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806233847/https://www.businessinsider.com/nba-will-pay-two-brothers-500-million-to-get-out-of-crazy-business-deal-made-in-1976-2014-1 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| 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 ] took place, moving San Antonio's sole professional sports franchise into a new league. The Spurs, ], ] and ] 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. ], the owner of the ], received $3 million, which he used to purchase the NBA's ] and later the ], after selling star guard ] to the Spurs. The owners of the ] received a portion of all television profits during their NBA tenure, which amounted to roughly 1/7 of the Spurs' television profit every year. This agreement placed particular financial pressure on the Spurs and the other three former ABA teams.<ref>Darren Rovell. . ESPN.com, January 22, 2001.</ref> In 2014, the Spirits' owners reached agreement with the NBA to end the perpetual payments and take a lump sum of $500 million instead.<ref>Misplaced Pages ] Misplaced Pages entry</ref> | |||
| ===1976–1985: The George Gervin era=== | ===1976–1985: The George Gervin era=== | ||
| <!-- |
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ] --> | ||
| ] served as a foundation piece for the Spurs for almost a decade between 1976 and 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 ] 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 ], who had played in Texas for five years prior to the merger. | |||
| During the ], |
During the ], Gervin battled ] of the Denver Nuggets all year long 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 ]. 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 first quarter. In the second, Gervin set a single period record with 33 points. Early on in the third 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 six games by the ] despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33.2 |
However, in the playoffs, the Spurs would be stunned in six games by the ] despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33.2 points per game. The following season in the 1979 Conference Finals the Spurs led the series 3–1 but the Bullets came back to win the last three games and came from behind to win the seventh game 107–105 handing the Spurs a 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 five division titles in their first seven years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant. However, in the playoffs, the Spurs |
The Spurs would go on to capture five division titles in their first seven years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant. However, in the playoffs, the Spurs could never catch a break, losing to teams like the Washington Bullets, the ], the Houston Rockets, and the ]. | ||
| 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 ], 48–34 in ], and 53–29 in ] |
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 ] (in that season, the Spurs were moved to the Midwest Division of the Western Conference), 48–34 in ], and 53–29 in ]. | ||
| Despite their regular |
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 ] and the Los Angeles Lakers in four games in ] and in six games in the ] 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 did not make the conference finals until 1995. | ||
| After the ], Gervin, who 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. | After the ], Gervin, who 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. | ||
| Line 95: | Line 95: | ||
| The next four seasons were a dark time in Spurs' history with the team having a combined record of 115–213 from ] until ]. The losing seasons and dwindling attendance often caused the Spurs to be mentioned as a potential candidate for relocation to another city. | The next four seasons were a dark time in Spurs' history with the team having a combined record of 115–213 from ] until ]. 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 |
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 ] standout ]. Although Robinson was drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the ] for Robinson to be a Spur because of his prior two-year commitment to serve in the United States Navy. | ||
| The Spurs seemingly bottomed out in 1988–89 with a record of 21–61, the worst in franchise history at the time. However, the 1989–90 season 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 ] as the Spurs head coach who moved to San Antonio after winning the ] National Championship with ] in 1988. | |||
| ===1989–1997: The David Robinson era=== | |||
| The Spurs seemingly bottomed out in 1988–89 with a record of 21–61, the worst in franchise history at the time. However, the 1989–90 season 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 ] as the Spurs head coach who moved to San Antonio after winning the ] National Championship with ] in 1988. | |||
| ] was named ] in ] and later helped the Spurs win its first NBA championship in ]. ]] | |||
| 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,<ref>Dave Anderson. , ''The New York Times'', May 18, 1987.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_theme=saec&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=SAEC&p_docid=11944F93C77C7D18&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28+11944F93C77C7D18+%29&&s_dlid=DL0107060621382819968&s_ecproduct=SUB-FREE&s_subterm=Subscription+until%3A+12%2F14%2F2015+11%3A59+PM&s_subexpires=+11%3A59+PM&s_username=safree&s_accountid=AC0106020315182914953&s_upgradeable=no%3Fp_action%3Ddoc&p_theme=saec&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=SAEC&p_docid=11944F93C77C7D18&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28+11944F93C77C7D18+%29&&s_dlid=DL0107060621382819968&s_ecproduct=SUB-FREE&s_subterm=Subscription+until%3A+12%2F14%2F2015+11%3A59+PM&s_subexpires=+11%3A59+PM&s_username=safree&s_accountid=AC0106020315182914953&s_upgradeable=no&mysa_login=1|title=San Antonio Express-News|website=nl.newsbank.com|access-date=February 10, 2024|archive-date=November 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117163858/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_theme=saec&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=SAEC&p_docid=11944F93C77C7D18&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28+11944F93C77C7D18+%29&&s_dlid=DL0107060621382819968&s_ecproduct=SUB-FREE&s_subterm=Subscription+until%3A+12%2F14%2F2015+11%3A59+PM&s_subexpires=+11%3A59+PM&s_username=safree&s_accountid=AC0106020315182914953&s_upgradeable=no%3Fp_action%3Ddoc&p_theme=saec&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&p_product=SAEC&p_docid=11944F93C77C7D18&p_text_direct-0=document_id%3D%28+11944F93C77C7D18+%29&&s_dlid=DL0107060621382819968&s_ecproduct=SUB-FREE&s_subterm=Subscription+until%3A+12%2F14%2F2015+11%3A59+PM&s_subexpires=+11%3A59+PM&s_username=safree&s_accountid=AC0106020315182914953&s_upgradeable=no&mysa_login=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Robinson decided in the end to come to San Antonio for the ]. | |||
| While it was thought that Robinson's arrival would make the Spurs respectable again, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Led by Robinson, 1989 draftee ] from ], and trade acquisition ] from the Milwaukee Bucks, the Spurs achieved the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA history, finishing with a record of 56–26–vaulting from the worst record in franchise history to the best in franchise history. They also jumped all the way to first place in the Midwest Division, their first division title in seven years. 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. | |||
| ===1989–1997: Arrival of The Admiral=== | |||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | |||
| 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,<ref>Dave Anderson. , ''The New York Times,'' May 18, 1987.</ref><ref>Tom Orsborn. '' San Antonio Express-News,'' May 20, 2007.</ref> Robinson decided in the end to come to San Antonio for the ]. | |||
| 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. Midway through the ], McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with ] for the remainder of the season. Without a healthy David Robinson, the Spurs were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. | |||
| While it was thought his arrival would make the Spurs respectable again, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Led by Robinson, 1989 draftee ] from ], and trade acquisition ] from the Milwaukee Bucks, 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 division title in seven years. 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. | |||
| McCombs made national headlines during the summer of 1992 with the hiring of former ] head coach ]. The Tarkanian experiment proved a flop, as the coach was fired 20 games into the ] with the Spurs record at 9–11. After ] filled the coaching shoes for one game, NBA veteran ] was named head coach. It was Lucas' 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. | |||
| 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 ], McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with ] for the remainder of the season. 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 ] head coach ]. The Tarkanian experiment proved a flop, as the coach was fired 20 games into the ] with the Spurs record at 9–11. After ] filled the coaching shoes for one game, NBA veteran ] was named head coach. It was Lucas' 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 | |||
| In 1993, local businessman ] and a group of 22 investors purchased the Spurs from Red McCombs for $75 million. In the 1993–94 season, the Spurs' first in the newly built ], Lucas led the team to a 55–27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs, which led to the immediate firing of Lucas as head coach. Prior to the season, the Spurs traded fan-favorite Elliott to the ] in return for rebounding star ]. Elliott returned to the Spurs at the following year. | |||
| Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach ] for the ]. On their first game of the season, they were defeated by the visiting ] despite a strong performance by David Robinson who recorded 27 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks for the Spurs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=141104024|title=Golden State Warriors 123 San Antonio Spurs 118|work=ESPN.com|date=November 5, 1994|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308224502/https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=141104024|url-status=live}}</ref> The next game, Sean Elliott recorded 23 points and David Robinson added 18 points and 19 rebounds as the Spurs got their first win of the season against the visiting New Jersey Nets.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=141107024|title=New Jersey Nets 96 San Antonio Spurs 105|work=ESPN.com|date=November 8, 1994|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308120027/https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=141107024|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| ]In 1993, local businessman ] and a group of 22 investors purchased the Spurs from Red McCombs for $75 million. In the 1993-94 season, the Spurs' first in the newly built ], Lucas led the team to a 55–27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs, which led to the immediate firing of Lucas as head coach. Prior to the season the Spurs traded fan-favorite Elliott to the ] in return for rebounding star ]. | |||
| The Spurs finished with the NBA's best record at 62–20, cracking the 60-win mark for the first time in franchise history. Robinson was named the league's Most Valuable Player. The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA Champion ]. 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 ] after the season, and helped the Bulls win three titles from 1996 to 1998. Rodman was named All-NBA Third Team for the Spurs that season. | |||
| The Spurs finished the |
The Spurs finished the 1995–96 season under Hill at 59–23 and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals. Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the ], especially with the signing of ]. Robinson missed the first month of the season due to a back injury. He returned in December, but played only six games before a broken foot sidelined him for the rest of the season. Elliott also missed more than half the season due to injury. Forward ] would miss the entire season with a back injury. Without Robinson and Elliott, the Spurs were a rudderless team. The lone bright spot was Wilkins, leading the team in scoring with an average of 18.2 points per game. The Spurs ended the season with a 20–62 record, the worst in franchise history—and the last time they missed the playoffs until the 2019–20 season. Hill only lasted 18 games as coach that season, eventually being fired and replaced by general manager ], who had also served a stint under Brown as an assistant coach. Wilkins would play his lone season in 1996–97 for San Antonio, knowing his minutes and playing time would greatly diminish next season. | ||
| As disastrous as the 1996–97 season was for the Spurs, the |
As disastrous as the 1996–97 season was for the Spurs, the off-season proved to be the opposite. With the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA draft lottery, which gave them the top pick in the ]. The Spurs used their pick to select ] product and consensus All-American ]. | ||
| ] ] was a turning point in the history of the Spurs.]] | |||
| === |
===1997–2016: The Tim Duncan era=== | ||
| ] ] was a turning point in the history of the Spurs.]] | |||
| ====1997–2003: The "Twin Towers"==== | ====1997–2003: The "Twin Towers"==== | ||
| {{Further|Twin Towers (San Antonio Spurs)}} | |||
| Gregg Popovich watched Tim Duncan play in summer league and immediately noted that, "If I try to coach this guy, the only thing I can do is screw him up," effectively saying that Duncan was very gifted, very intelligent, and had a keen knowledge of the game. | |||
| Paired together, the 7'1"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hoopshype.com/2018/03/23/david-robinson-tim-duncan-is-probably-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me/|title=David Robinson: "Tim Duncan is probably the best thing that ever happened to me"|website=Hoopshype.com|date=March 23, 2018|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=June 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617113112/https://hoopshype.com/2018/03/23/david-robinson-tim-duncan-is-probably-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me/|url-status=live}}</ref> Robinson and the 6'11"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/sports/basketball/nba-height-age.html|title=N.B.A. Will Get to the Bottom of How Tall Its Players Are|first=Marc|last=Stein|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 26, 2019|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106145010/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/sports/basketball/nba-height-age.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Duncan became known as the Twin Towers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-14-9902140316-story.html|title='TOWERS' THEORY FAULTY FOR SPURS?|first=Sam|last=Smith|website=chicagotribune.com|date=February 14, 1999|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=November 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121185849/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-14-9902140316-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-06-02-9906020076-story.html|title=Twin Towers elevate Spurs; Duncan, Robinson look to go farther than previous tandems|website=baltimoresun.com|date=June 2, 1999|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=December 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205151617/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-06-02-9906020076-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Twin Towers played together for the Spurs from 1997 to 2003.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-zone/before-joining-the-spurs-david-robinson-knew-tim-duncan-was-a-special-player|title=Before joining the Spurs, David Robinson knew Tim Duncan was a special player|first=Jeff|last=Garcia|date=April 25, 2020|website=News4SanAntonio.com|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106145011/https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/spurs-zone/before-joining-the-spurs-david-robinson-knew-tim-duncan-was-a-special-player|url-status=live}}</ref> Both Robinson and Duncan were skilled offensive players,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/content/watch-shaquille-o-neal-admits-to-not-being-as-skilled-at-spurs-duncan-robinson |title=Shaquille O'Neal: I wasn't Tim Duncan, David Robinson |website=News4SanAntonio.com |last=Garcia |first=Jeff |date=September 14, 2020 |access-date=November 6, 2021 |archive-date=November 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106163113/https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/content/watch-shaquille-o-neal-admits-to-not-being-as-skilled-at-spurs-duncan-robinson |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Twin Towers also anchored the Spurs' formidable defense.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-10-26-0110250115-story.html|title=SAN ANTONIO SPURS|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|date=October 26, 2001|access-date=November 6, 2021|archive-date=July 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708094728/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2001-10-26-0110250115-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The duo helped lead the team to NBA championships in 1999 and 2003.<ref name="auto"/> | |||
| Duncan quickly emerged as a dominant force in the NBA during the ], 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 |
Duncan quickly emerged as a dominant force in the NBA during the ], 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 to 1990 for the biggest single-season improvement for wins, but once again lost to the Jazz in the Western Conference semi-finals. While both Duncan and Robinson played low-post roles, the two seamlessly meshed on the court. | ||
| With a healthy Robinson and Duncan and the additions of playoff veterans such as ] and ], the Spurs looked forward to the ]. Prior to the beginning of training camps, however, the NBA owners, led by commissioner ], ] with the ] (NBPA). The season was delayed for over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999. | With a healthy Robinson and Duncan and the additions of playoff veterans such as ] and ], the Spurs looked forward to the ]. Prior to the beginning of training camps, however, the NBA owners, led by commissioner ], ] with the ] (NBPA). The season was delayed for over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999. | ||
| Playing a shortened 50-game season, the Spurs won their first two games of the season, against the ] and the ] respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=190205024|title=Sacramento Kings 83 San Antonio Spurs 101|work=ESPN.com|date=February 5, 1999|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309022839/https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=190205024|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=190206024|title=Timberwolves 82 Spurs 96|work=ESPN.com|date=February 6, 1999|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308153938/https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=190206024|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the Spurs lost their next three games to the Lakers, Timberwolves, and Cavaliers, the latter a 99–89 road loss.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=190211005|title=San Antonio Spurs 89 Cleveland Cavaliers 99|work=ESPN.com|date=February 11, 1999|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308130512/https://www.espn.com/nba/game?gameId=190211005|url-status=live}}</ref> The Spurs finished the regular season with an NBA-best 37–13 record (.740 win percentage), the only season during Duncan's tenure with the Spurs that the team did not win at least 50 games in a season, a feat that extended through the 2016–17 season. The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11–1. In the ], they faced the ], who had made history by becoming the first eighth seed to ever make the NBA Finals. The Spurs won the series 4-1 and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 at the Knicks' home arena, ]. Duncan was named the ]. The Spurs became the first former ABA team to reach and win the NBA Finals. | |||
| ] | |||
| Playing a shortened 50-game season, the Spurs earned an NBA-best 37–13 record (.740 win percentage, and only season since Duncan was drafted the Spurs did not win at least 50 games in a season as of 2014). The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11–1. In the ], they faced the ], who had made history by becoming the first eighth seed to ever make the NBA Finals. The Spurs won the series and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 at the Knicks' home arena, ]. Duncan was named the ]. The Spurs became the first former ABA team to reach and to win the NBA Finals. They also won the ] in the off-season and were the last champions of that tournament as it was disbanded right after. | |||
| 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 ]. On March 14, the Spurs playoff spirits got a lift when ], who received a kidney transplant from his brother prior to the season, returned and played in the last 19 games. As the season wound down, Duncan suffered a knee injury and the Spurs finished in second place with a 53–29 record. Without Duncan, the Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in four games. | 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 ]. On March 14, the Spurs playoff spirits got a lift when ], who received a kidney transplant from his brother prior to the season, returned and played in the last 19 games. As the season wound down, Duncan suffered a knee injury and the Spurs finished in second place with a 53–29 record. Without Duncan, the Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in four games. | ||
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| Entering the ], 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 ], named after telecommunications giant ], whose corporate headquarters were 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). | Entering the ], 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 ], named after telecommunications giant ], whose corporate headquarters were 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 ], drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the 2001 NBA |
This version of the Spurs was very different from the team that had won the title a few years earlier. Second-year French star ], drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the ], was now the starting point guard for the Spurs. The squad featured a variety of newly acquired three-point shooters, including ], ], ], ], ] and Argentine product ], a 1999 second-round draft choice playing in his first NBA season. | ||
| The Spurs christened the ] in style on November 1, 2002 by defeating the ] 91–72.<ref name="databasebasketball.com"> |
The Spurs started the 2002–03 season with an 87–81 road win over the defending champions, the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221029013|title=Neither team shoots well, but Spurs get 'W'|work=ESPN.com|date=October 31, 2002|access-date=July 21, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308143705/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221029013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following game, the Spurs bowed down to the home team, the Golden State Warriors, 106–98.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221030009|title=Warriors' Jamison lights up Spurs for 36 points|work=ESPN.com|date=October 31, 2002|access-date=July 21, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308144533/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221030009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Spurs christened the ] in style on November 1, 2002, by defeating the ] 91–72.<ref name="databasebasketball.com">{{cite web|url=http://databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=2002&b=20021101&tm=SAS |title=11/01/2002 NBA Box Score at SAS - basketballreference.com |access-date=May 19, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708233730/http://databasebasketball.com/teams/boxscore.htm?yr=2002&b=20021101&tm=SAS |archive-date=July 8, 2011}}, databasebasketball.com, accessed May 19, 2008.</ref> The next game, the Spurs were on the road to face the winless ]. In that game, the Spurs and the Grizzlies went to overtime. In the first minutes of the OT, the Grizzlies held a 7-point lead before Tim Duncan answered the run with a 9-point run by himself. With a tied score of 111–111 with 0.8 seconds remaining, Duncan made a 12-foot jumpshot to defeat the Grizzlies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221104029|title=Duncan's jumper at buzzer in OT beats Memphis|work=ESPN.com|date=November 4, 2002|access-date=July 21, 2019|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321170539/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221104029|url-status=dead}}</ref> The following game, the Spurs were down by three points at halftime against the visiting Warriors, but then scored 31 points in the third quarter to put the game away, clinching their fourth win of the season. Tony Parker led the Spurs after scoring 21 points.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221105024|title=Parker's hot shooting helps pace Spurs|work=ESPN.com|date=November 7, 2002|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309024305/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221105024|url-status=dead}}</ref> Three days after, the Spurs were dealt by the visiting Trail Blazers their first home loss of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221109024|title=Wells comes off bench to post 19 Portland points|work=ESPN.com|date=November 10, 2002|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308153027/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=221109024|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Spurs would not get off to a flying start as they had just a 19–13 record heading into January. In January the Spurs began to gel and seemed prepped to make a run, when they embarked on their annual Rodeo Road Trip, a nine-game road trip from January 25 to February 16. However, it would be hardly a bump in the road for the charging Spurs, who won eight of the nine and began to climb their way to first place. The Spurs went on to erase their seven-game deficit and finished the season in a tie with the ] for the best record in the NBA (60–22). Thanks to a tiebreaker, the Spurs won their third straight Division title as Tim Duncan claimed his second straight NBA MVP.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704042750/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/sanantonio/spurs.html|date=July 4, 2014}}, sportsecyclopedia.com, April 23, 2009, accessed May 13, 2008.</ref> | ||
| In the ], the Spurs defeated the Suns, Lakers and Mavericks en route to facing the ] in the ]. 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, after having been named NBA MVP, was also named Finals MVP. | |||
| ==== |
====2003–2016: The "Big Three"==== | ||
| {{Further|Big Three (San Antonio Spurs)}} | |||
| Coming off their second NBA Championship, the retirement of ] left a void in San Antonio's daunting defense, while playoff hero ] and veteran forward ] also retired. Meanwhile, backup point guard ] was hired away by the ], and ] left for ]. With several holes to fill in their rotation, the Spurs would make several key signings in the off-season. ] and ] were brought in to replace Robinson and Jackson, respectively. What proved to be the most important off-season acquisition would be the signing of veteran ]. | |||
| ] at the ].]] | |||
| The Spurs, playing with nine new players, struggled early as they missed the presence of 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 a 13-game winning streak and quickly climbed back to the top of the NBA standings. They 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 one game short of a division title and the best record in the West, posting a record of 57–25. In the second round of the playoffs, the Spurs found themselves in another showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs would win Games 1 and 2 at home, but drop the next two in the Los Angeles. In Game 5 back in San Antonio, Duncan seemingly delivered the Spurs a 73–72 win as he hit a dramatic shot with just 0.4 seconds remaining. However, the Lakers' ] would launch a game-winner as time expired, giving the Lakers a stunning 74–73 win to take a 3–2 series lead.<ref>"Parker perplexed once again", ''San Antonio Express-News'', May 14, 2004.</ref><ref>"S.A. is heartbreak city", ''San Antonio Express-News'', May 14, 2004.</ref><ref name="Fisher">, NBA.com, May 13, 2004. Retrieved February 7, 2007.</ref> The Spurs would eventually lose the series in six games. | |||
| ====2004–2015: The "Big Three"==== | |||
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| Coming off their second NBA Championship, the retirement of ] left a void in San Antonio's daunting defense, while playoff hero ] and veteran forward ] also retired. Meanwhile, backup point guard ] left for the ], and ] left for the ]. With several holes to fill in their rotation, the Spurs would make several key signings in the off-season. ] and ] were brought in to replace Robinson and Jackson, respectively. What proved to be the most important off-season acquisition would be the signing of veteran ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 23, 2003 |title=Take two: Horry signs two-year, $9.5M deal with Spurs |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story?id=1584351 |access-date=June 27, 2022 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627012617/https://www.espn.com/nba/story?id=1584351 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| The Spurs, playing with nine new players, struggled early as they missed the presence of 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 a 13-game winning streak and quickly climbed back to the top of the NBA standings. They 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 one game short of a division title and the best record in the West, posting a record of 57–25. In the second round of the playoffs, the Spurs found themselves in another showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs would win Games 1 and 2 at home, but drop the next two in Los Angeles. In Game 5 back in San Antonio, Duncan seemingly delivered the Spurs a 73–72 win as he hit a dramatic shot with just 0.4 seconds remaining. However, the Lakers' ] would launch a game-winner as time expired, giving the Lakers a stunning 74–73 win to take a 3–2 series lead.<ref>"Parker perplexed once again", ''San Antonio Express-News'', May 14, 2004.</ref><ref>"S.A. is heartbreak city", ''San Antonio Express-News'', May 14, 2004.</ref><ref name="Fisher"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070423014304/http://www.nba.com/games/20040513/LALSAS/recap.html |date=April 23, 2007 }}, NBA.com, May 13, 2004. Retrieved February 7, 2007.</ref> Demoralized the Spurs would head back to Los Angeles where they would lose the series in six games. | |||
| After their disappointing second round collapse, the Spurs looked to regain the NBA crown. With the acquisition of guard ] from ], 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 ] from ] (acquired in a midseason trade of ]), and veteran forward ] from ], alongside regulars ], ], ], ], and ], the Spurs would be near the top in the Western Conference all season, battling the ] 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 suffered an ankle injury. The Spurs struggled the rest of the season, finishing just 59-23. However, by the time the playoffs rolled around, Duncan was ready to return. | |||
| After their disappointing second-round collapse, the Spurs looked to regain the NBA crown. With the acquisition of guard ] from ], 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 ] from ] (acquired in a midseason trade of ]), and veteran forward ] from ], alongside regulars ], ], ], ], and ], the Spurs would be near the top in the Western Conference all season, battling the ] 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 suffered an ankle injury. The Spurs struggled the rest of the season, finishing just 59–23. However, by the time the playoffs rolled around, Duncan was ready to return. | |||
| In the ], The Spurs went through the West relatively easily, culminating with a 5-game victory in the Conference Finals over the ]. In the ], the Spurs would face the defending champion ]. The first two games in San Antonio were both Spurs victories as 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 by big margins as the Pistons evened the series. Faced with a third straight loss in Detroit, the Spurs would play tougher in Game 5, which would go into overtime. After going scoreless in the first half, ] hit a clutch three-point shot with nine seconds remaining to give the Spurs a dramatic 96–95 win.<ref name="sports.yahoo.com/nba">, sports.yahoo.com, June 20, 2005, accessed May 20, 2008.</ref> The series moved back to San Antonio for game six, but the Spurs were unable to close out the series, setting up a deciding Game 7. In Game 7, Duncan had 25 points as the Spurs pulled away late to win their third NBA Title in seven years with an 81–74 win.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"/> Duncan was named ], becoming only the fourth player to win the MVP award three times (joining ], ], and ]). | |||
| In the ], The Spurs went through the West relatively easily, culminating with a 5-game victory in the Conference Finals over the ]. In the ], the Spurs would face the defending champion ]. The first two games in San Antonio were both Spurs' victories as Ginóbili led the way with 26 and 27 points respectively. However, as the series shifted to Detroit, the Spurs lost Games 3 and 4 by big margins as the Pistons tied the series. Faced with a third straight loss in Detroit, the Spurs would play tougher in Game 5, which would go into overtime. After going scoreless in the first half, ] hit a clutch three-point shot with nine seconds remaining to give the Spurs a dramatic 96–95 win.<ref name="sports.yahoo.com/nba"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305224926/https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2005061908|date=March 5, 2016}}, sports.yahoo.com, June 20, 2005, accessed May 20, 2008.</ref> The series moved back to San Antonio for game six, but the Spurs were unable to close out the series, setting up a deciding Game 7. In Game 7, Duncan had 25 points as the Spurs pulled away late to win their third NBA Title in seven years with an 81–74 win.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"/> Duncan was named ], becoming the fourth player to win the MVP award three times (joining ], ], and ]). | |||
| ]Coming off their third NBA Championship in seven 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.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"/> For the ], the Spurs acquired the two-time All-Star ] and one-time All Star ]. 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 ] 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.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"/> The Spurs met the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs, but it would be Dallas coming out on top 4-3, including a 119-111 overtime victory in Game 7. | |||
| ] | |||
| The Spurs struggled during the first half of the 2006-07 season, which led to discussions of trading away veteran players to build for the future. The team remained intact, and the Spurs would win 13 games in a row during February and March, and were an NBA-best 25–6 in the final 31 games, as the Spurs were able to claim the 3-seed in the West. The Spurs cruised through the first round, while the #1-seeded ] were upset. This set up a second-round series with the ] as the key series in the entire NBA Playoffs, as this series featured the teams with the two best records remaining in the NBA. | |||
| Coming off their third NBA Championship in seven 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.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"/> For the ], the Spurs acquired the two-time All-Star ] and one-time All Star ]. 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 ] 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.<ref name="sportsecyclopedia.com"/> The Spurs met the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs, but it would be Dallas coming out on top 4–3, including a 119–111 overtime victory in Game 7. | |||
| The Spurs struggled during the first half of the ], which led to discussions of trading away veteran players to build for the future. The team remained intact, and the Spurs would win 13 games in a row during February and March, and were an NBA-best 25–6 in the final 31 games, as the Spurs were able to claim the 3-seed in the West. The Spurs cruised through the first round, while the first-seeded ] were upset. This set up a second-round series with the ] as the key series in the entire NBA playoffs, as this series featured the teams with the two best records remaining in the NBA. | |||
| The Spurs went on to win 4–2 in the contentious and controversial series versus the Suns. The series featured a Robert Horry foul on Steve Nash toward the end of Game 4 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 ] in five games to reach the ]. In the Finals, the Spurs swept the ] and captured their fourth title in nine years. ], who dominated in the Finals averaging 24.5 ppg on 57% shooting, was named Finals MVP and became the first European-born player to win ].<ref name=Lee>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061402517.html|title=For Spurs, a Familiar Ring |pages=E01|work=The Washington Post|date=June 15, 2007| accessdate=July 17, 2009|last=Lee|first=Michael}}</ref> | |||
| The Spurs went on to win 4–2 in the contentious and controversial series versus the Suns. The series featured a Robert Horry foul on Steve Nash toward the end of Game 4 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 ] in five games to reach the ]. In the Finals, the Spurs swept the ] and captured their fourth title in nine years. ], who dominated in the Finals averaging 24.5 points per game on 57 percent shooting, was named Finals MVP and became the first European-born player to win ].<ref name=Lee>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061402517.html|title=For Spurs, a Familiar Ring|pages=E01|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 15, 2007|access-date=July 17, 2009|last=Lee|first=Michael|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321110453/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061402517.html|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| The ] saw the Spurs go 56–26 and finish 3rd in the Western Conference. The Spurs faced hurdles but would make it to the Western Conference Finals, but lose to the Lakers in five games. The ] would see the Spurs drop off in wins to 54-28 and lose to the ] in the first round of the playoffs. | |||
| The ] saw the Spurs go 56–26 and finish third in the Western Conference. The Spurs faced hurdles but would make it to the Western Conference Finals, but lose to the Lakers in five games. The ] would see the Spurs drop off in wins to 54–28 and lose to the ] in the first round of the playoffs. | |||
| Two days before the ], general manager ] acted to address the team's age and health concerns<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4281291|title=San Antonio Spurs get Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee Bucks for 3 players – ESPN|publisher=ESPN | date=June 24, 2009|accessdate=July 11, 2009|last=Ford|first=Chad}}</ref> by acquiring 29-year-old ] ] from the ]. The Spurs sent 38-year-old ], 36-year-old ], and 34-year-old ] to the Bucks, who swapped Oberto to the ] for ]. | |||
| Two days before the ], general manager ] acted to address the team's age and health concerns<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=4281291|title=San Antonio Spurs get Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee Bucks for 3 players – ESPN|publisher=ESPN|date=June 24, 2009|access-date=July 11, 2009|last=Ford|first=Chad|archive-date=January 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110235044/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4281291|url-status=live}}</ref> by acquiring 29-year-old ] ] from the ]. The Spurs sent 38-year-old ], 36-year-old ], and 34-year-old ] to the Bucks, who swapped Oberto to the ] for ]. | |||
| The Spurs held three-second-round picks in the 2009 draft. Their selection of ] forward ] with the ] pick was described as a "steal" by analysts;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-48/The-Back-of-the--Really-Large-Manila--Envelope-Guide-to-the-Las-Vegas-Summer-League.html|title=The Back of the (Really Large Manila) Envelope Guide to the Las Vegas Summer League – TrueHoop By Henry Abbott – ESPN|publisher=ESPN |date=July 9, 2009|accessdate=July 11, 2009| last=Arnovitz|first=Kevin}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/sacultura/50354512.html|title=Spurs fans are going to enjoy watching Blair work under the boards| publisher=mysanantonio.com|date=July 9, 2009|accessdate=July 11, 2009|last=Flores| first=David}}</ref> the Spurs later drafted two guards they had been targeting with the No. 37 pick,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/49140802.html|title=Spurs see Blair as steal|publisher=mysanantonio.com| date=June 25, 2009|accessdate=July 11, 2009|last=McDonald|first=Jeff}}</ref> taking ] ] ] and ]/shooting guard ] from France with the No. 51 and No. 53 picks, respectively. On July 10, 2009, the Spurs signed ] ] ] to a three-year deal worth approximately $15 million in guaranteed money.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/50508992.html|title=Spurs' low-key tactics land McDyess|publisher=mysanantonio.com|date=July 11, 2009|accessdate=July 16, 2009| last=Monroe|first=Mike}}</ref> | |||
| The Spurs held three picks in the second round in the 2009 draft. Their selection of ] forward ] with the 37th pick was described as a "steal" by analysts;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-48/The-Back-of-the--Really-Large-Manila--Envelope-Guide-to-the-Las-Vegas-Summer-League.html|title=The Back of the (Really Large Manila) Envelope Guide to the Las Vegas Summer League – TrueHoop By Henry Abbott – ESPN|publisher=ESPN|date=July 9, 2009|access-date=July 11, 2009|last=Arnovitz|first=Kevin|archive-date=August 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830072230/http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-48/The-Back-of-the--Really-Large-Manila--Envelope-Guide-to-the-Las-Vegas-Summer-League.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/summerleague2009/summerleague_blair.html|title=Spurs fans are going to enjoy watching Blair work under the boards|website=Nba.com|date=July 12, 2009|access-date=September 1, 2018|archive-date=July 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714022042/https://www.nba.com/summerleague2009/summerleague_blair.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the Spurs later drafted two guards they had been targeting with the No. 37 pick,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/49140802.html|title=Spurs see Blair as steal|website=Mysanantonio.com|date=June 25, 2009|access-date=July 11, 2009|last=McDonald|first=Jeff|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629064238/http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/49140802.html|archive-date=June 29, 2009}}</ref> taking ] ] ] and ]/shooting guard ] from France with the No. 51 and No. 53 picks, respectively. On July 10, 2009, the Spurs signed ] ] ] to a three-year deal worth approximately $15 million in guaranteed money.<ref>{{cite web |title=McDyess leaves Pistons for Spurs |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=4314974 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=November 22, 2023 |date=July 8, 2009 |archive-date=June 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628001243/https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=4314974 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| The Spurs struggled with injuries during the 2009–10 regular season, but managed another 50-win season, finishing at 50–32. The seventh-seeded Spurs would once again battle the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. After falling to the Mavericks in Game 1, the Spurs went on to avenge their 2009 defeat to Dallas by winning the series in six games. The Spurs however, were swept out of the playoffs in the following round by the Phoenix Suns. | |||
| The Spurs struggled with injuries during the 2009–10 regular season, but managed another 50-win season, finishing at 50–32. The seventh-seeded Spurs would once again battle the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. After falling to the Mavericks in Game 1, the Spurs went on to avenge their 2009 defeat to Dallas by winning the series in six games. The Spurs, however, were swept out of the playoffs in the following round by the Phoenix Suns. | |||
| ] was the Spurs' biggest addition in 2010.]] | |||
| During the ], the Spurs management held the highest draft pick since the ] draft a decade earlier. They drafted rookie ] from ] |
During the ], the Spurs management held the highest draft pick since the ] draft a decade earlier. They drafted rookie ] from ] with the 20th overall pick.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs_sign_james_anderson_100723.html |title=Spurs Sign 2010 Draft Pick James Anderson |website=NBA.com |access-date=January 27, 2013 |archive-date=March 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321214346/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs_sign_james_anderson_100723.html |url-status=live }}</ref> However, Anderson was soon sitting out of the first half of the season due to injuries. In 2010–11, the Spurs finished 61–21 to be the first seed, but an injury to Ginóbili in the final regular season game took a toll on the team, and they were upset by the eighth-seeded ]. | ||
| ===== 2011-2016: Arrival of Kawhi Leonard ===== | |||
| ] was acquired by the Spurs in 2011.]] | |||
| 2011 |
In 2011, a change to the Spurs' philosophy set the stage for the next successful run in the club's history. Out went the stream of last-legs, wizened veterans that the Spurs had relied on to fill out the rotation behind the Big Three. Minutes went to younger and more athletic talent like ], ], and ], to whom Popovich would teach The Spurs' Way – a fast pace, unselfish passing, and accountability on defense. The biggest personnel move of the Spurs' off-season had the team sending guard ] to his hometown ] for ]'s ], a hyper-athletic forward selected 15th overall by the Pacers in the ]. The team also selected ]' ] as the 29th overall pick. | ||
| ] was acquired by the Spurs in 2011.]] | |||
| After the lockout that delayed the 2011-2012 season, the Spurs signed ], who would eventually retire in the middle of the season after playing only 14 games due to a ]. Before the trade deadline, the Spurs decided to part ways with ] and sent him to the ] for ], who had been a member of the ]. Leonard then became the starting small forward. In the week following the trade deadline, the Spurs also signed forward ] after his contract was bought out by the Charlotte Bobcats, and former ] guard ] who played for the ] in the ] during the lockout. This gave the Spurs a deeper bench for their playoff run. | |||
| After the lockout that delayed the 2011–12 season, the Spurs signed ], who would eventually retire in the middle of the season after playing only 14 games due to a ]. Before the trade deadline, the Spurs decided to part ways with ] and sent him to the ] for ], who had been a member of the ]. Leonard then became the starting small forward. In the week following the trade deadline, the Spurs also signed forward ] after his contract was bought out by the Charlotte Bobcats, and former ] guard ] who played for the ] in the ] during the lockout. This gave the Spurs a deeper bench for their playoff run. | |||
| Despite the shortened 66-game NBA season due to the ], the Spurs won 50 games and tied the ] for the best record in the league. They extended their streak of 50+ win seasons to 13 since the ], an NBA record. Popovich won his second ].<ref name="NBA COY">{{cite web|last=Official Release|title=Spurs' Popovich named Coach of the Year|url=http://www.nba.com/2012/news/05/01/coach-of-the-year/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2}}</ref> | Despite the shortened 66-game NBA season due to the ], the Spurs won 50 games and tied the ] for the best record in the league. They extended their streak of 50+ win seasons to 13 since the ], an NBA record. Popovich won his second ].<ref name="NBA COY">{{cite web|last=Official Release |title=Spurs' Popovich named Coach of the Year |website=] |url=http://www.nba.com/2012/news/05/01/coach-of-the-year/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507222028/http://www.nba.com/2012/news/05/01/coach-of-the-year/index.html?ls=iref%3Anbahpt2 |archive-date=May 7, 2012}}</ref> | ||
| The Spurs swept the first two rounds of the ]. With those two sweeps, a 10-game win streak to end the season, and wins in Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs |
The Spurs swept the first two rounds of the ]. With those two sweeps, a 10-game win streak to end the season, and wins in Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs won 20 straight games. However, the ] ended up winning the next four games in the West Finals, to take the series 4–2. | ||
| During the 2012 off-season, the Spurs re-signed swingman ], who was a welcome surprise for them from the previous season |
During the 2012 off-season, the Spurs re-signed swingman ], who was a welcome surprise for them from the previous season, and Tim Duncan, both for three years. The Spurs would have a strong ], going 58–24 and earning the second seed in the West. | ||
| The Spurs clinched the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season, as well as extended the NBA record with 50+ games for 14 consecutive seasons. On April 16, the Spurs signed two-time scoring champion, and seven-time All-Star ] to help in the playoffs after waiving ].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/130416_spurs_sign_tracy_mcgrady | title= |
The Spurs clinched the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season, as well as extended the NBA record with 50+ games for 14 consecutive seasons. On April 16, the Spurs signed two-time scoring champion, and seven-time All-Star ] to help in the playoffs after waiving ].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/130416_spurs_sign_tracy_mcgrady | title=Spurs Sign Tracy McGrady | work=NBA.com | publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. | date=April 16, 2013 | access-date=May 27, 2013 | archive-date=March 16, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316025725/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/130416_spurs_sign_tracy_mcgrady | url-status=live }}</ref> The Spurs finished the regular season second in the Western Conference behind the ] with a record of 58–24, and swept the ] in the first round, 4–0. In the second round of the 2013 playoffs, the Spurs faced Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. They beat the Warriors four games to two.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20130516/SASGSW/gameinfo.html|title=Spurs at Warriors|work=NBA.com|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=June 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627004322/https://www.nba.com/games/20130516/SASGSW/gameinfo.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the conference finals, the Spurs swept the Memphis Grizzlies, with ] having an 18-assist performance in Game 2 and a 37-point performance in Game 4.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20130527/SASMEM/gameinfo.html|title=Spurs at Grizzlies|work=NBA.com|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=April 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426214218/https://www.nba.com/games/20130527/SASMEM/gameinfo.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Spurs would meet the defending champion ] in the ]. | ||
| The Spurs and Heat would alternate wins the first six games in the series. In Game 6, the Spurs were on the verge of winning their fifth NBA title. San Antonio was up five points with 28 seconds to go in regulation. An unlikely and uncharacteristic series of mishaps would doom the Spurs down the stretch, including the benching of Duncan by Popovich at the end of regulation with the Spurs on defense. The Heat missed their field goal attempt, but the undersized Spurs could not grab the defensive rebound. |
The Spurs and Heat would alternate wins the first six games in the series. In Game 6, the Spurs were on the verge of winning their fifth NBA title. San Antonio was up five points with 28 seconds to go in regulation. An unlikely and uncharacteristic series of mishaps would doom the Spurs down the stretch, including the benching of Duncan by Popovich at the end of regulation with the Spurs on defense. The Heat missed their field goal attempt, but the undersized Spurs could not grab the defensive rebound. ] rebounded the ball and ] then hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with five seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime, during which the Spurs were defeated 103–100. In Game 7, San Antonio jumped out to a lead early and kept the game close the entire way. Toward the end of the game, however, and despite a 24-point, 12 rebound effort, Duncan failed to convert on two attempts to tie the game: a missed layup and missed tip-in that allowed LeBron James to hit a jumper and increase the Heat's lead to 92–88. After a steal from Ginóbili, James hit two free throws after being fouled by Duncan, and when Ginóbili missed a subsequent 3-pointer, ] hit one out of two from the free-throw line to put the game on ice, as the Heat would win their second straight championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20130620/SASMIA/gameinfo.html|title=Spurs at Heat|work=NBA.com|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618004311/http://www.nba.com/games/20130620/SASMIA/gameinfo.html|archive-date=June 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
| ] at the ].]] | |||
| The Spurs returned with their core roster largely intact, adding free agents ] and ] (formerly Jeff Pendergraph) while losing ] to the ]. The Spurs clinched the best record in the NBA with 62 wins, which included a franchise-record 19 straight wins in February and March. In the first round of the playoffs, the eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks surprised the Spurs by taking the series to seven games, but the Spurs prevailed in convincing fashion in the deciding Game 7. In the second round, Tim Duncan surpassed ] for fifth place in NBA playoffs all-time points scored while the Spurs cruised past the ] in five games. San Antonio played the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, which marked the third straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals for the Spurs, and defeated them in six games to advance to the Finals for a second straight year for a rematch with the ]. It was also the first time that they had advanced to the Finals in consecutive years. This made it the first time since the 1998 NBA Finals that the same two teams faced off in the Finals in consecutive years. With a victory in the second game of the series, Duncan, Ginóbili, and Parker won more playoff games together than any other three players on the same team in NBA history. The Spurs would go on to win the 2014 NBA championship in five games (4–1). The Spurs blew out Miami in all of their wins, each of them by 15 or more points. ] had a breakout performance and was named ] for his big game performance and is the third-youngest to win it, behind ] and teammate Duncan. In the ], they selected ] out of ] as the 30th overall pick. | |||
| During the 2014 off-season, the Spurs made headlines when they announced that they had hired ] as an assistant coach, effective with her retirement as a player at the end of the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/11312366/becky-hammon-hired-san-antonio-spurs |title=Becky Hammon hired to Spurs' staff |agency=Associated Press |website=ESPN.com |date=August 5, 2014 |access-date=August 5, 2014 |archive-date=April 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407013912/http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11312366/becky-hammon-hired-san-antonio-spurs |url-status=live }}</ref> Hammon became the first full-time female coach in any of the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/11313239/wnba-san-antonio-stars-future-spurs-assistant-becky-hammon-was-born-coach |title=Becky Hammon was born to coach |first=Kate |last=Fagan |work=] |date=August 5, 2014 |access-date=August 5, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304202821/http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/11313239/wnba-san-antonio-stars-future-spurs-assistant-becky-hammon-was-born-coach |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| ] in Game 5 of the ] First Round series at the Staples Center.]] | |||
| The Spurs returned with their core roster largely intact, while adding free agents ] and ] (formerly Jeff Pendergraph), while losing ] to the ]. The Spurs clinched the best record in the NBA with 62 wins, which included a franchise record 19 straight wins in February and March. In the first round of the playoffs, the eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks surprised the Spurs by taking the series to 7 games, but the Spurs prevailed in convincing fashion in the deciding Game 7. In the second round, Tim Duncan surpassed ] for fifth place in NBA Playoffs all-time points scored while the Spurs cruised past the ] in 5 games. San Antonio played the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, which marked the third straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals for the Spurs, and defeated them in 6 games to advance to the Finals for a second straight year for a rematch with the ]. It was also the first time that they had advanced to the Finals in consecutive years. This made it the first time since ] that two teams faced off in the Finals in consecutive years. With a victory in the second game of the series, Duncan, Ginóbili, and Parker won more playoff games together than any other three players on the same team in NBA history. The Spurs would go on to win the 2014 NBA Championship, 4 games to 1. The Spurs blew out Miami in all of their wins, each of them by 15 or more points. ] was named ] for his big game performance and is the third youngest to win it, behind ] and teammate Duncan. In the ], they selected ] out of ] as the 30th overall pick. | |||
| The 2014–15 season was an up-and-down season, but finishing strong with a 55–27 regular-season record and sixth seed in the West, they qualified for the playoffs. They faced the ] in the first round of the playoffs. The Spurs went up 3–2 heading into Game 6 at San Antonio. However, the Clippers would win that game and go on to win Game 7 at home. The San Antonio Spurs became the first defending champions since the ] to be eliminated in the first round of the ]. | |||
| During the 2014 offseason, the Spurs made headlines when they announced that they had hired ] as an assistant coach, effective with her retirement as a player at the end of the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11312366/becky-hammon-hired-san-antonio-spurs |title=Becky Hammon hired to Spurs' staff |agency=Associated Press |publisher=''ESPN.com'' |date=August 5, 2014 |accessdate=August 5, 2014}}</ref> Hammon became the first full-time female coach in any of the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/11313239/wnba-san-antonio-stars-future-spurs-assistant-becky-hammon-was-born-coach |title=Becky Hammon was born to coach |first=Kate |last=Fagan |publisher='']'' |date=August 5, 2014 |accessdate=August 5, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| The 2014-15 Spurs season was an up-and-down season, but finishing strong with a 55-27 regular season record and 6th seed in the West. They faced the Clippers in first round. The Spurs went up 3-2 heading into Game 6 at San Antonio. However, the Clippers would win that game and go on to win Game 7 at home. The San Antonio Spurs became the first defending champions since 2011-12 Dallas Mavericks to be eliminated in the First Round. | |||
| The Spurs acquired four-time All-Star power forward ] and veteran big man ] during the off-season. On their first game of the season, the Spurs were defeated by the home team, Oklahoma City Thunder, despite a 32 point-performance from Kawhi Leonard<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827900|title=Russell Westbrook helps Billy Donovan win NBA coaching debut over Spurs|work=ESPN.com|date=October 29, 2015|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308141928/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827900|url-status=live}}</ref> Two days after, Duncan and Leonard led the Spurs towards a 102–75 win over the visiting ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827915|title=Leonard, Duncan lead Spurs to 102-75 win over the Nets|work=ESPN.com|date=October 31, 2015|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309003358/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827915|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 2, the Spurs defeated the home team, the Boston Celtics, thanks to a double-double performance of LaMarcus Aldridge who recorded 24 points and 14 rebounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827927|title=LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs hold off Celtics|work=ESPN.com|date=November 2, 2015|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309004648/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827927|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 4, the Spurs defeated the home team, the New York Knicks, 94–84, to win their third game of the season, and more importantly, Tim Duncan clinched his 954th career win passing John Stockton (953 wins) for most wins by a player for a single franchise.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827935|title=Spurs handle Knicks, give Tim Duncan NBA-record 954th win|work=ESPN.com|date=November 3, 2015|access-date=July 26, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308134204/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400827935|url-status=live}}</ref> The Spurs finished the 2015–16 season with a 67–15 record, earning them the Southwest Division title. They also set a franchise record for most wins in a season with 67 and an NBA record for most home wins in a season with 40 (tying the ] 40–1 home record).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nathan|first1=Alec|title=Spurs Tie All-Time NBA Record for Most Home Wins in a Regular Season|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2632495-spurs-tie-all-time-nba-record-for-most-home-wins-in-regular-season|website=Bleacher Report|access-date=May 13, 2016|archive-date=September 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924221822/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2632495-spurs-tie-all-time-nba-record-for-most-home-wins-in-regular-season|url-status=live}}</ref> The Spurs also had the league's best defense.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schuhmann|first1=John|title=Spurs playing good defense|url=http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/12/11/spurs-playing-historically-good-defense/|website=NBA|access-date=December 11, 2015|archive-date=July 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728101725/http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/12/11/spurs-playing-historically-good-defense/|url-status=live}}</ref> During the playoffs they swept the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games in the second round. They would become the first team since the ] to finish with 67 wins and be eliminated before the conference finals.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Casciaro|first1=Joseph|title=Spurs join 2007 Mavs to win 67 games and be eliminated before the conference finals|url=https://www.thescore.com/news/1026005|website=thescore.com|date=May 13, 2016 |access-date=May 13, 2016}}</ref> | |||
| ==Rivalries== | |||
| On July 11, 2016, Duncan announced his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons with the Spurs. He became one of two players in NBA history to record at least 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks in his career (along with ]) while also being the only NBA player to reach 1,000 wins with a single team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/tim-duncan-announces-retirement|title=TIM DUNCAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT|work=NBA.com|date=July 11, 2016|access-date=July 11, 2016|archive-date=January 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118173338/https://www.nba.com/spurs/tim-duncan-announces-retirement/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| ===Los Angeles Lakers=== | |||
| {{Main|Lakers–Spurs rivalry}} | |||
| ] | |||
| The rivalry between the San Antonio Spurs and the ] started in the late 1970s and peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since 1999, the teams have met in the ] 7 times, with the clubs combining to appear in seven straight ] from 1999–2005. Additionally, the teams won each NBA Title from 1999–2003 (the Spurs won in 1999 and 2003, while the Lakers won in 2000, 2001, and 2002). From 1999–2004, the rivalry was considered as the NBA's best,<ref>{{cite web|last=Aparicio|first=Ricardo|url=http://www.insidehoops.com/rivalry-042304.shtml|title=Glamour vs. Grit: The perfect NBA rivalry|work=InsideHoops.com|date=April 23, 2004|accessdate=April 14, 2007}}</ref> as each time the clubs faced each other in the playoffs, the winner advanced to the NBA Finals. The rivalry fell off from 2005–07, with the Lakers missing the playoffs in 2005 and losing in the first round to the ] in 2006 and 2007, but intensified again in 2008 when they met in the Western Conference Finals. Both teams met once again for the 12th time in ] in the first round, with the Spurs winning in four games. | |||
| === |
===2016–2023: Post-Duncan era=== | ||
| ] | |||
| The rivalry between the San Antonio Spurs and the ] features two teams with Dallas roots. The Spurs began their life in the ] as the Dallas Chaparrals and did not move to San Antonio until 1973. On October 11, 1980, the Mavs made their NBA debut by defeating the Spurs 103–92. In the playoffs the Spurs defeated the Mavericks in 2001, 2003, 2010, and 2014; while the Mavericks defeated the Spurs in 2006 and 2009. The Spurs have won five championships and six conference titles, while the Mavericks have won one championship and two conference titles. The Spurs have won 18 division titles, while the Mavericks have won 3. The Mavericks have three 60-win seasons, while the Spurs have five. | |||
| ====2016–2018: Leonard and Aldridge==== | |||
| The two teams met in the playoffs during the 2000–2001 season with the Spurs winning in five games. Little was made during this series, as the Spurs won their first NBA championship only two years before. The Mavericks, run by a trio of ], ], and ], had just defeated the ], despite not having home court advantage, and were only starting to meld into a title contender. | |||
| In the 2016–17 season, despite the retirement of longtime captain Tim Duncan, the Spurs—led by Kawhi Leonard—remained a title contender and finished with a record of 61–21.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://airalamo.com/2017/05/24/san-antonio-spurs-year-review/|title=San Antonio Spurs: A Year in Review|last=Carter|first=Dylan|date=May 24, 2017|access-date=June 25, 2018|archive-date=March 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307222146/https://airalamo.com/2017/05/24/san-antonio-spurs-year-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> After defeating the Grizzlies and the Rockets in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Spurs—who suffered injuries to Leonard, Parker, and ]—were swept by the ] in the Western Conference Finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/warriors-sweep-spurs-nba-finals-2017-5|title=Warriors sweep Spurs, becoming the first team in history to start playoffs 12-0|last=Dominguez|first=Raul|website=]|date=May 22, 2017|access-date=June 25, 2018|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111045657/https://www.businessinsider.com/warriors-sweep-spurs-nba-finals-2017-5|url-status=live}}</ref> In the third quarter of Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals, Leonard landed on ]'s foot after attempting a field goal and re-aggravated an existing ankle injury; he sat out the remainder of the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leonaka01/gamelog/2017/|title=Kawhi Leonard 2016-17 Game Log|work=Basketball-Reference.com|access-date=May 22, 2017|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111045722/https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leonaka01/gamelog/2017/|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the 2017 season, the San Antonio Spurs joined into a partnership with Methodist Healthcare System and Sports Medicine Associates of San Antonio (SMASA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPURS SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH METHODIST HEALTHCARE SYSTEM |url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/spurs-sports-entertainment-announces-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-methodist-healthcare-system |access-date=June 8, 2022 |website=San Antonio Spurs |language=en |archive-date=June 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608211612/https://www.nba.com/spurs/spurs-sports-entertainment-announces-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-methodist-healthcare-system |url-status=live }}</ref> In the following off-season, the Spurs re-signed Aldridge,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2017/10/16/16485544/lamarcus-aldridge-agrees-to-3-year-contract-extension-with-spurs-per-report|title=LaMarcus Aldridge agrees to 3-year contract extension with Spurs, per report|first=Tim|last=Cato|date=October 16, 2017|website=SBNation.com|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=February 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226145013/https://www.sbnation.com/2017/10/16/16485544/lamarcus-aldridge-agrees-to-3-year-contract-extension-with-spurs-per-report|url-status=live}}</ref> ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20125123|title=Sources: Gasol, 37, signs 3-yr. deal with Spurs|date=July 21, 2017|website=ESPN.com|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224140317/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20125123|url-status=live}}</ref> and ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ksat.com/sports/nba/spurs/spurs-officially-re-sign-guard-patty-mills-to-new-contract|title=Spurs officially re-sign guard Patty Mills to new contract|first=R. J.|last=Marquez|date=August 4, 2017|website=KSAT|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=July 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714022042/https://www.ksat.com/sports/nba/spurs/spurs-officially-re-sign-guard-patty-mills-to-new-contract|url-status=live}}</ref> and signed ], but lost ] and ] to free agency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nba.nbcsports.com/2017/09/06/spurs-muck-up-flexibility-to-keep-aging-team-intact/|title=Spurs muck up flexibility to keep aging team intact|first=Dan|last=Feldman|date=September 6, 2017|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415091317/https://nba.nbcsports.com/2017/09/06/spurs-muck-up-flexibility-to-keep-aging-team-intact/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| The Spurs' 2017–18 season was overshadowed by an injury to star Kawhi Leonard and reports of ensuing disputes between Leonard and the Spurs regarding the handling of that injury. Leonard missed the first 27 games of the 2017–18 season with a right quadriceps injury.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400975153|title=Barea, Mavs spoil Leonard's return with 95-89 win over Spurs|work=ESPN.com|date=December 12, 2017|access-date=December 12, 2017|archive-date=December 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213142759/http://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400975153|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2018, after a brief comeback, he was ruled out for an indefinite period of time to continue his rehabilitation process from right quadriceps tendinopathy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/kawhi-leonard-update|title=KAWHI LEONARD UPDATE|work=NBA.com|date=January 17, 2018|access-date=January 17, 2018|archive-date=February 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215045458/http://www.nba.com/spurs/kawhi-leonard-update|url-status=live}}</ref> Leonard was subsequently cleared to play by the Spurs medical staff, but he solicited a second opinion from his own doctors.<ref>{{cite news|last=McDonald|first=Jeff|title=Leonard cleared medically but still in pain|date=February 22, 2018|newspaper=San Antonio Express-News|url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Leonard-cleared-medically-but-still-in-pain-12633813.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416110812/https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Leonard-cleared-medically-but-still-in-pain-12633813.php|archive-date=April 16, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In March, the Spurs held a players-only meeting in which Leonard's teammates reportedly asked him to return to the court; the meeting was described as "tense and emotional".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2766003-report-spurs-held-emotional-players-only-meeting-asking-kawhi-leonard-to-play|title=Report: Spurs Held 'Emotional' Players-Only Meeting Asking Kawhi Leonard to Play|work=Bleacher Report|last=Chiari|first=Mike|date=March 22, 2018|access-date=May 6, 2018|archive-date=August 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804085427/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2766003-report-spurs-held-emotional-players-only-meeting-asking-kawhi-leonard-to-play|url-status=live}}</ref> Leonard did not play again in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kawhi-leonard-injury-updates-spurs-star-will-miss-entire-2018-nba-playoffs-report-says/|title=Kawhi Leonard injury updates: Spurs star will miss entire 2018 NBA playoffs, report says|work=CBS Sports|last1=Barnewall|first1=Chris|last2=Maloney|first2=Jack|date=April 15, 2018|access-date=May 6, 2018|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109031034/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kawhi-leonard-injury-updates-spurs-star-will-miss-entire-2018-nba-playoffs-report-says/|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 3, 2018, the ] defeated the Spurs 113–110, handing San Antonio its 33rd loss of the season. This loss ended the Spurs' record streak of eighteen 50-win seasons that had stretched back to 2000, including the 2011–12 season, which was shortened by a lockout (the Spurs finished 50–16). The Spurs eventually finished the season with a record of 47–35 and were defeated 4–1 by the ] in the first round of the playoffs. Following the season, LaMarcus Aldridge was named to the All-NBA Second Team<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/lamarcus-aldridge-named-all-nba-second-team|title=LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE NAMED TO ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM|website=San Antonio Spurs|access-date=December 15, 2018|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111045707/https://www.nba.com/spurs/lamarcus-aldridge-named-all-nba-second-team|url-status=live}}</ref> and point guard ] was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/dejounte-murray-named-nba-all-defensive-second-team|title=DEJOUNTE MURRAY NAMED TO NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM|website=San Antonio Spurs|access-date=December 15, 2018|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111045742/https://www.nba.com/spurs/dejounte-murray-named-nba-all-defensive-second-team|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| The rivalry took on a new meaning in 2005 when, near the end of the regular season, ] resigned as Dallas' head coach, apparently dissatisfied with the state of the team, and handed the coaching reins to former Spur ], the ] of the 1999 NBA champion Spurs team who hit the game-winning shot against the ]. Since Johnson was coached under Spurs Head Coach ], he would be familiar with most, if not all, of Popovich's coaching style and philosophy. During the 2005 offseason, ], waived by the Mavericks under the amnesty clause, joined the Spurs in search for an elusive title victory, that he finally was part of with the Spurs in 2007. Ironically, part of his salary was being paid for by the Mavericks during that season to allow for cap room. | |||
| In June 2018, following months of reports of growing tension between Leonard's camp and the Spurs stemming from a disagreement over his injury rehabilitation process, reports indicated that Leonard had requested a trade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/article/2018/06/15/report-kawhi-leonard-demands-trade-san-antonio-spurs|title=Reports: Kawhi Leonard demands trade from San Antonio Spurs|work=NBA.com|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=July 18, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801174455/https://www.nba.com/article/2018/06/15/report-kawhi-leonard-demands-trade-san-antonio-spurs|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 18, 2018, Leonard and ] were traded to the ] in exchange for ], ] and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kawhi-leonard-trade-spurs-send-unhappy-star-to-raptors-for-demar-derozan-in-multiplayer-deal/|title=Kawhi Leonard trade: Spurs send unhappy star to Raptors for DeMar DeRozan in multiplayer deal|website=CBSSports.com|date=July 18, 2018|access-date=December 15, 2018|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111045756/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kawhi-leonard-trade-spurs-send-unhappy-star-to-raptors-for-demar-derozan-in-multiplayer-deal/|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 6, 2018, ] signed with the ] after having played his entire 17-year career with the Spurs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/video/tony-parker-leaving-san-antonio-spurs-going-charlotte-hornets|title=Tony Parker leaving San Antonio Spurs, going to Charlotte Hornets|date=July 6, 2018|access-date=December 15, 2018|website=Nbcsports.com|archive-date=May 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531032617/https://www.nbcsports.com/video/tony-parker-leaving-san-antonio-spurs-going-charlotte-hornets|url-status=dead}}</ref> On August 27, ] announced his retirement after a 16-year career with the Spurs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schad |first1=Matt |title=Manu Ginobili announces retirement |url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/manu-ginobili-announces-retirement |website=NBA.com |access-date=August 27, 2018 |date=August 27, 2018 |archive-date=August 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821061715/https://www.nba.com/spurs/manu-ginobili-announces-retirement |url-status=live }}</ref> The Spurs signed forwards ] and ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24514259|title=Spurs add depth with signing of Pondexter|date=August 29, 2018|website=ESPN.com|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225064322/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24514259|url-status=live}}</ref> guard ], and re-signed guard ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24152146|title=Spurs sign Cunningham, Belinelli; re-up Forbes|date=July 20, 2018|website=ESPN.com|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=March 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305101856/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24152146|url-status=live}}</ref> and forward Rudy Gay.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-officially-re-sign-Gay-13066936.php|title=Spurs officially sign Rudy Gay to 1 year, $10 million deal|first=Tom|last=Orsborn|date=July 11, 2018|newspaper=Mysa|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308143700/https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/article/Spurs-officially-re-sign-Gay-13066936.php|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| The Mavericks were swept in the ] by the Spurs for the first time since the ], Tim Duncan's rookie season. In their last match up of the season, San Antonio escaped with a 95–94 victory over Dallas when a ] 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer. With that win, the Spurs clinched a playoff spot for a 16th straight season, currently the longest streak in the NBA. San Antonio also reached 50 wins for a 14th consecutive season, the longest streak in NBA history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278687|title=Spurs edge Mavericks to sweep season series|work=ESPN.com|accessdate=June 30, 2015}}</ref> | |||
| In 2018, the Spurs began training camp without a member of the Big Three for the first time since the 1997–98 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24786608/san-antonio-spurs-open-camp-big-three-kawhi|title = Spurs ride on without any of Big 3 or Kawhi|date = September 24, 2018|access-date = November 6, 2021|archive-date = November 7, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211107200432/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24786608/san-antonio-spurs-open-camp-big-three-kawhi|url-status = live}}</ref> Despite losing Dejounte Murray for the season to an ACL tear,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://airalamo.com/2018/10/08/san-antonio-spurs-guard-dejounte-murray-tears-right-acl-season/|title=San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray tears right ACL, out for season|date=October 8, 2018|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308132728/https://airalamo.com/2018/10/08/san-antonio-spurs-guard-dejounte-murray-tears-right-acl-season/|url-status=live}}</ref> the Spurs finished the 2018–19 season with a 48–34 record and the seventh seed in the Western Conference, qualifying for the playoffs for the 22nd consecutive playoff season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/basketball-nba-sas-dal-idUSMTZXEF4BRZFESA|title=Spurs top Mavs, get 7 seed in West|newspaper=Reuters|date=April 11, 2019|via=www.reuters.com|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308172457/https://www.reuters.com/article/basketball-nba-sas-dal-idUSMTZXEF4BRZFESA|url-status=live}}</ref> In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the second-seeded Denver Nuggets,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dubinski |first1=Marilyn |title=The Spurs will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2019 Playoffs |url=https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/4/10/18305684/the-spurs-will-face-the-denver-nuggets-in-the-first-round-of-the-2019-playoffs |website=Pounding The Rock |access-date=April 26, 2019 |date=April 10, 2019 |archive-date=March 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311044745/https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/4/10/18305684/the-spurs-will-face-the-denver-nuggets-in-the-first-round-of-the-2019-playoffs |url-status=live }}</ref> and lost the series in seven games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jokic, Nuggets hold off Spurs 90-86 in Game 7 to advance |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401126838 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 28, 2019 |date=April 27, 2019 |archive-date=October 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015042750/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=401126838 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| In the ], the Spurs once again swept the Mavs in the regular season, giving them nine straight victories. In addition, an overtime loss to the ] on April 16, 2014 ensured that the Mavericks would face the Spurs once again in the ], where the Mavs would be the eighth seed and San Antonio the first. In Game 1 in San Antonio, the game was relatively close. Dallas managed to reach an 81–71 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Spurs rallied back and took Game 1 at home, 90-85. However, the Mavs managed to force 22 turnovers in Game 2 to rout the Spurs 113–92, splitting the first two games before the series went to Dallas. In Game 3, ] managed to hit a shot that put the Spurs up 108–106 with 1.7 left, but a buzzer-beating three-pointer by ] gave the Mavs the victory, putting them up 2–1 in the series. The Spurs took Game 4 in Dallas 93–89 and later Game 5 at home 109–103, giving them a 3–2 lead. The Mavs avoided elimination in Game 6 at home by rallying in the fourth quarter, winning 111–113. The Spurs would then advance to the second round with a Game 7 blowout, winning 119–96. | |||
| ====2019–2023: Pandemic-shortened seasons and difficult years==== | |||
| ===Houston Rockets=== | |||
| {{See also|Suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season}} | |||
| {{Main|Rockets–Spurs rivalry}} | |||
| On March 11, 2020, the NBA suspended the ] due to the COVID-19 pandemic after ] player ] tested positive for ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28893331/nba-owners-seeking-30-day-reevaluation-suspension-games |title=Silver: NBA hiatus likely to last 'at least' 30 days |date=March 12, 2020 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=March 13, 2020 |archive-date=June 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616080717/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28893331/nba-owners-seeking-30-day-reevaluation-suspension-games |url-status=live }}</ref> On June 4, it was announced that the season would restart on July 31 for the Spurs and 21 other teams in the ], and would finish no later than October 12.<ref>{{cite web |title=NBA Board of Governors approves competitive format to restart 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play |url=https://www.nba.com/news/board-of-governors-approves-nba-return-official-release |website=NBA.com |access-date=October 28, 2020 |date=June 4, 2020 |archive-date=October 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022021825/https://www.nba.com/news/board-of-governors-approves-nba-return-official-release |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Tim |title=NBA Board of Governors approves 22-team restart of 2019-20 season |url=https://www.nba.com/news/bog-approves-22-team-season-restart |website=NBA.com |access-date=October 28, 2020 |date=June 5, 2020 |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020012330/https://www.nba.com/news/bog-approves-22-team-season-restart |url-status=live }}</ref> For the first time since the ], the Spurs failed to qualify for the postseason when the ] defeated the ] on August 13, 2020.<ref name="Reynolds" /> The Spurs' failure to make the postseason ended an NBA record-tying streak of 22 consecutive playoff appearances.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 13, 2020 |title=The NBA has caught up to its model franchise |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29656674/the-spurs-22-year-playoff-streak-their-legacy-alive-well |access-date=December 11, 2022 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=December 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221211023148/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29656674/the-spurs-22-year-playoff-streak-their-legacy-alive-well |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29657902/gregg-popovich-dwell-end-spurs-record-tying-22-year-playoff-run|title=Popovich won't dwell on end of Spurs' playoff run|date=August 14, 2020|website=ESPN.com|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029074543/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29657902/gregg-popovich-dwell-end-spurs-record-tying-22-year-playoff-run|url-status=live}}</ref> The Spurs finished the COVID-shortened<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/11/nba-players-close-to-dec-22-agreement-on-new-season-start-report-1234609457/|title=NBA Players Union Tentatively Agrees To December 22 Start To New Season – Update|first1=Bruce|last1=Haring|date=November 6, 2020|work=Deadline|url-status=live|access-date=June 23, 2023|archive-date=June 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613151938/https://deadline.com/2020/11/nba-players-close-to-dec-22-agreement-on-new-season-start-report-1234609457/}}</ref> season with a record of 32–39.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theturfsports.com/sports/basketball/30-in-30-the-2020-21-san-antonio-spurs/|title=30 in 30: The 2020-21 San Antonio Spurs|first=Jamie|last=Amos|date=November 30, 2020|website=The Turf|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029051212/https://theturfsports.com/sports/basketball/30-in-30-the-2020-21-san-antonio-spurs/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 2019–2020 season was also the first season since 1996–1997 in which the Spurs finished with a losing record.<ref name="Reynolds">{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Tim |title=It's over: For first time in 23 seasons, Spurs miss playoffs |url=https://www.nba.com/news/ap-spurs-miss-playoffs-streak-ends |website=NBA.com |access-date=October 28, 2020 |date=August 13, 2020 |archive-date=May 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503043848/https://www.nba.com/news/ap-spurs-miss-playoffs-streak-ends |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| Also known as the '''I-10 Rivalry''' since San Antonio and Houston both lie on the path of the ] freeway. The rivalry between the San Antonio Spurs and the ] began in 1976 when the Spurs were absorbed into the NBA from the ], along with the ], the ], and the ]. The Rockets and Spurs competed for the division title, with the Rockets winning it first in 1977 and the Spurs in 1978 and 1979. In 1980, they met in the playoffs for the first time as the Rockets led by ] and ] beat the Spurs led by ] and ] 2–1. The rivalry grew intense as both teams moved from the ] to the ]. They met again in 1981, this time in the second round. The Spurs had home-court advantage, and were heavily favored, winning the Midwest Division Title and the Rockets only 40–42. The Rockets and Spurs fought to the bitter end before the Rockets held on to win Game 7 capped by Murphy's 42 points. The Rockets would advance to the Finals in a losing cause to the ]. The rivalry continued in 1995 when the defending champion Rockets led by ] beat the top-seeded Spurs led by ] ] in the Western Conference Finals, despite only being the sixth seed, with Olajuwon, who had won the previous year's MVP, being widely regarded as having outplayed Robinson. In a regular season game early in the ], the Spurs were leading the Rockets very late in the 4th quarter by eight points. Houston's ] went on a personal 13–4 run in the final 35 seconds to miraculously steal the game away from San Antonio, including the game winning 3 pointer with one second remaining to the delight of the ] crowd. In ], the Rockets who were now led by ] and ], swept the season series for the first time since ] entered the league in ], winning all four games, including one in San Antonio of which the Rockets led wire-to-wire. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| Because of the continuing ], the 2020-2021 NBA regular season was shortened to 72 games and began on December 22, 2020.<ref name="NBAschedule">{{cite web|title=NBA announces structure and format for 2020-21 season|url=https://www.nba.com/news/nba-announces-structure-and-format-for-2020-21-season|website=NBA.com|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106193324/https://www.nba.com/news/nba-announces-structure-and-format-for-2020-21-season|url-status=live}}</ref> The season began only 72 days after the ] ended, making the 2020 offseason the shortest offseason in league history.<ref>{{cite news|first=Marc|last=Stein|title=N.B.A. All-Star Game Would Be 'Slap in the Face,' LeBron James Says|date=February 5, 2021|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/sports/basketball/nba-all-star-game-lebron-james.html|access-date=June 4, 2021|archive-date=October 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031124852/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/sports/basketball/nba-all-star-game-lebron-james.html|url-status=live}}</ref> At one point, the 2020–2021 Spurs held a record of 22–16; however, the team faltered down the stretch,<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://thegameday.com/23171/article/2021-nba-season-recap-san-antonio-spurs/|title=2021 NBA Season Recap San Antonio Spurs: Highs, Lows, & The Future|first=Gio|last=Annatelli|date=June 1, 2021|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=November 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101014119/https://thegameday.com/23171/article/2021-nba-season-recap-san-antonio-spurs/|url-status=live}}</ref> and finished the season with a 33–39 record.<ref name="autob">{{Cite web|access-date=June 23, 2023|url=https://projectspurs.com/looking-back-at-the-spurs-2020-21-season/|work=Project Spurs|title=Looking Back at the Spurs' 2020-21 Season|date=July 7, 2021|url-status=live|archive-date=January 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129232631/https://projectspurs.com/looking-back-at-the-spurs-2020-21-season/}}</ref> Thirty-five-year-old star LaMarcus Aldridge left the team midway through the season, agreeing to a contract buyout.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/spurs-buy-out-lamarcus-aldridge-heat-expected-to-emerge-as-frontrunner-to-sign-veteran-big-man-per-report/|title=Spurs buy out LaMarcus Aldridge; Heat expected to emerge as frontrunner to sign veteran big man, per report|website=CBSSports.com|date=March 25, 2021|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029075803/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/spurs-buy-out-lamarcus-aldridge-heat-expected-to-emerge-as-frontrunner-to-sign-veteran-big-man-per-report/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Spurs were hurt by poor three-point shooting and by injuries to starting guard Derrick White; however, ] and other young players made positive strides over the course of the season.<ref name="auto1"/> DeMar DeRozan led the team in scoring, averaging 21.6 points per game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-demar-derozan-reveals-hearts-desire-free-agency/|title=DeMar DeRozan Reveals His Heart's Desire For Free Agency|first=Mico|last=Ong|date=July 26, 2021|website=ClutchPoints|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029075803/https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-demar-derozan-reveals-hearts-desire-free-agency/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| At the conclusion of the 2020–2021 season, the NBA held a play-in tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-play-in-tournament-explained/1hbarcyyd4it81c015l9bzvpm1|title=NBA play-in tournament, explained: What to know about format ahead of 2021 playoffs|website=www.sportingnews.com|date=August 12, 2021|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=October 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031153130/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/nba-play-in-tournament-explained/1hbarcyyd4it81c015l9bzvpm1|url-status=live}}</ref> As the tenth seed in the Western Conference, the Spurs participated in the tournament.<ref name="autob"/><ref name="auto1"/> The team was defeated by the ], 100–96.<ref name="auto1"/> The loss marked the first time in Spurs history that the team missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons.<ref name="autob"/> Following the 2020–2021 season, DeRozan was traded to the ] in a sign-and-trade deal for ], ], a protected first-round draft pick, and the Bulls’ 2022 and 2025 second-round picks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-chicago-bulls-san-antonio-spurs-f1df8f02bf03b24d8ac6a9794847a644|title=Bulls finalize sign-trade deal for DeRozan with San Antonio|date=August 11, 2021|website=AP NEWS|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=November 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101185812/https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-chicago-bulls-san-antonio-spurs-f1df8f02bf03b24d8ac6a9794847a644|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, longtime Spur Patty Mills left the team in free agency,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Patty-Mills-the-longest-tenured-Spurs-player-is-16360961.php|title=Patty Mills, the longest-tenured Spurs player, is headed to Nets|first=Jeff|last=McDonald|date=August 3, 2021|website=San Antonio Express-News|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029054323/https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Patty-Mills-the-longest-tenured-Spurs-player-is-16360961.php|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Spurs signed sharpshooter ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/02/report-spurs-signing-doug-mcdermott-zach-collins/|title=Report: Spurs signing Doug McDermott, Zach Collins|first=Dan|last=Feldman|date=August 2, 2021|work=NBC Sports|url-status=live|archive-date=March 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308131927/https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/08/02/report-spurs-signing-doug-mcdermott-zach-collins/|access-date=June 23, 2023}}</ref> | |||
| The Spurs picked up ] in the NBA Draft at number 12.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spurs select Joshua Primo with No. 12 pick in 2021 NBA Draft {{!}} NBA.com |url=https://www.nba.com/watch/video/12-josh-primo-announcement-not-at-draft |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=www.nba.com}}</ref> At the trade deadline, ] was dealt to the Celtics as part of a three team trade.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Simone |first=Jack |date=2024-06-14 |title=The Derrick White trade changed the course of Celtics history |url=https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2024/6/14/24178228/boston-celtics-derrick-white-trade-brad-stevens-al-horford-jayson-tatum-san-antonio-spurs |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=SBNation.com |language=en}}</ref> ] had a breakout year, representing the Spurs at the All-Star Game, the first Spur to do so since ] in 2019. The Spurs finished 34-48 and would make the play-in but fail to advance to the playoffs. | |||
| The 2022–23 season was San Antonio's worst since the 1996–97 season. During the off-season, ] and ] were traded to the ] for ] and future draft picks. The Spurs picked ], ] and ] in the first round of the draft, going 9th, 20th and 25th respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NBA 2022 Draft Prospects {{!}} NBA.com |url=https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/team-profiles/2022-san-antonio-spurs |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=www.nba.com}}</ref> On January 13, 2023, the Spurs set a regular season single-game attendance record with 68,323 spectators at the ] in a game against the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=San Antonio Spurs set NBA regular-season game attendance record |url=https://www.nba.com/news/san-antonio-spurs-set-nba-regular-season-game-attendance-record |website=NBA.com |access-date=January 14, 2023 |date=January 13, 2023 |archive-date=January 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114033403/https://www.nba.com/news/san-antonio-spurs-set-nba-regular-season-game-attendance-record |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Neumann |first1=Thomas |title=Spurs Shatter NBA Single-Game Attendance Record vs. Warriors |url=https://www.si.com/nba/2023/01/14/spurs-break-nba-single-game-attendance-record-warriors-alamodome |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=January 13, 2023 |date=January 13, 2023 |archive-date=January 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114030130/https://www.si.com/nba/2023/01/14/spurs-break-nba-single-game-attendance-record-warriors-alamodome |url-status=live }}</ref> San Antonio finished the season 22–60 at the bottom of the West.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Legros |first=Matthew |date=2023-04-11 |title=NBA Report Cards: Spurs Flunking 2022-23 Season? |url=https://www.si.com/nba/spurs/news/nba-report-cards-san-antonio-spurs-flunking-2022-23-season |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Sports Illustrated Inside The Spurs, Analysis and More |language=en}}</ref> | |||
| ===2023–present: The Victor Wembanyama era=== | |||
| ] | |||
| ==== 2023-24: Wemby's arrival and historic rookie year ==== | |||
| On May 16, 2023, the Spurs won the draft lottery, allowing them to receive the first pick in the ]. This marked their third time selecting first overall, having previously chosen ] in ] and ] in ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 17, 2023 |title=2023 NBA Draft Lottery results: Spurs win No. 1 pick, right to select Victor Wembanyama; No. 2 goes to Hornets |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2023-nba-draft-lottery-results-spurs-win-no-1-pick-right-to-select-victor-wembanyama-no-2-goes-to-hornets/live/ |access-date=May 17, 2023 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en |archive-date=May 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517004821/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2023-nba-draft-lottery-results-spurs-win-no-1-pick-right-to-select-victor-wembanyama-no-2-goes-to-hornets/live/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Spurs used their number one pick to select ], who had long been expected to be drafted first overall.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/sports/basketball/victor-wembanyama-spurs-nba-draft.html|title=Victor Wembanyama Drafted No. 1 Overall by San Antonio Spurs|first=Tania|last=Ganguli|date=June 22, 2023|work=]|url-status=live|archive-date=June 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623001510/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/sports/basketball/victor-wembanyama-spurs-nba-draft.html|access-date=June 23, 2023}}</ref> The team ended up at the 14th spot in the western conference and Wembanyama was unanimously elected ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rookie of the Year 2024 {{!}} Victor Wembanyama élu à l’unanimité ! |url=https://www.basketusa.com/news/721058/rookie-of-the-year-2024-victor-wembanyama-elu-a-lunanimite/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Basket USA |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=2024-05-07 |title=Wembanyama named unanimous NBA rookie of the year after stunning debut season |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/06/wembanyama-named-unanimous-nba-rookie-of-the-year-after-stunning-debut-season |access-date=2024-07-30 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Wembanyama also came second in ] voting as well as setting many more rookie records.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vasiljevic |first=Bogdan |date=2024-04-15 |title=All NBA records that Victor Wembanyama has broken this season |url=https://basketballsphere.com/en/all-nba-records-that-victor-wembanyama-has-broken-this-season/#:~:text=The%20youngest%20player%20to%20record%20a%20triple-double%20without%20a,three-pointers%20in%20a%20season. |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Basketball Sphere |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| ==== 2024-25 ==== | |||
| During the following off-season, the Spurs signed veterans ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Spurs Sign 11-Time All-NBA Guard Chris Paul |url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-sign-11-time-all-nba-guard-chris-paul |website=NBA.com |publisher=San Antonio Spurs |date=2024-07-10 |access-date=2024-07-10}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Spurs Acquire Harrison Barnes |url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-acquire-harrison-barnes |website=NBA.com |publisher=San Antonio Spurs |date=2024-07-10 |access-date=2024-07-10}}</ref> They also drafted Stephon Castle and Rob Dillingham. (Dillingham was traded away to the Minnesota Timberwolves.)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-09 |title=San Antonio Spurs Future Draft Picks Tracker |url=https://www.si.com/nba/spurs/draft-coverage/san-antonio-spurs-future-draft-picks-tracker-01j7ang8c8rv#:~:text=San%20Antonio%20came%20into%20the,with%20two%20of%20the%20picks.&text=First,%20the%20Spurs%20selected%20Stephon,4-overall%20pick. |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=San Antonio Spurs On SI |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| Near the start of the season, ] was announced indefinitely out for the season due to health issues and was replaced by ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Molski • • |first=Max |date=2024-11-04 |title=Spurs coach Gregg Popovich out indefinitely with health issue: Report |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/nba/gregg-popovich-spurs-out-indefinitely-health-issue-report/3552044/#:~:text=San%20Antonio%20Spurs%20head%20coach,Saturday%20with%20an%20undisclosed%20illness. |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=NBC Los Angeles |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-05 |title=The latest on Mitch Johnson and the Spurs' coaching situation |url=https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/42203432/what-does-gregg-popovich-absence-mean-spurs |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> | |||
| ==Rivalries== | |||
| {{Main|Lakers–Spurs rivalry|Mavericks–Spurs rivalry|Spurs–Suns rivalry|Rockets–Spurs rivalry}} | |||
| ===Los Angeles Lakers=== | |||
| ] | |||
| From 1999 to 2004, the rivalry between the Spurs and the ] was considered the NBA's best.<ref>{{cite web |last=Aparicio |first=Ricardo |date=April 23, 2004 |title=Glamour vs. Grit: The perfect NBA rivalry |url=http://www.insidehoops.com/rivalry-042304.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604105309/http://www.insidehoops.com/rivalry-042304.shtml |archive-date=June 4, 2023 |access-date=April 14, 2007 |work=InsideHoops.com}}</ref>{{dubious|date=April 2019}} The two teams met in the playoffs five times in six seasons, and one of the two teams advanced to the NBA Finals every year from 1999 to 2005.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029010912/https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/series.html |date=October 29, 2021 }} Basketball Reference. Retrieved July 24, 2019.</ref> | |||
| ===Dallas Mavericks=== | |||
| The rivalry between the San Antonio Spurs and the ] features two teams with Dallas roots. The Mavericks were swept in the ] by the Spurs for the first time since the ], Tim Duncan's rookie season. In their last matchup of the season, San Antonio escaped with a 95–94 victory over Dallas when a ] attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer. With that win, the Spurs clinched a playoff spot for a 16th straight season. San Antonio also reached 50 wins for a 14th consecutive season, the longest streak in NBA history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278687|title=Spurs edge Mavericks to sweep season series|publisher=ESPN|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305112253/http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278687|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| ===Phoenix Suns=== | ===Phoenix Suns=== | ||
| Since 1992, the Spurs and the ] have met 10 times in the playoffs, in which the Spurs have won six series and the Suns have won four. Some of the most notable moments of their rivalry include ]'s game-winning jump shot in the ] in the final game at the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/watch/video/1993-west-semis-game-6-suns-vs-spurs?plsrc=nba&collection=phoenix-suns-classic-games|title=1993 West Semis Game 6: Suns vs. Spurs|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=NBA.com|accessdate=June 4, 2024}}</ref> ]'s buzzer-beating three-pointer in Game 1 of the first round of the ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Marbury's buzzer-beater lifts Suns in playoff opener |url=https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/marburys-buzzer-beater-lifts-suns-in-playoff-opener/article_a82bd7d9-d824-5518-9d7c-be965e8bb566.html |website=East Valley Tribune |access-date=April 21, 2020 |date=April 19, 2003 |archive-date=April 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406231511/https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/marburys-buzzer-beater-lifts-suns-in-playoff-opener/article_a82bd7d9-d824-5518-9d7c-be965e8bb566.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ]'s hip check on ] in Game 4 of the ],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zimmerman |first1=Kevin |title=Raja Bell: Steve Nash put 'a little sauce' on Robert Horry playoff hip check |url=https://arizonasports.com/story/1330091/steve-nash-robert-horry-hip-check-suns-vs-spurs/ |website=Arizona Sports |access-date=April 21, 2020 |date=November 28, 2017 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308093338/https://arizonasports.com/story/1330091/steve-nash-robert-horry-hip-check-suns-vs-spurs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Tim Duncan's game-tying three-pointer in Game 1 of the ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.statesboroherald.com/sports/duncan-picks-a-good-time-to-try-a-three-san-antonio-wins-in-ot/|title=Duncan picks a good time to try a three, San Antonio wins in OT|newspaper=Statesboro Herald|date=May 4, 2008|accessdate=June 4, 2024}}</ref> and ]'s 23-point outburst in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the West semifinals of the ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mizell |first1=Gina |title=Rewatching Suns classics: Goran Dragic's 4th-quarter outburst in 2010 playoffs |url=https://theathletic.com/1722339/2020/04/07/rewatching-suns-classics-goran-dragics-4th-quarter-outburst-in-2010-playoffs/ |website=The Athletic |access-date=April 21, 2020 |date=April 6, 2020 |archive-date=January 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105025700/https://theathletic.com/1722339/2020/04/07/rewatching-suns-classics-goran-dragics-4th-quarter-outburst-in-2010-playoffs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| {{Main|Spurs–Suns rivalry}} | |||
| The rivalry between the Spurs and the ] began in the 1990s when the Spurs were led by "The Admiral," ], and the Suns were propelled by a number of players including ], ], and ]. The rivalry continued into the next decade with ] leading the Spurs and with the Suns headed by ]. In 2003, the Spurs beat the Suns 4–2 in the first round. In 2005, the Spurs beat the Suns 4–1 in the Conference Finals. In 2007, the Spurs beat the Suns 4–2 in a Conference Semi-finals series that was notable for putting the two best teams remaining in the NBA against each other. There was a controversial ruling in game 4 when Diaw and Stoudemire left the bench during an altercation and were suspended for game 5. In 2008, the Spurs beat the Suns 4–1 in the first round. Tim Duncan hit a three-pointer to force overtime and win the series. In 2010, the Suns swept the Spurs in four games in the playoffs, including a big time performance by ] in game 3, against the team who originally drafted him, scoring 23 fourth quarter points, which amounted to 26 points in thirteen minutes. The rivalry has cooled off, with the Spurs winning most of the meetings, but that wasn't the case on February 21, 2014, where the Suns blew out the road-weary Spurs, who were ending the Rodeo Road Trip in Phoenix, 106–85. ] of the Suns lead all scorers with 26 points. Danny Green lead the Spurs with a low 15 points. On April 11, 2014, the Spurs clinched the league-best record, and at the same time, handing the Suns a loss that would keep them out of the postseason, winning 112-104, with Danny Green setting a career high 33 points. In a pre-season game on October 16, 2014, Suns owner Robert Sarver apologized to the Phoenix crowd for the game, where the Spurs rested 5 people, including Popovich. Pop would only end his statement about the incident with, "The only thing that surprises me is that he didn't say it in a chicken suit." | |||
| ===Houston Rockets=== | |||
| The rivalry between the Spurs and the ] was renewed in the ], in which the two teams met in the Western Conference Semifinals. The match-up was the first between the two teams in the playoffs since the 1995 Western Conference Finals.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308090156/https://www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head/rockets_vs_spurs_all_time.htm |date=March 8, 2021 }} Land of Basketball.com. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.</ref> In Game Two of the series, starting point guard ] suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon, forcing him to miss the remainder of the playoffs.<ref> ESPN: May 5, 2017. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.</ref> In Game Five, all-star small forward ] suffered an injury to his right ankle in the third quarter, resulting in him sitting out for the closing portions of the game. Despite the injury issues, the Spurs were able to send Game Five to overtime. In the overtime period, ] blocked ]'s three-point attempt in the final seconds to secure the 110–107 victory for the Spurs.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111165400/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/sports/basketball/spurs-edge-rockets-in-overtime-to-grab-series-lead.html |date=November 11, 2020 }} The New York Times: May 10, 2017. Retrieved on August 2, 2017.</ref> The Spurs would close out the series in a Game Six with a 114–75 win.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2017/05/11/spurs-rout-james-harden-rockets-114-75-to-win-series/101580718/|title=Spurs rout James Harden, Rockets 114-75 to win series|website=USA TODAY|access-date=May 28, 2019|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807014717/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2017/05/11/spurs-rout-james-harden-rockets-114-75-to-win-series/101580718/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| ==Logo and uniforms== | ==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 ] font, with the stylized ] substituting for the letter U, has been a part of the team's identity since their move to San Antonio.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/4719/San_Antonio_Spurs/1977/Primary_Logo|title=San Antonio Spurs Primary Logo - National Basketball Association (NBA) - Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net|publisher=|accessdate=June 30, 2015}}</ref> The logo incorporated 'Fiesta colors' of pink, orange and teal, used from 1989 to 2002 (though the uniforms remained the same), and alignment from straight to arched beginning with the ]. | |||
| 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 ] font, with the stylized ] substituting for the letter U, has been a part of the team's identity since their move to San Antonio.<ref name="GoingRetro" /><ref>{{cite web|title=San Antonio Spurs Primary Logo (1976/77-1988/89)|url=http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/4719/San_Antonio_Spurs/1977/Primary_Logo|website=SportsLogos.net|date=July 4, 2015|access-date=July 4, 2015|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506184320/https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/4719/San_Antonio_Spurs/1977/Primary_Logo|url-status=live}}</ref> The logo incorporated 'Fiesta colors' of pink, orange and turquoise, used from 1989 to 2002 (though the uniforms remained the same), and alignment from straight to arched beginning with the ]. | |||
| The Spurs have always worn black on the road and white at home, except during the 1973–76 ] seasons and their first NBA season when the home uniform was always silver. Until the ], the road uniform had "San Antonio" on the front while the home uniform featured the team nickname adopted from the Spurs logo; from 1973 to 1982, the road uniform lettering was black with silver trim. In addition, from |
The Spurs have always worn black on the road and white at home, except during the 1973–76 ] seasons and their first NBA season when the home uniform was always silver. Until the ], the road uniform had "San Antonio" on the front while the home uniform featured the team nickname adopted from the Spurs logo; from 1973 to 1982, the road uniform lettering was black with silver trim. In addition, from 1977 to 1981 a ]-like striping was featured on the back of the home shorts. Since the ] 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. In 2003–04 and later in 2006–07, they wore silver throwback jerseys to honor their late 1970s team. The Spurs wear black sneakers and socks on the road, and white sneakers and socks at home (except for select games with the silver alternates), a practice that began in the 2002–03 season. When the NBA moved to the ] ''Revolution 30'' technology for the 2010–11 season, the Spurs changed to V-neck jerseys and eliminated striping on the shorts' beltline. | ||
| On September 19, 2012, the Spurs unveiled a silver alternate uniform. In breaking from the traditional practice of placing the team or city name in front, the Spurs' new uniform features only the stylized spur logo, with the black number trimmed in white and silver on the upper right. The Spurs primary logo is atop the player name and number on the back, while the Eurostile 'SA' initials (for San Antonio) are on the left leg of the shorts. Black, silver and white side stripes are also featured on the uniform. The uniforms are worn for select home games. A variation of this uniform, featuring ] patterns instead of the usual silver, was used for two games in the 2013–14 season; a sleeved version was used the next season. | On September 19, 2012, the Spurs unveiled a silver alternate uniform. In breaking from the traditional practice of placing the team or city name in front, the Spurs' new uniform features only the stylized spur logo, with the black number trimmed in white and silver on the upper right. The Spurs primary logo is atop the player name and number on the back (replaced by the NBA logo prior to the 2014–15 season), while the Eurostile 'SA' initials (for San Antonio) are on the left leg of the shorts. They also wore ABA throwbacks of Chaparrals team. Black, silver and white side stripes are also featured on the uniform. The uniforms are worn for select home games.<ref>{{cite news|title=San Antonio Spurs Unveil New Alternate Jersey|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/120919_spurs_unveil_alternate_jersey|publisher=San Antonio Spurs|date=September 19, 2012|access-date=July 21, 2015|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321001412/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/120919_spurs_unveil_alternate_jersey|url-status=live}}</ref> A variation of this uniform, featuring ] patterns instead of the usual silver, was used for two games in the 2013–14 season; a sleeved version was used the next season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spurs Unveil New Military-Inspired Uniforms|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/131024_jersey|publisher=San Antonio Spurs|date=October 24, 2013|access-date=July 21, 2015|archive-date=March 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329232211/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/131024_jersey|url-status=live}}</ref> Another variation, this time in black, was unveiled for the 2015–16 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=San Antonio Unveils Black Signature Spur Jerseys|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/signaturespur|publisher=San Antonio Spurs|date=October 15, 2015|access-date=October 16, 2015|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320002240/https://www.nba.com/spurs/signaturespur|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
| At times throughout the season, the Spurs wear a jersey that says "Los Spurs" on the front, in recognition of Latino fans both at home and across the US and Latin America. The Spurs were one of the first NBA teams to wear these branded jerseys. In 2014, the jerseys were sleeved. These events are called "Noches Latinas", first launched during the 2006–07 NBA season, part of |
At times throughout the season, the Spurs wear a jersey that says "Los Spurs" on the front, in recognition of Latino fans both at home and across the US and Latin America. The Spurs (located in a city with a large Hispanic population) were one of the first NBA teams to wear these branded jerseys. In 2014, the jerseys were sleeved. These events are called "Noches Latinas", first launched during the 2006–07 NBA season, part of a Hispanic marketing campaign known as "éne-bé-a".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/enebea/|title=NBA.com|website=]|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-date=September 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905103543/http://www.nba.com/enebea/|url-status=live}}</ref> Six teams in the NBA participate in these events. The Spurs have had the most players from Latin America and are one of only three NBA teams who have had at least five players on their rosters who originate from Latin America and Spain (if one includes Puerto Rico as part of Latin America, although it is a U.S. territory), the others being the Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/enebea/hispanos/alltime_nba_latino_players.html|title=NBA.com: All-Time List of NBA Latino Players|work=NBA.com|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506060443/http://www.nba.com/enebea/hispanos/alltime_nba_latino_players.html|archive-date=May 6, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
| The switch to ] as the uniform provider in 2017 eliminated the "home" and "away" uniform designations. The Spurs' black "Icon", silver "Statement" and white "Association" uniform remained identical to the previous set save for the manufacturer's logo and switch from Eurostile to custom block lettering on the team name. They also continued to wear their camouflage-style uniforms as part of the "City" edition.<ref>{{cite web|title=San Antonio Spurs Continue Classic Look With 2017-18 Nike Jerseys|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/nike|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Spurs.com|date=August 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814114314/https://www.nba.com/spurs/nike|archive-date=August 14, 2017|access-date=July 12, 2022|quote=The San Antonio Spurs unveiled today the Nike Association Edition and Icon Edition uniforms that will be worn by the Silver and Black during the 2017-18 NBA season.|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the Spurs retired their camouflage-style "City" uniforms prior to the 2020–21 season in favor of a design influenced by the team's 1989–2002 "Fiesta" era.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spurs introduce new Fiesta-themed uniforms|url=https://www.nba.com/news/spurs-fiesta-jerseys-unveiled|work=NBA.com|date=November 14, 2020|access-date=November 14, 2020|archive-date=January 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104120545/https://www.nba.com/news/spurs-fiesta-jerseys-unveiled|url-status=live}}</ref> The Spurs reprised the "Fiesta" theme for the 2021–22 season, but mixed in a few elements from previous uniforms. The shorts featured turquoise diamonds in homage to the George Gervin-era uniforms, and the logo on the left leg honored the Dallas Chaparrals.<ref>{{cite news|title=SPURS UNVEIL NEXT GENERATION OF FIESTA®-THEMED CITY EDITION UNIFORMS FOR THE 2021-22 SEASON|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/spurs-unveil-next-generation-fiestar-themed-city-edition-uniforms-2021-22-season|work=NBA.com|date=November 1, 2021|access-date=November 5, 2021|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107222740/https://www.nba.com/spurs/spurs-unveil-next-generation-fiestar-themed-city-edition-uniforms-2021-22-season|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2022, the Spurs replaced their silver "Statement" uniforms with a black one, but with silver letters, a new "SATX" wordmark, a new "Texas spur" alternate logo, and grayscale patterns inspired from traditional ]s and ]s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spurs unveil new Statement Edition uniform for 2022-23|url=https://www.nba.com/news/spurs-unveil-new-statement-edition-uniform-for-2022-23|work=NBA.com|date=July 25, 2022|access-date=July 26, 2022|archive-date=July 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726043922/https://www.nba.com/news/spurs-unveil-new-statement-edition-uniform-for-2022-23|url-status=live}}</ref> Also during the season, the Spurs wore a turquoise "City" uniform with elements based on the uniforms worn in the ].<ref>{{cite news|title=San Antonio Spurs 22/23 City Edition Uniform: Deja Vu|url=https://www.nba.com/news/san-antonio-spurs-city-edition|work=NBA.com|date=November 10, 2022|access-date=November 15, 2022|archive-date=November 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115052626/https://www.nba.com/news/san-antonio-spurs-city-edition|url-status=live}}</ref> The "City" uniform in the 2023–24 season paid homage to ], featuring a white base, tan and orange stripes. Also featured is a psychedelic-style "San Antonio" wordmark in brown along with neon light-inspired numbers in sand, white and brown accents.<ref>{{cite news|title=San Antonio Spurs 2023-24 City Edition Uniform: Viva Spurs|url=https://www.nba.com/news/san-antonio-spurs-2023-24-city-edition-uniform-viva-spurs|work=NBA.com|date=November 2, 2023|access-date=February 2, 2024|archive-date=February 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203020747/https://www.nba.com/news/san-antonio-spurs-2023-24-city-edition-uniform-viva-spurs|url-status=live}}</ref> The Hemisfair-themed design, albeit in light blue, was reused for the 2024–25 "City" uniform.<ref>{{cite news|title=San Antonio Spurs 2024-25 City Edition Uniform: Wear the heritage, live the legacy|url=https://www.nba.com/news/san-antonio-spurs-2024-25-city-edition-uniform|work=NBA.com|date=November 14, 2024|access-date=November 15, 2024}}</ref> | |||
| {| | |||
| ] at a Spurs game]] | |||
| | | |||
| {{Basketball kit| | |||
| pattern_b=_basketballblankborder| | |||
| body=FF0022| | |||
| shorts=FF0022| | |||
| pattern_s=_blanksides| | |||
| title=Dallas Chaparrals (H) | |||
| }} | |||
| | | |||
| {{Basketball kit| | |||
| pattern_b=_basketballlightblueborder| | |||
| body=FF0022| | |||
| shorts=FF0022| | |||
| pattern_s=_blue_border| | |||
| title=Dallas Chaparrals (A) | |||
| }} | |||
| | | |||
| {{Basketball kit| | |||
| pattern_b=_saspursh| | |||
| body=FFFFFF| | |||
| shorts=FFFFFF| | |||
| pattern_s=_saspursh| | |||
| title=San Antonio Spurs (H) | |||
| }} | |||
| | | |||
| {{Basketball kit| | |||
| pattern_b=_saspursa| | |||
| body=000000| | |||
| shorts=000000| | |||
| pattern_s=_saspursa| | |||
| title=San Antonio Spurs (A) | |||
| }} | |||
| |} | |||
| ===Mascot=== | |||
| ==Season-by-season records== | |||
| ] has been the Spurs' mascot since 1983. Created by and portrayed for 21 years by Tim Derk,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Derk |title=Tim Derk Takes On A New Role |url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/derk_announcement_040830.html |website=San Antonio Spurs |access-date=March 8, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806211046/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/derk_announcement_040830.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Coyote is known for his slapstick humor, rehearsed skits and previous dance numbers with Spurs' cheerleaders, the ''Silver Dancers'', who were replaced in 2018 after 26 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=An abrupt firing leaves San Antonio Spurs dance team hurt and suspicious |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/03/an-abrupt-firing-leaves-san-antonio-spurs-dance-team-hurt-and-suspicious |website=San Antonio Spurs |date=August 3, 2018 |access-date=April 12, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412221402/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/03/an-abrupt-firing-leaves-san-antonio-spurs-dance-team-hurt-and-suspicious |url-status=live }}</ref> The Coyote was a 2007 inductee into the ] and has been featured in local and national media.<ref name="MHoF">{{cite web |title=mascothalloffame.com: Hall of Famers |url=http://www.mascothalloffame.com/virtual/hall/index.html?staff_id=39 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128163807/http://www.mascothalloffame.com/virtual/hall/index.html?staff_id=39 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 28, 2013 |website=archive.is |access-date=March 8, 2019 |date=January 28, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| ==Season-by-season record== | |||
| ''List of the last five seasons completed by the Spurs. For the full season-by-season history, see ].'' | ''List of the last five seasons completed by the Spurs. For the full season-by-season history, see ].'' | ||
| '''''Note:''' GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Winning |
'''''Note:''' GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage'' | ||
| {| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| |- style="font-weight:bold; |
|- style="font-weight:bold; {{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};" | ||
| |Season || GP || W || L || % || Finish || Playoffs | | Season || GP || W || L || W–L% || Finish || Playoffs | ||
| |- style="background:#eee;" | |||
| | |] || 82 || 61 ||21||.744 || 1st, Southwest || Lost in First Round, 2–4 (]) | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | |
| ] || 71 || 32 || 39 || {{Winning percentage|32|39}} || 4th, Southwest || Did not qualify | ||
| |- | |||
| |- style="background:#eee;" | |||
| | |
| ] || 72 || 33 || 39 || {{Winning percentage|33|39}} || 3rd, Southwest || Did not qualify | ||
| |- | |||
| |- style="font-weight:bold;" | |||
| | |
| ] || 82 || 34 || 48 || {{Winning percentage|34|48}} || 4th, Southwest || Did not qualify | ||
| |- | |||
| |- style="background:#eee;" | |||
| | |
| ] || 82 || 22 || 60 || {{Winning percentage|22|60}} || 5th, Southwest || Did not quality | ||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 82 || 22 || 60 || {{Winning percentage|22|60}} || 5th, Southwest || Did not qualify | |||
| |} | |} | ||
| ==Television== | |||
| The Spurs primarily air games on ], though 15 games air via ] on ] or ].<ref>{{Cite press release|title=San Antonio Spurs Announce 2023-24 Season Local Broadcast Schedule|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/san-antonio-spurs-announce-2023-24-season-local-broadcast-schedule|work=NBA.com|date=October 10, 2023|access-date=October 28, 2023|archive-date=October 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029025753/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/san-antonio-spurs-announce-2023-24-season-local-broadcast-schedule|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| ==Arena history== | ==Arena history== | ||
| Line 339: | Line 339: | ||
| '''San Antonio Spurs''' | '''San Antonio Spurs''' | ||
| *] (1973–1993) | *] (1973–1993) | ||
| *] (1993–2002) | *] (1993–2002, 2023) | ||
| *] (formerly ''SBC Center'' and ''AT&T Center'') (2002–present)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dubinski |first1=Marilyn |title=A history of wildlife at the AT&T Center |url=https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/2/4/18208618/history-san-antonio-spurs-wildlife-att-center |website=Pounding The Rock |access-date=April 8, 2019 |date=February 4, 2019 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308193218/https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/2/4/18208618/history-san-antonio-spurs-wildlife-att-center |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| *] (formerly '''SBC Center''') (2002–present) | |||
| == |
==Personnel== | ||
| {{see also|San Antonio Spurs all-time roster|San Antonio Spurs draft history}} | |||
| :''For the players drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, see: ].'' | |||
| ===Current roster=== | ===Current roster=== | ||
| {{San Antonio Spurs roster}} | {{San Antonio Spurs roster}} | ||
| ===Retained draft 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 United States. 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 second-rounder ] (57th overall in ]) and first-rounder ] (28th overall in ]), who both went on to become ]. | |||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;" | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Draft | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Round | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Pick | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Player | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Pos. | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Nationality | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Current team | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Note(s) | |||
| ! class="unsortable" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Ref | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|] | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|2 | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|36 | |||
| | {{sortname|Juan|Núñez|dab=basketball}} | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|G | |||
| | {{flagu|Spain}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | Acquired from the ] | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|author=saspshirley|title=Spurs Complete 2024 Draft Trade with Pacers|url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-complete-2024-draft-trade-with-pacers|website=NBA.com|date=July 6, 2024|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|] | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|2 | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|59 | |||
| | {{sortname|Ádám|Hanga}} | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|G/F | |||
| | {{flagu|Hungary}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | | |||
| | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|title=Spurs Select Joseph And Hanga in 2011 NBA Draft|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-select-joseph-and-hanga-2011-nba-draft|website=NBA.com|date=June 23, 2011|access-date=October 2, 2014|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111045822/https://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-select-joseph-and-hanga-2011-nba-draft|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| |} | |||
| ===Retired numbers=== | ===Retired numbers=== | ||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | colspan=" |
| colspan="5" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|'''San Antonio Spurs retired numbers''' | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! |
! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|No. | ||
| ! |
! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Player | ||
| ! |
! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Position | ||
| ! |
! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Tenure | ||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Date | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''00''' || ] || G || |
| '''00''' || ] || G || 1980–1987<br />1989–1990 || March 20, 1998 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''6''' || ] || G || 1991 |
| '''6''' || ] || G || 1991<br />1992–1993<br />1994–2001 || December 22, 2007 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ''' |
| '''9''' || ] || G || 2001–2018 || November 11, 2019 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ''' |
| '''12''' <sup>1</sup> || ] || F || 2001–2009 || March 21, 2012 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ''' |
| '''13''' || ] || G || 1972–1981 || February 28, 1984 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ''' |
| '''20''' || ] || G || 2002–2018 || March 28, 2019 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ''' |
| '''21''' || ] || F/C || 1997–2016 || December 18, 2016 | ||
| |- | |||
| | '''32''' || ] || F || 1989–1993<br />1994–2001 || March 6, 2005 | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''44''' || ] || G || 1974–1985 || December 5, 1987 | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''50''' || ] || C || 1989–2003 || November 10, 2003 | |||
| |} | |} | ||
| '''Notes:''' | |||
| * <sup>1</sup> ] wore the number from 2015 to 2021 with permission from ] on July 9, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2015/07/09/with-bowens-blessing-spurs-to-give-no-12-to-aldridge/|title=With Bowen's blessing, Spurs to give No. 12 to Aldridge|publisher=MySA|date=July 9, 2015|access-date=July 9, 2015|archive-date=July 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710010837/http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2015/07/09/with-bowens-blessing-spurs-to-give-no-12-to-aldridge/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Spurs reach buyout agreement with LaMarcus Aldridge |url=https://www.nba.com/spurs/spurs-reach-buyout-agreement-lamarcus-aldridge |website=NBA.com |access-date=April 16, 2021 |date=March 25, 2021 |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418110312/https://www.nba.com/spurs/spurs-reach-buyout-agreement-lamarcus-aldridge |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| * The NBA retired ]'s No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA |url=https://www.nba.com/news/bill-russells-no-6-jersey-to-be-retired-throughout-nba |website=NBA.com |access-date=August 24, 2022 |date=August 11, 2022 |archive-date=August 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817080803/https://www.nba.com/news/bill-russells-no-6-jersey-to-be-retired-throughout-nba |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Golliver |first1=Ben |title=NBA permanently retires Bill Russell's No. 6 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/11/bill-russell-nba-jersey-retirement/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=August 24, 2022 |date=August 11, 2022 |archive-date=November 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107143239/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/11/bill-russell-nba-jersey-retirement/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| === |
===Basketball Hall of Famers=== | ||
| {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| 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 second rounder ] (] ] 57th pick) and first rounder ] (] ] 28th pick), who have both become ]. | |||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;font-size:90%;" | |||
| !width="20px"| Draft | |||
| !width="20px"| Round | |||
| !width="20px"| Pick | |||
| !width="120px"| Player | |||
| !width="20px"| Pos. | |||
| !width="120px"| Nationality | |||
| !width="180px"| Current team | |||
| !width="250px"| Note(s) | |||
| !class="unsortable" width="20px"| Ref | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! colspan="5" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|San Antonio Spurs Basketball Hall of Famers | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 54 | |||
| | {{sortname|Nemanja|Dangubić}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| G | |||
| | {{SRB}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | Acquired from the ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/140626_spurs_select_anderson_acquire_dangubic|title=SAN ANTONIO SELECTS KYLE ANDERSON IN 2014 NBA DRAFT ACQUIRE RIGHTS TO NEMANJA DANGUBIC FROM 76ERS|date=June 26, 2014|work=NBA.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! colspan="5" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Players | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 1 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 28 | |||
| | {{sortname|Livio|Jean-Charles}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| F | |||
| | {{FRA}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref name="NBA.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/130627_spurs_draft_livio_jeancharles_deshaun_thomas|title=Spurs selects Livio Jean-Charles and Deshaun Thomas in 2013 NBA Draft|date=June 27, 2013|work=NBA.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! No. !! Name !! Position !! Tenure !! Inducted | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 58 | |||
| | {{sortname|Deshaun|Thomas}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| F | |||
| | {{USA}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref name="NBA.com"/> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''16''' || ] <sup>1</sup> || ]/] || 1967–1969 || 1978 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 59 | |||
| | {{sortname|Marcus|Denmon}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| G | |||
| | {{USA}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1211864-marcus-denmon-to-spurs-scouting-report-video-highlights-and-analysis|title=Marcus Denmon to Spurs: Scouting Report, Video Highlights and Analysis|date=June 28, 2012|work=bleacherreport.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''44''' || ] || ]/] || 1974–1985 || 1996 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 42 | |||
| | {{sortname|Dāvis|Bertāns}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| F | |||
| | {{LVA}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | Acquired from the ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-obtain-draft-rights-kawhi-leonard|title=Spurs Obtain Draft Rights To Kawhi Leonard|date=June 23, 2011|work=NBA.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''2''' || ] || ]/] || 1994–1995 || 2001 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 59 | |||
| | {{sortname|Ádám|Hanga}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| G/F | |||
| | {{HUN}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/spurs-select-joseph-and-hanga-2011-nba-draft|title=Spurs Select Joseph And Hanga In 2011 NBA Draft|date=June 23, 2011|work=NBA.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''21''' || ] || ] || 1996–1997 || 2006 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 49 | |||
| | {{sortname|Ryan|Richards}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| F | |||
| | {{UK}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/nbas-san-antonio-spurs-snap-231419|title=NBA's San Antonio Spurs snap up British teenager Ryan Richards|date=June 25, 2010|work=Mirror.co.uk|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''50''' || ] <sup>2</sup> || ] || 1989–2003 || 2009 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 46 | |||
| | {{sortname|Erazem|Lorbek}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| F/C | |||
| | {{SLO}} | |||
| | '']'' | |||
| | Acquired from the ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref name="ReferenceA"/> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''53''' || ] || ] || 1982–1987 || 2011 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 42 | |||
| | {{sortname|Viktor|Sanikidze}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| F | |||
| | {{GEO}} | |||
| | '']'' | |||
| | Acquired from the ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/trades.cgi?f1=SAS&f2=ATL|title=Trades Between San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks|date=October 2, 2014|work=NBA.com|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''10''' || ] || ] || 1993–1995 || 2011 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 58 | |||
| | {{sortname|Sergei|Karaulov}} | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| C | |||
| | {{UZB}} | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://onlineathens.com/stories/062504/spo_20040625049.shtml|title=NBA Draft: Howard goes first|date=June 25, 2004|work=http://onlineathens.com/|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| | '''10''' || ] || ] || 1976–1979 || 2015 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| ] | |||
| |- | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 2 | |||
| | '''1''' || ] || ] || 2013 || 2017<ref>{{cite web|title=Tracy McGrady, Bill Self, Rebecca Lobo and Muffet McGraw Headline Class|url=http://www.hoophall.com/news/naismith-memorial-basketball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2017-announcement-presented-by-haggar-clothing-company/|publisher=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Official Website|access-date=April 29, 2017|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111045904/http://www.hoophall.com/news/naismith-memorial-basketball-hall-of-fame-class-of-2017-announcement-presented-by-haggar-clothing-company/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| 56 | |||
| |- | |||
| | {{sortname|Robertas|Javtokas}} | |||
| | '''10''' || ] || ] || 1989–1990 || 2018 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| C | |||
| |- | |||
| | {{LTU}} | |||
| | '''21''' || ] || ] || 1997–2016 || 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nba.com/hall-of-fame-class-of-2020-revealed |title=Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett headline nine-member 2020 Hall of Fame Class |work=NBA.com |access-date=July 28, 2021 |archive-date=May 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525182113/https://www.nba.com/hall-of-fame-class-of-2020-revealed |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| | ] (]) | |||
| | |
|- | ||
| | '''20''' || ] || ] || 2002–2018 || 2022 | |||
| |style="text-align:center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://hoopshabit.com/2014/06/25/san-antonio-spurs-draft-history-2014-nba-draft-needs/|title=San Antonio Spurs: Draft History, 2014 NBA Draft Needs|date=June 25, 2014|work=http://hoopshabit.com/|accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''16''' || ] || ]/] || 2016–2019 || 2023 | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''9''' || ] || ] || 2001–2018 || 2023 | |||
| |- | |||
| ! colspan="5" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Coaches | |||
| |- | |||
| ! colspan="2"|Name !! Position !! Tenure !! Inducted | |||
| |- | |||
| | colspan="2"|] || Head coach || 1988–1992 || 2002 | |||
| |- | |||
| | colspan="2"|]|| Head coach || 1992 || 2013 | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''22''' ||] <sup>3</sup> || Assistant coach || 1978–1980 || 2022 | |||
| |- | |||
| | colspan="2"|] || Assistant coach<br />Head coach || 1988–1992<br />1996–present || 2023 | |||
| |- | |||
| ! colspan="5" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Contributors | |||
| |- | |||
| | colspan="2"|] || Head coach || 1984–1986 || 2021 | |||
| |} | |} | ||
| '''Notes:''' | |||
| * <sup>1</sup> He also coached the team in 1967–1970. | |||
| * <sup>2</sup> In total, Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the ]. | |||
| * <sup>3</sup> He also played for the team (1973–1978). | |||
| === |
===FIBA Hall of Famers=== | ||
| {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| *] – 2002 | |||
| |- | |||
| *] – 1996 | |||
| ! colspan="5" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famers | |||
| *] – 2011 | |||
| |- | |||
| *] – 1978 | |||
| ! colspan="5" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Players | |||
| *] – 2001 | |||
| |- | |||
| *] – 2009 | |||
| ! No. || Name || Position || Tenure || Inducted | |||
| *] – 2011 | |||
| |- | |||
| *] – 2013 | |||
| | '''50''' || ] <sup>1</sup> || ] || 1989–2003 || 2013 | |||
| *] – 2006 | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''10''' || ] || ] || 1999 || 2013 | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''7''' || ] || ] || 2005–2009 || 2019 | |||
| |- | |||
| ! colspan="5" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Coaches | |||
| |- | |||
| ! colspan="2"|Name !! Position !! Tenure !! Inducted | |||
| |- | |||
| | colspan="2"|] || Assistant coach || 2014–2019 || 2021 | |||
| |} | |||
| '''Notes:''' | |||
| * <sup>1</sup> In total, Robinson was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the ]. | |||
| ===Franchise leaders=== | ===Franchise leaders=== | ||
| '''Bold''' denotes still active with team. | '''Bold''' denotes still active with the team. ''Italics'' denotes still active, but not with the team. "Name*" includes combined statistics for the team from both the ABA and NBA. | ||
| "Name*" includes points scored for the team while in the ABA. | |||
| ''Italics'' denotes still active but not with team. | |||
| '''Points scored (regular season) |
'''Points scored (regular season) as of the end of the 2022–23 season'''<ref name="basketball-reference1">{{cite web |title=San Antonio Spurs: Players |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/players.html |access-date=May 17, 2023 |publisher=Basketball Reference |archive-date=June 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627175437/https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/players.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | ||
| {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} | |||
| # ] (26,496) | |||
| # ]* (23,602) | |||
| # ] (20,790) | |||
| # ] (18,943) | |||
| # ] (14,043) | |||
| # ]* (10,290) | |||
| # ] (9,799) | |||
| # ] (9,659) | |||
| # ]* (8,248) | |||
| # ] (7,325) | |||
| # '']'' (6,654) | |||
| # ] (6,486) | |||
| # ]* (6,466) | |||
| # ] (6,285) | |||
| # '']'' (6,218) | |||
| # ] (6,127) | |||
| # ]* (5,983) | |||
| # ] (5,946) | |||
| # ]* (5,626) | |||
| # ]* (5,297) | |||
| {{Div col end}} | |||
| '''Other statistics (regular season) as of the end of the 2022–23 season'''<ref name="basketball-reference1"/> | |||
| {{columns-start|num=5}} | {{columns-start|num=5}} | ||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| *1. ''']''' (25,974) | |||
| |- | |||
| *2. ]* (23,602) | |||
| ! colspan="2" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Most minutes played | |||
| *3. ] (20,790) | |||
| |- | |||
| *4. ''']''' (17,027) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Player | |||
| *5. ''']''' (12,395) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Minutes | |||
| *6. ]* (10,290) | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 47,368 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 37,276 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 34,271 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ]* || 31,115 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 26,859 | |||
| |} | |||
| {{column}} | {{column}} | ||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| *7. ] (9,799) | |||
| |- | |||
| *8. ] (9,659) | |||
| ! colspan="2" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Most rebounds | |||
| *9. ]* (8,428) | |||
| |- | |||
| *10. ] (6,486) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Player | |||
| *11. ]* (6,466) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Rebounds | |||
| *12. ] (6,285) | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 15,091 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 10,497 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ]* || 4,841 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ]* || 4,114 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 3,697 | |||
| |} | |||
| {{column}} | {{column}} | ||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| *13. ] (6,127) | |||
| |- | |||
| *14. ]* (5,983) | |||
| ! colspan="2" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Most assists | |||
| *15. ] (5,946) | |||
| |- | |||
| *16. ]* (5,626) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Player | |||
| *17. ]* (5,297) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Assists | |||
| *18. ] (5,181) | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 6,829 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 4,474 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 4,225 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 4,001 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 3,865 | |||
| |} | |||
| {{column}} | {{column}} | ||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| *19. ] (4,890) | |||
| |- | |||
| *20. ] (4,844) | |||
| ! colspan="2" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Most steals | |||
| *21. ]* (4,392) | |||
| |- | |||
| *22. ] (4,061) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Player | |||
| *23. ]* (3,920) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Steals | |||
| *24. ]* (3,857) | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 1,392 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 1,388 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ]* || 1,159 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 1,128 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 1,032 | |||
| |} | |||
| {{column}} | {{column}} | ||
| {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| *25. ]* (3,839) | |||
| |- | |||
| *26. ] (3,815) | |||
| ! colspan="2" style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Most blocks | |||
| *27. ] (3,800) | |||
| |- | |||
| *28. ]* (3,781) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Player | |||
| *29. ]* (3,495) | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell2|San Antonio Spurs}};"|Blocks | |||
| *30. ''']''' (3,384) | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 3,020 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 2,954 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ]* || 938 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ]* || 796 | |||
| |- | |||
| | ] || 700 | |||
| |} | |||
| {{columns-end}} | {{columns-end}} | ||
| ==Individual awards== | |||
| '''Other Statistics (regular season) (as of the end of the 2014–15 season)'''<ref name="basketball-reference1"/> | |||
| ===NBA individual awards=== | |||
| {{columns-start|num=5}} | |||
| {{columns-start|num=3}} | |||
| '''Minutes Played''' | |||
| *1. ''']''' (45,832) | |||
| *2. ] (34,271) | |||
| *3. ''']''' (32,638) | |||
| *4. ]* (31,115) | |||
| *5. ''']''' (23,135) | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| '''Rebounds''' | |||
| *1. ''']''' (14,644) | |||
| *2. ] (10,497) | |||
| *3. ]* (4,841) | |||
| *4. ]* (4,114) | |||
| *5. ]* (3,673) | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| '''Assists''' | |||
| *1. ''']''' (5,970) | |||
| *2. ] (4,474) | |||
| *3. ''']''' (4,062) | |||
| *4. ] (3,865) | |||
| *5. ''']''' (3,478) | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| '''Steals''' | |||
| *1. ] (1,388) | |||
| *2. ''']''' (1,201) | |||
| *3. ]* (1,159) | |||
| *4. ] (1,128) | |||
| *5. ] (1,017) | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| '''Blocks''' | |||
| *1. ] (2,954) | |||
| *2. ''']''' (2,941) | |||
| *3. ]* (938) | |||
| *4. ]* (796) | |||
| *5. ] (700) | |||
| {{columns-end}} | |||
| ===Individual awards=== | |||
| {{columns-start|num=3}} | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1995 | *] – 1995 | ||
| *] – 2002, 2003 | *] – 2002, 2003 | ||
| Line 604: | Line 635: | ||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1990 | *] – 1990 | ||
| *] – 1998 | *] – 1998 | ||
| *] – 2024 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1986 | *] – 1986 | ||
| *] – 1992 | *] – 1992 | ||
| *] – 2015 | *] – 2015, 2016 | ||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| Line 621: | Line 653: | ||
| *] – 2003, 2012, 2014 | *] – 2003, 2012, 2014 | ||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1978 | *] – 1978 | ||
| *] – 1990 | *] – 1990 | ||
| *] – 2014 | *] – 2014, 2016 | ||
| '''] | ''']''' | ||
| *] |
*] – 1998 | ||
| *] |
*] – 2001 | ||
| *] – 2002 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 2003 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 2015 | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] |
*] – 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982 | ||
| *] – 1994 | *] – 1994 | ||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] |
*] – 1991 | ||
| *] – 1994, 1995 | *] – 1994, 1995 | ||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] |
*] – 1982 | ||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1981, 1982 | *] – 1981, 1982 | ||
| *] |
*] – 1992 | ||
| *] – 2024 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] |
*] – 1986, 1987 | ||
| *] – 2015 | *] – 2015 | ||
| *] – 2022 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] - 1974 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] - 1972 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1974 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] - 1969 | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – |
*] – 1978–1982 | ||
| *] – 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 | *] – 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 | ||
| *] – |
*] – 1998–2005, 2007, 2013 | ||
| *] – 2016, 2017 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1977, 1983 | *] – 1977, 1983 | ||
| *] – 1986 | *] – 1986 | ||
| *] – 1994, 1998 | *] – 1994, 1998 | ||
| *] – 2006, 2008, 2009 | *] – 2006, 2008, 2009 | ||
| *] – |
*] – 2012–2014 | ||
| *] – 2018 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1990, 1993, 2000, 2001 | *] – 1990, 1993, 2000, 2001 | ||
| *] – 1995 | |||
| *] – 2010, 2015 | *] – 2010, 2015 | ||
| *] – 2008, 2011 | *] – 2008, 2011 | ||
| *] – 2009 | *] – 2009 | ||
| *] – |
*] – 2016 | ||
| {{Column}} | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1972 | |||
| *] – 1976 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1968, 1969 | |||
| *] – 1968 | |||
| *] – 1971 | |||
| *] – 1974, 1975 | |||
| *] – 1975 | |||
| *] – 1975, 1976 | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1987 | *] – 1987 | ||
| *] – 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 | *] – 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 | ||
| *] – 1995 | *] – 1995 | ||
| *] – |
*] – 1999–2003, 2005, 2007, 2008 | ||
| *] – |
*] – 2004–2008 | ||
| *] |
*] – 2015–2017 | ||
| *] – 2024 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1981 | |||
| *] – 1986, 1988, 1989 | *] – 1986, 1988, 1989 | ||
| *] – 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998 | *] – 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998 | ||
| *] – 1994 | *] – 1994 | ||
| *] – 1998, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015 | *] – 1998, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015 | ||
| *] – 2002, 2003 | *] – 2002, 2003 | ||
| *] – 2014 | *] – 2014 | ||
| *] – 2017 | |||
| *] – 2018 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1988 | *] – 1988 | ||
| *] – 1989 | *] – 1989 | ||
| *] – 1990 | *] – 1990 | ||
| *] – 1998 | *] – 1998 | ||
| *] – 2002 | *] – 2002 | ||
| *] – 2011 | *] – 2011 | ||
| *] – 2012 | *] – 2012 | ||
| *] – 2024 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| *] – 1990 | *] – 1990 | ||
| *] – 2003 | *] – 2003 | ||
| *] – 2010 | *] – 2010 | ||
| *] – 2023 | |||
| {{columns-end}} | |||
| ===NBA All-Star Weekend=== | |||
| {{columns-start|num=2}} | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| * ] – 1977–1985 | |||
| * ] – 1978, 1979 | |||
| * ] – 1983, 1986 | |||
| * ] – 1986–1988 | |||
| * ] – 1990–1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 | |||
| * ] – 1993, 1996 | |||
| * ] – 1998, 2000–2011, 2013, 2015 | |||
| * ] – 2005, 2011 | |||
| * ] – 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012–2014 | |||
| * ] – 2016, 2017 | |||
| * ] – 2016, 2018, 2019 | |||
| * ] – 2022 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1984 | |||
| *] – 1987 | |||
| *] – 1988 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1994 | |||
| *] – 1995 | |||
| *] – 2000 | |||
| *] – 2002 | |||
| *] – 2009 | |||
| *] – 2013 | |||
| *] – 2014, 2015 | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| * ] – 2005, 2011, 2013, 2016 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1980 | |||
| *] – 2000 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 2002, 2003 | |||
| *] – 2004 | |||
| *] – 2005 | |||
| *] – 2010, 2011 | |||
| *] – 2011 | |||
| *] – 2012, 2013 | |||
| *] – 2012 | |||
| *] – 2017 | |||
| *] – 2021 | |||
| *] - 2023, 2024 | |||
| *] - 2024 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 2003, 2009, 2012 | |||
| *] - 2024 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 2004 | |||
| *] – 2006, 2007 | |||
| *] – 2008, 2009{{columns-end}} | |||
| ===ABA individual awards=== | |||
| {{columns-start|num=3}} | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1972 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1974 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1974 | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1972 | |||
| *] – 1976 | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| *] – 1968, 1969 | |||
| *] – 1968 | |||
| *] – 1971 | |||
| *] – 1974, 1975 | |||
| *] – 1975, 1976 | |||
| *] – 1975 | |||
| ''']''' | ''']''' | ||
| * ] |
* ] – 1969 | ||
| * ] |
* ] – 1971 | ||
| * ] |
* ] – 1973 | ||
| * ] |
* ] – 1974 | ||
| * ] |
* ] – 1976 | ||
| {{columns-end}} | |||
| {{column}} | |||
| ===All-Star selections=== | |||
| *] – 1968, 1969, 1970 | |||
| *] – 1968 | |||
| *] – 1970 | |||
| *] – 1970 | |||
| *] – 1971, 1972 | |||
| *] – 1972 | |||
| *] – 1973, 1974 | |||
| *] – 1974, 1975 | |||
| *] – 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 | |||
| *] – 1975, 1976 | |||
| *] – 1976 | |||
| *] – 1976, 1978, 1979 | |||
| *] – 1983, 1986 | |||
| *] – 1986, 1987, 1988 | |||
| *] – 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 | |||
| *] – 1993, 1996 | |||
| *] – 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 | |||
| *] – 2005, 2011 | |||
| *] – 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 | |||
| *] – 2005, 2011, 2013 (Head Coaches) | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| ===Notable former players=== | |||
| *] – 1969 | |||
| {{Famous players|date=June 2014}} | |||
| {| | |||
| ''']''' | |||
| | | |||
| *] – 1968–1970 | |||
| |valign="top"| | |||
| *] – 1968 | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | *] – 1970 | ||
| *] – 1970 | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | *] – 1971, 1972 | ||
| *] – 1972 | |||
| * ] | |||
| *] – 1973, 1974 | |||
| *] | |||
| *] – 1974, 1975 | |||
| *] | |||
| *] – 1975, 1976 | |||
| *] | |||
| *] – 1975, 1976 | |||
| *] | |||
| *] – 1976 | |||
| *] | |||
| *] – 1976 | |||
| *] | |||
| {{columns-end}} | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| |width="45"| | |||
| |valign="top"| | |||
| *] | |||
| * ] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| |width="45"| | |||
| |valign="top"| | |||
| *] | |||
| * ] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| * ] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| |width="45"| | |||
| |valign="top"| | |||
| *] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| |}''For a complete list of current and former players, see the ] category. | |||
| ==Head coaches== | ==Head coaches== | ||
| {{See also|List of San Antonio Spurs head coaches}} | {{See also|List of San Antonio Spurs head coaches}} | ||
| {| class="wikitable" style=" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Years active | |||
| ! Years active | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Name | |||
| ! Name | |||
| ! Record (W–L) | ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Record (W–L) | ||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Winning percentage | |||
| ! Winning Percentage | |||
| ! |
! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Playoff record<br />(W–L) | ||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Playoff percentage | |||
| ! Postseason Percentage | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Playoff appearances | |||
| ! Playoff Appearances | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Division titles | |||
| ! Division Titles | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|Conference titles | |||
| ! Conference Titles | |||
| ! style="{{NBA color cell|San Antonio Spurs|border=2}};"|NBA championships | |||
| ! NBA Championships | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1976–1980<sup>1</sup> | ||
| | ] || 177–135 || .567 || 9–13 || .409 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 1022-470 | |||
| | .685 | |||
| | 152–94 | |||
| | .618 | |||
| | 18 | |||
| | 12 | |||
| | 6 | |||
| | 5 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1980<sup>1</sup> | ||
| | ] || 8–8 || .500 || 1–2 || .333 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 124–58 | |||
| | .681 | |||
| | 14–11 | |||
| | .560 | |||
| | 2 | |||
| | 2 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1980–1983 | ||
| | ] || 153–93 || .622 || 13–14 || .481 || 3 || 3 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 94–49 | |||
| | .657 | |||
| | 6–8 | |||
| | .429 | |||
| | 2 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1983<sup>2</sup> | ||
| | ] || 11–20 || .355 || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 9–11 | |||
| | .450 | |||
| | N/A | |||
| | N/A | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1983<sup>2</sup>–1984 | ||
| | ] | | ] || 26–25 || .510 || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||
| | 26–18 | |||
| | .591 | |||
| | 0–3 | |||
| | .000 | |||
| | 1 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1984–1986 | ||
| | ] || 76–88 || .463 || 2–6 || .250 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 153–131 | |||
| | .539 | |||
| | 7–7 | |||
| | .500 | |||
| | 2 | |||
| | 2 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1986–1988 | ||
| | ] | | ] || 59–105 || .360 || 0–3 || .000 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 | ||
| | 59–105 | |||
| | .360 | |||
| | 0–3 | |||
| | .000 | |||
| | 1 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1988–1992<sup>3</sup> | ||
| | ] || 153–131 || .539 || 7–7 || .500 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 76–88 | |||
| | .463 | |||
| | 2–6 | |||
| | .250 | |||
| | 2 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1992<sup>3</sup> | ||
| | ] || 26–18 || .591 || 0–3 || .000 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 26–25 | |||
| | .510 | |||
| | N/A | |||
| | N/A | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1992<sup>4</sup> | ||
| | ] || 9–11 || .450 || — || — || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 11–20 | |||
| | .355 | |||
| | N/A | |||
| | N/A | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1992<sup>4</sup>–1994 | ||
| | ] || 94–49 || .657 || 6–8 || .429 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 153–93 | |||
| | .622 | |||
| | 13–14 | |||
| | .481 | |||
| | 3 | |||
| | 3 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1994–1996<sup>5</sup> | ||
| | ] || 124–58 || .681 || 14–11 || .560 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 0 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 8–8 | |||
| | .500 | |||
| | 1–2 | |||
| | .333 | |||
| | 1 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! style="text-align:center;" |
! style="text-align:center;"|1996<sup>5</sup>–present | ||
| | ] || 1,388–821 || .628 || 170–114 || .599 || 22 || 14 || 6 || 5 | |||
| | ] | |||
| | 177–135 | |||
| | .567 | |||
| | 9–13 | |||
| | .409 | |||
| | 3 | |||
| | 2 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| | 0 | |||
| |} | |} | ||
| '''Notes:''' | |||
| <sup>1</sup>During the |
* <sup>1</sup> During 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. | ||
| <sup>2</sup>During the |
* <sup>2</sup> During 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. | ||
| <sup>3</sup>During the 1991–92 season, Larry Brown coached 38 regular |
* <sup>3</sup> During 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. | ||
| <sup>4</sup>During the |
* <sup>4</sup> During the 1992–93 season, Jerry Tarkanian coached 20 regular-season games. Tarkanian was fired on December 18, 1992. ] then coached one regular-season game, and John Lucas coached the remaining 61 regular-season games as well as the playoffs. | ||
| <sup>5</sup>During the |
* <sup>5</sup> During 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. | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
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| {{San Antonio Spurs 1998–99 NBA champions}} | |||
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| {{San Antonio Spurs 2006–07 NBA champions}} | |||
| {{San Antonio Spurs 2013–14 NBA champions}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 01:45, 22 December 2024
National Basketball Association team in San Antonio
| San Antonio Spurs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 2024–25 San Antonio Spurs season | ||||||
 | ||||||
| Conference | Western | |||||
| Division | Southwest | |||||
| Founded | 1967 | |||||
| History |
| |||||
| Arena | Frost Bank Center | |||||
| Location | San Antonio, Texas | |||||
| Team colors | Silver, black, white | |||||
| Main sponsor | None | |||||
| President | Gregg Popovich | |||||
| General manager | Brian Wright | |||||
| Head coach | Gregg Popovich (on leave) Mitch Johnson (acting) | |||||
| Ownership | Spurs Sports & Entertainment (Peter John Holt, Chairman and CEO) | |||||
| Affiliation(s) | Austin Spurs | |||||
| Championships | 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014) | |||||
| Conference titles | 6 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014) | |||||
| Division titles | 22 (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) | |||||
| Retired numbers | 10 (00, 6, 9, 12, 13, 20, 21, 32, 44, 50) | |||||
| Website | www | |||||
| ||||||
Association
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Frost Bank Center.
The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association (ABA) teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA–NBA merger, one of two former ABA teams to have won an NBA championship (the other being the Denver Nuggets), and the only former ABA team to have won multiple championships. The franchise has won NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. As of the 2022–23 season, the Spurs had the highest winning percentage among active NBA franchises. As of May 2017, the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada over the previous three decades. From 1999–2000 to 2016–17, the Spurs won 50 games each season, setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seasons. In the 2018–19 season, the Spurs matched an NBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances with 22. The team's recent success has coincided with the tenure of current head coach Gregg Popovich and with the playing careers of Spurs icons David Robinson (1989–2003) and Tim Duncan (1997–2016). In the 2022–23 season, the Spurs celebrated the club's 50th anniversary.
The Spurs in San Antonio
Spurs players are active members of the San Antonio community, and many former Spurs are still active in San Antonio, including David Robinson 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 an NBA Finals game in 1999, and the Spurs continue to sell out the smaller Frost Bank Center (formerly SBC Center and AT&T Center) on a regular basis.
Since 2003, the team has been forced into an extended road trip for much of February since the Frost Bank Center hosts the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo during that month. 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 (eight games out of nine, achieved in 2003).
When the Spurs have won the NBA title, the team's victory parades have been boat trips on the San Antonio River Walk.
History
1967–1973: Beginnings as the Dallas/Texas Chaparrals
Main article: Dallas ChaparralsThe San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals of the original version of the American Basketball Association (ABA). Coached 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 fourth 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, at the Tarrant County Convention Center, as well as Lubbock, 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.
1973–1976: Moving to San Antonio
While the Chaparrals had been modestly successful on the court, they were sinking financially by their third season. The financial difficulties were largely caused by the ownership group's refusal to invest 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. The team decided to sell the team to a different city, and the Chaparrals had to choose between San Antonio and El Paso. A group of 35 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 with an option to purchase.
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, with the branding taking effect for the 1973–74 season. In their first game at HemisFair Arena, the Spurs lost to the San Diego Conquistadors despite attracting a crowd of 6,000 fans. A smothering defense was the team's trademark, as they held opponents to less than 100 points in an ABA-record 49 games. The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran James Silas, and the team grew stronger by acquiring Swen Nater (who would go on to win the Rookie of the Year award) and George Gervin from the Virginia Squires in January. The ABA tried to halt the Gervin deal, claiming it was detrimental to the league; however, a judge ruled in the Spurs' favor and Gervin made his Spurs debut on February 7, 1974. The Spurs finished their inaugural season under that banner with a 45–39 record, good for third place in the Western Division. In the playoffs, the team was defeated by the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the first round. 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. Drossos, Schaefer 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 the team's ownership become tired of the Spurs' slow playing style. He was replaced by Bob Bass, who said, "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." Gervin and Silas took that style to heart, as the Spurs became an exciting fast-break team. The team finished the season with a 51–33 record and finished in second place in the West. In the playoffs, the Spurs fell to the Pacers in six games.
Even though playoff success would elude the team before the merger, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the best teams in the ABA. Moreover, their gaudy attendance figures made them very attractive to the NBA, even though San Antonio, then as now, was a medium-sized market. Although San Antonio proper had over 650,000 people at the time (and has since grown to become the seventh-largest city in the United States), the surrounding suburban and rural areas have never been 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, the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers and the New York Nets joined the NBA for the 1976–77 season. The Spurs and the other three ABA teams added in the merger 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 amounted to approximately one-seventh of the Spurs' television profit every year. This agreement placed particular financial pressure on the Spurs and the other three surviving former ABA teams. In 2014, 38 years after the completion of the merger, the Spirits' owners reached an agreement with the NBA to end the perpetual payments and take a lump sum of $500 million instead.
1976–1985: The George Gervin era
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 Rockets, who had played in Texas for five years prior to the merger.
During the 1977–78 season, Gervin battled David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets all year long 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 first quarter. In the second, Gervin set a single period record with 33 points. Early on in the third 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 six games by the Washington Bullets despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33.2 points per game. The following season in the 1979 Conference Finals the Spurs led the series 3–1 but the Bullets came back to win the last three games and came from behind to win the seventh game 107–105 handing the Spurs a 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 five division titles in their first seven years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant. However, in the playoffs, the Spurs could never catch 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 (in that season, the Spurs were moved to the Midwest Division of the Western Conference), 48–34 in 1981–82, and 53–29 in 1982–83.
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 four games in 1982 and in six 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 did not make the conference finals until 1995.
After the 1984–85 season, Gervin, who 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.
1985–1989: Difficult years
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 Academy standout David Robinson. Although Robinson was drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the 1989–90 season for Robinson to be a Spur because of his prior two-year commitment to serve in the United States Navy.
The Spurs seemingly bottomed out in 1988–89 with a record of 21–61, the worst in franchise history at the time. However, the 1989–90 season 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 Kansas in 1988.
1989–1997: The David Robinson era
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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 for the 1989–90 season.
While it was thought that Robinson's arrival would make the Spurs respectable again, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Led by Robinson, 1989 draftee Sean Elliott from Arizona, and trade acquisition Terry Cummings from the Milwaukee Bucks, the Spurs achieved the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA history, finishing with a record of 56–26–vaulting from the worst record in franchise history to the best in franchise history. They also jumped all the way to first place in the Midwest Division, their first division title in seven years. 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. Midway through the 1991–92 season, McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with Bob Bass for the remainder of the season. 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' 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.
In 1993, local businessman Peter M. Holt and a group of 22 investors purchased the Spurs from Red McCombs for $75 million. In the 1993–94 season, the Spurs' first in the newly built Alamodome, Lucas led the team to a 55–27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs, 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. Elliott returned to the Spurs at the following year.
Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill for the 1994–95 season. On their first game of the season, they were defeated by the visiting Golden State Warriors despite a strong performance by David Robinson who recorded 27 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks for the Spurs. The next game, Sean Elliott recorded 23 points and David Robinson added 18 points and 19 rebounds as the Spurs got their first win of the season against the visiting New Jersey Nets.
The Spurs finished with the NBA's best record at 62–20, cracking the 60-win mark for the first time in franchise history. 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. 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 the Bulls win three titles from 1996 to 1998. Rodman was named All-NBA Third Team for the Spurs that season.
The Spurs finished the 1995–96 season under Hill at 59–23 and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals. Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the 1996–97 season, especially with the signing of Dominique Wilkins. Robinson missed the first month of the season due to a back injury. He returned in December, but played only six games before a broken foot sidelined him for the rest of the season. Elliott also missed more than half the season due to injury. Forward Chuck Person would miss the entire season with a back injury. Without Robinson and Elliott, the Spurs were a rudderless team. The lone bright spot was Wilkins, leading the team in scoring with an average of 18.2 points per game. The Spurs ended the season with a 20–62 record, the worst in franchise history—and the last time they missed the playoffs until the 2019–20 season. Hill only lasted 18 games as coach that season, eventually being fired and replaced by general manager Gregg Popovich, who had also served a stint under Brown as an assistant coach. Wilkins would play his lone season in 1996–97 for San Antonio, knowing his minutes and playing time would greatly diminish next season.
As disastrous as the 1996–97 season was for the Spurs, the off-season proved to be the opposite. With the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA draft lottery, which gave them the top pick in the 1997 draft. The Spurs used their pick to select Wake Forest product and consensus All-American Tim Duncan.
1997–2016: The Tim Duncan era
1997–2003: The "Twin Towers"
Further information: Twin Towers (San Antonio Spurs)Paired together, the 7'1" Robinson and the 6'11" Duncan became known as the Twin Towers. The Twin Towers played together for the Spurs from 1997 to 2003. Both Robinson and Duncan were skilled offensive players, and the Twin Towers also anchored the Spurs' formidable defense. The duo helped lead the team to NBA championships in 1999 and 2003.
Duncan quickly emerged as a dominant 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 to 1990 for the biggest single-season improvement for wins, but once again lost to the Jazz in the Western Conference semi-finals. While both Duncan and Robinson played low-post roles, the two seamlessly meshed on the court.
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 for over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999.
Playing a shortened 50-game season, the Spurs won their first two games of the season, against the Kings and the Timberwolves respectively. However, the Spurs lost their next three games to the Lakers, Timberwolves, and Cavaliers, the latter a 99–89 road loss. The Spurs finished the regular season with an NBA-best 37–13 record (.740 win percentage), the only season during Duncan's tenure with the Spurs that the team did not win at least 50 games in a season, a feat that extended through the 2016–17 season. 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 New York Knicks, who had made history by becoming the first eighth seed to ever make the NBA Finals. The Spurs won the series 4-1 and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 at the Knicks' home arena, Madison Square Garden. Duncan was named the NBA Finals MVP. The Spurs became the first former ABA team to reach and win the NBA Finals.
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 from his brother prior to the season, returned and played in the last 19 games. As the season wound down, Duncan suffered a knee injury and the Spurs finished in second place with a 53–29 record. Without Duncan, the Spurs were 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 in car rental and hotel taxes which would allow for the construction of a new arena next to 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 second round in 2002.
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 were 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 Argentine product Manu Ginóbili, a 1999 second-round draft choice playing in his first NBA season.
The Spurs started the 2002–03 season with an 87–81 road win over the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. The following game, the Spurs bowed down to the home team, the Golden State Warriors, 106–98. The Spurs christened the SBC Center in style on November 1, 2002, by defeating the Toronto Raptors 91–72. The next game, the Spurs were on the road to face the winless Memphis Grizzlies. In that game, the Spurs and the Grizzlies went to overtime. In the first minutes of the OT, the Grizzlies held a 7-point lead before Tim Duncan answered the run with a 9-point run by himself. With a tied score of 111–111 with 0.8 seconds remaining, Duncan made a 12-foot jumpshot to defeat the Grizzlies. The following game, the Spurs were down by three points at halftime against the visiting Warriors, but then scored 31 points in the third quarter to put the game away, clinching their fourth win of the season. Tony Parker led the Spurs after scoring 21 points. Three days after, the Spurs were dealt by the visiting Trail Blazers their first home loss of the season. The Spurs would not get off to a flying start as they had just a 19–13 record heading into January. In January the Spurs began to gel and seemed prepped to make a run, when they embarked on their annual Rodeo Road Trip, a nine-game road trip from January 25 to February 16. However, it would be hardly a bump in the road for the charging Spurs, who won eight of the nine and began to climb their way to first place. The Spurs went on to erase their seven-game deficit and finished the season in a tie with the Dallas Mavericks for the best record in the NBA (60–22). 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, after having been named NBA MVP, was also named Finals MVP.
2003–2016: The "Big Three"
Further information: Big Three (San Antonio Spurs)"Big Three"
Tim Duncan.JPG)
Tony Parker.JPG)
Manu Ginóbili
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 retired. Meanwhile, backup point guard Speedy Claxton left for the Golden State Warriors, and Stephen Jackson left for the Atlanta Hawks. With several holes to fill in their rotation, the Spurs would make several key signings in the off-season. Rasho Nesterović and Hedo Türkoğlu were brought in to replace Robinson and Jackson, respectively. What proved to be the most important off-season acquisition would be the signing of veteran Robert Horry.
The Spurs, playing with nine new players, struggled early as they missed the presence of 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 a 13-game winning streak and quickly climbed back to the top of the NBA standings. They 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 one game short of a division title and the best record in the West, posting a record of 57–25. In the second round of the playoffs, the Spurs found themselves in another showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs would win Games 1 and 2 at home, but drop the next two in Los Angeles. In Game 5 back in San Antonio, Duncan seemingly delivered the Spurs a 73–72 win as he hit a dramatic shot with just 0.4 seconds remaining. However, the Lakers' Derek Fisher would launch a game-winner as time expired, giving the Lakers a stunning 74–73 win to take a 3–2 series lead. Demoralized the Spurs would head back to Los Angeles where they would lose the series in six games.
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 suffered an ankle injury. The Spurs struggled the rest of the season, finishing just 59–23. However, by the time the playoffs rolled around, Duncan was ready to return.
In the postseason, The Spurs went through the West relatively easily, culminating with a 5-game victory in the Conference Finals over the Phoenix Suns. In the NBA Finals, the Spurs would face the defending champion Detroit Pistons. The first two games in San Antonio were both Spurs' victories as Ginóbili led the way with 26 and 27 points respectively. However, as the series shifted to Detroit, the Spurs lost Games 3 and 4 by big margins as the Pistons tied the series. Faced with a third straight loss in Detroit, the Spurs would play tougher in Game 5, which would go into overtime. After going scoreless in the first half, Robert Horry hit a clutch three-point shot with nine seconds remaining to give the Spurs a dramatic 96–95 win. The series moved back to San Antonio for game six, but the Spurs were unable to close out the series, setting up a deciding Game 7. In Game 7, Duncan had 25 points as the Spurs pulled away late to win their third NBA Title in seven years with an 81–74 win. Duncan was named Finals MVP, becoming the fourth player to win the MVP award three times (joining Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Michael Jordan).
Coming off their third NBA Championship in seven 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 met the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs, but it would be Dallas coming out on top 4–3, including a 119–111 overtime victory in Game 7.
The Spurs struggled during the first half of the 2006–07 season, which led to discussions of trading away veteran players to build for the future. The team remained intact, and the Spurs would win 13 games in a row during February and March, and were an NBA-best 25–6 in the final 31 games, as the Spurs were able to claim the 3-seed in the West. The Spurs cruised through the first round, while the first-seeded Dallas Mavericks were upset. This set up a second-round series with 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 NBA.
The Spurs went on to win 4–2 in the contentious and controversial series versus the Suns. The series featured a Robert Horry foul on Steve Nash toward the end of Game 4 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 Finals, the Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers and captured their fourth title in nine years. Tony Parker, who dominated in the Finals averaging 24.5 points per game on 57 percent shooting, was named Finals MVP and became the first European-born player to win the award.
The 2007–2008 season saw the Spurs go 56–26 and finish third in the Western Conference. The Spurs faced hurdles but would make it to the Western Conference Finals, but lose to the Lakers in five games. The next season would see the Spurs drop off in wins to 54–28 and lose to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.
Two days before the 2009 NBA draft, 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 picks in the second round in the 2009 draft. Their selection of Pittsburgh Panthers forward DeJuan Blair with the 37th 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 2009–10 regular season, but managed another 50-win season, finishing at 50–32. The seventh-seeded Spurs would once again battle the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. After falling to the Mavericks in Game 1, the Spurs went on to avenge their 2009 defeat to Dallas by winning 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 management held the highest draft pick since the Tim Duncan draft a decade earlier. They drafted rookie James Anderson from Oklahoma State with the 20th overall pick. However, Anderson was soon sitting out of the first half of the season due to injuries. In 2010–11, the Spurs finished 61–21 to be the first seed, but an injury to Ginóbili in the final regular season game took a toll on the team, and they were upset by the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
2011-2016: Arrival of Kawhi Leonard
In 2011, a change to the Spurs' philosophy set the stage for the next successful run in the club's history. Out went the stream of last-legs, wizened veterans that the Spurs had relied on to fill out the rotation behind the Big Three. Minutes went to younger and more athletic talent like Danny Green, Gary Neal, and Tiago Splitter, to whom Popovich would teach The Spurs' Way – a fast pace, unselfish passing, and accountability on defense. The biggest personnel move of the Spurs' off-season had the team sending guard George Hill to his hometown Indiana Pacers for San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard, a hyper-athletic forward selected 15th overall by the Pacers in the 2011 NBA draft. The team also selected Texas Longhorns' Cory Joseph as the 29th overall pick.
After the lockout that delayed the 2011–12 season, the Spurs signed T. J. Ford, who would eventually retire in the middle of the season after playing only 14 games due to a stinger. Before the trade deadline, the Spurs decided to part ways with Richard Jefferson and sent him to the Golden State Warriors for Stephen Jackson, who had been a member of the 2003 championship team. Leonard then became the starting small forward. In the week following the trade deadline, the Spurs also signed forward Boris Diaw after his contract was bought out by the Charlotte Bobcats, and former Portland Trail Blazers guard Patrick Mills who played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the CBA during the lockout. This gave the Spurs a deeper bench for their playoff run.
Despite the shortened 66-game NBA season due to the NBA lockout, the Spurs won 50 games and tied the Chicago Bulls for the best record in the league. They extended their streak of 50+ win seasons to 13 since the 1999–2000 season, an NBA record. Popovich won his second Coach of the Year.
The Spurs swept the first two rounds of the playoffs. With those two sweeps, a 10-game win streak to end the season, and wins in Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs won 20 straight games. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder ended up winning the next four games in the West Finals, to take the series 4–2.
During the 2012 off-season, the Spurs re-signed swingman Danny Green, who was a welcome surprise for them from the previous season, and Tim Duncan, both for three years. The Spurs would have a strong 2012–13 season, going 58–24 and earning the second seed in the West.
The Spurs clinched the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season, as well as extended the NBA record with 50+ games for 14 consecutive seasons. On April 16, the Spurs signed two-time scoring champion, and seven-time All-Star Tracy McGrady to help in the playoffs after waiving Stephen Jackson. The Spurs finished the regular season second in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder with a record of 58–24, and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, 4–0. In the second round of the 2013 playoffs, the Spurs faced Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. They beat the Warriors four games to two. In the conference finals, the Spurs swept the Memphis Grizzlies, with Tony Parker having an 18-assist performance in Game 2 and a 37-point performance in Game 4. The Spurs would meet the defending champion Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
The Spurs and Heat would alternate wins the first six games in the series. In Game 6, the Spurs were on the verge of winning their fifth NBA title. San Antonio was up five points with 28 seconds to go in regulation. An unlikely and uncharacteristic series of mishaps would doom the Spurs down the stretch, including the benching of Duncan by Popovich at the end of regulation with the Spurs on defense. The Heat missed their field goal attempt, but the undersized Spurs could not grab the defensive rebound. Chris Bosh rebounded the ball and Ray Allen then hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with five seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime, during which the Spurs were defeated 103–100. In Game 7, San Antonio jumped out to a lead early and kept the game close the entire way. Toward the end of the game, however, and despite a 24-point, 12 rebound effort, Duncan failed to convert on two attempts to tie the game: a missed layup and missed tip-in that allowed LeBron James to hit a jumper and increase the Heat's lead to 92–88. After a steal from Ginóbili, James hit two free throws after being fouled by Duncan, and when Ginóbili missed a subsequent 3-pointer, Dwyane Wade hit one out of two from the free-throw line to put the game on ice, as the Heat would win their second straight championship.
The Spurs returned with their core roster largely intact, adding free agents Marco Belinelli and Jeff Ayres (formerly Jeff Pendergraph) while losing Gary Neal to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Spurs clinched the best record in the NBA with 62 wins, which included a franchise-record 19 straight wins in February and March. In the first round of the playoffs, the eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks surprised the Spurs by taking the series to seven games, but the Spurs prevailed in convincing fashion in the deciding Game 7. In the second round, Tim Duncan surpassed Karl Malone for fifth place in NBA playoffs all-time points scored while the Spurs cruised past the Portland Trail Blazers in five games. San Antonio played the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, which marked the third straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals for the Spurs, and defeated them in six games to advance to the Finals for a second straight year for a rematch with the Miami Heat. It was also the first time that they had advanced to the Finals in consecutive years. This made it the first time since the 1998 NBA Finals that the same two teams faced off in the Finals in consecutive years. With a victory in the second game of the series, Duncan, Ginóbili, and Parker won more playoff games together than any other three players on the same team in NBA history. The Spurs would go on to win the 2014 NBA championship in five games (4–1). The Spurs blew out Miami in all of their wins, each of them by 15 or more points. Kawhi Leonard had a breakout performance and was named NBA Finals MVP for his big game performance and is the third-youngest to win it, behind Magic Johnson and teammate Duncan. In the 2014 NBA draft, they selected Kyle Anderson out of UCLA as the 30th overall pick.
During the 2014 off-season, the Spurs made headlines when they announced that they had hired Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, effective with her retirement as a player at the end of the 2014 WNBA season. Hammon became the first full-time female coach in any of the four major U.S. professional leagues.
The 2014–15 season was an up-and-down season, but finishing strong with a 55–27 regular-season record and sixth seed in the West, they qualified for the playoffs. They faced the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. The Spurs went up 3–2 heading into Game 6 at San Antonio. However, the Clippers would win that game and go on to win Game 7 at home. The San Antonio Spurs became the first defending champions since the 2011–12 Dallas Mavericks to be eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Spurs acquired four-time All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and veteran big man David West during the off-season. On their first game of the season, the Spurs were defeated by the home team, Oklahoma City Thunder, despite a 32 point-performance from Kawhi Leonard Two days after, Duncan and Leonard led the Spurs towards a 102–75 win over the visiting Brooklyn Nets. On November 2, the Spurs defeated the home team, the Boston Celtics, thanks to a double-double performance of LaMarcus Aldridge who recorded 24 points and 14 rebounds. On November 4, the Spurs defeated the home team, the New York Knicks, 94–84, to win their third game of the season, and more importantly, Tim Duncan clinched his 954th career win passing John Stockton (953 wins) for most wins by a player for a single franchise. The Spurs finished the 2015–16 season with a 67–15 record, earning them the Southwest Division title. They also set a franchise record for most wins in a season with 67 and an NBA record for most home wins in a season with 40 (tying the 1985–86 Boston Celtics 40–1 home record). The Spurs also had the league's best defense. During the playoffs they swept the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games in the second round. They would become the first team since the 2006–07 Dallas Mavericks to finish with 67 wins and be eliminated before the conference finals.
On July 11, 2016, Duncan announced his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons with the Spurs. He became one of two players in NBA history to record at least 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks in his career (along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) while also being the only NBA player to reach 1,000 wins with a single team.
2016–2023: Post-Duncan era
2016–2018: Leonard and Aldridge
In the 2016–17 season, despite the retirement of longtime captain Tim Duncan, the Spurs—led by Kawhi Leonard—remained a title contender and finished with a record of 61–21. After defeating the Grizzlies and the Rockets in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Spurs—who suffered injuries to Leonard, Parker, and David Lee—were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. In the third quarter of Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals, Leonard landed on Zaza Pachulia's foot after attempting a field goal and re-aggravated an existing ankle injury; he sat out the remainder of the series. During the 2017 season, the San Antonio Spurs joined into a partnership with Methodist Healthcare System and Sports Medicine Associates of San Antonio (SMASA). In the following off-season, the Spurs re-signed Aldridge, Pau Gasol and Patty Mills and signed Rudy Gay, but lost Dewayne Dedmon and Jonathon Simmons to free agency.
The Spurs' 2017–18 season was overshadowed by an injury to star Kawhi Leonard and reports of ensuing disputes between Leonard and the Spurs regarding the handling of that injury. Leonard missed the first 27 games of the 2017–18 season with a right quadriceps injury. In January 2018, after a brief comeback, he was ruled out for an indefinite period of time to continue his rehabilitation process from right quadriceps tendinopathy. Leonard was subsequently cleared to play by the Spurs medical staff, but he solicited a second opinion from his own doctors. In March, the Spurs held a players-only meeting in which Leonard's teammates reportedly asked him to return to the court; the meeting was described as "tense and emotional". Leonard did not play again in 2018. On April 3, 2018, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Spurs 113–110, handing San Antonio its 33rd loss of the season. This loss ended the Spurs' record streak of eighteen 50-win seasons that had stretched back to 2000, including the 2011–12 season, which was shortened by a lockout (the Spurs finished 50–16). The Spurs eventually finished the season with a record of 47–35 and were defeated 4–1 by the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Following the season, LaMarcus Aldridge was named to the All-NBA Second Team and point guard Dejounte Murray was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
In June 2018, following months of reports of growing tension between Leonard's camp and the Spurs stemming from a disagreement over his injury rehabilitation process, reports indicated that Leonard had requested a trade. On July 18, 2018, Leonard and Danny Green were traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick. On July 6, 2018, Tony Parker signed with the Charlotte Hornets after having played his entire 17-year career with the Spurs. On August 27, Manu Ginóbili announced his retirement after a 16-year career with the Spurs. The Spurs signed forwards Dante Cunningham and Quincy Pondexter, guard Marco Belinelli, and re-signed guard Bryn Forbes, and forward Rudy Gay.
In 2018, the Spurs began training camp without a member of the Big Three for the first time since the 1997–98 season. Despite losing Dejounte Murray for the season to an ACL tear, the Spurs finished the 2018–19 season with a 48–34 record and the seventh seed in the Western Conference, qualifying for the playoffs for the 22nd consecutive playoff season. In the first round of the playoffs, they faced the second-seeded Denver Nuggets, and lost the series in seven games.
2019–2023: Pandemic-shortened seasons and difficult years
See also: Suspension of the 2019–20 NBA seasonOn March 11, 2020, the NBA suspended the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. On June 4, it was announced that the season would restart on July 31 for the Spurs and 21 other teams in the NBA Bubble, and would finish no later than October 12. For the first time since the 1996–97 season, the Spurs failed to qualify for the postseason when the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on August 13, 2020. The Spurs' failure to make the postseason ended an NBA record-tying streak of 22 consecutive playoff appearances. The Spurs finished the COVID-shortened season with a record of 32–39. The 2019–2020 season was also the first season since 1996–1997 in which the Spurs finished with a losing record.
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Because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 NBA regular season was shortened to 72 games and began on December 22, 2020. The season began only 72 days after the 2020 NBA Finals ended, making the 2020 offseason the shortest offseason in league history. At one point, the 2020–2021 Spurs held a record of 22–16; however, the team faltered down the stretch, and finished the season with a 33–39 record. Thirty-five-year-old star LaMarcus Aldridge left the team midway through the season, agreeing to a contract buyout. The Spurs were hurt by poor three-point shooting and by injuries to starting guard Derrick White; however, Keldon Johnson and other young players made positive strides over the course of the season. DeMar DeRozan led the team in scoring, averaging 21.6 points per game.
At the conclusion of the 2020–2021 season, the NBA held a play-in tournament. As the tenth seed in the Western Conference, the Spurs participated in the tournament. The team was defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies, 100–96. The loss marked the first time in Spurs history that the team missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. Following the 2020–2021 season, DeRozan was traded to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal for Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a protected first-round draft pick, and the Bulls’ 2022 and 2025 second-round picks. In addition, longtime Spur Patty Mills left the team in free agency, and the Spurs signed sharpshooter Doug McDermott.
The Spurs picked up Joshua Primo in the NBA Draft at number 12. At the trade deadline, Derrick White was dealt to the Celtics as part of a three team trade. Dejounte Murray had a breakout year, representing the Spurs at the All-Star Game, the first Spur to do so since Lamarcus Aldridge in 2019. The Spurs finished 34-48 and would make the play-in but fail to advance to the playoffs.
The 2022–23 season was San Antonio's worst since the 1996–97 season. During the off-season, Dejounte Murray and Jock Landale were traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Danilo Gallinari and future draft picks. The Spurs picked Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley in the first round of the draft, going 9th, 20th and 25th respectively. On January 13, 2023, the Spurs set a regular season single-game attendance record with 68,323 spectators at the Alamodome in a game against the Golden State Warriors. San Antonio finished the season 22–60 at the bottom of the West.
2023–present: The Victor Wembanyama era
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2023-24: Wemby's arrival and historic rookie year
On May 16, 2023, the Spurs won the draft lottery, allowing them to receive the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft. This marked their third time selecting first overall, having previously chosen David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. The Spurs used their number one pick to select Victor Wembanyama, who had long been expected to be drafted first overall. The team ended up at the 14th spot in the western conference and Wembanyama was unanimously elected Rookie of the Year. Wembanyama also came second in Defensive Player of the Year voting as well as setting many more rookie records.
2024-25
During the following off-season, the Spurs signed veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. They also drafted Stephon Castle and Rob Dillingham. (Dillingham was traded away to the Minnesota Timberwolves.)
Near the start of the season, Gregg Popovich was announced indefinitely out for the season due to health issues and was replaced by Mitch Johnson.
Rivalries
Main articles: Lakers–Spurs rivalry, Mavericks–Spurs rivalry, Spurs–Suns rivalry, and Rockets–Spurs rivalryLos Angeles Lakers
From 1999 to 2004, the rivalry between the Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers was considered the NBA's best. The two teams met in the playoffs five times in six seasons, and one of the two teams advanced to the NBA Finals every year from 1999 to 2005.
Dallas Mavericks
The rivalry between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks features two teams with Dallas roots. The Mavericks were swept in the 2012–13 season by the Spurs for the first time since the 1998 season, Tim Duncan's rookie season. In their last matchup of the season, San Antonio escaped with a 95–94 victory over Dallas when a Vince Carter attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer. With that win, the Spurs clinched a playoff spot for a 16th straight season. San Antonio also reached 50 wins for a 14th consecutive season, the longest streak in NBA history.
Phoenix Suns
Since 1992, the Spurs and the Phoenix Suns have met 10 times in the playoffs, in which the Spurs have won six series and the Suns have won four. Some of the most notable moments of their rivalry include Charles Barkley's game-winning jump shot in the 1993 playoffs in the final game at the HemisFair Arena, Stephon Marbury's buzzer-beating three-pointer in Game 1 of the first round of the 2003 playoffs, Robert Horry's hip check on Steve Nash in Game 4 of the 2007 playoffs, Tim Duncan's game-tying three-pointer in Game 1 of the 2008 first round, and Goran Dragić's 23-point outburst in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the West semifinals of the 2010 playoffs.
Houston Rockets
The rivalry between the Spurs and the Houston Rockets was renewed in the 2017 playoffs, in which the two teams met in the Western Conference Semifinals. The match-up was the first between the two teams in the playoffs since the 1995 Western Conference Finals. In Game Two of the series, starting point guard Tony Parker suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon, forcing him to miss the remainder of the playoffs. In Game Five, all-star small forward Kawhi Leonard suffered an injury to his right ankle in the third quarter, resulting in him sitting out for the closing portions of the game. Despite the injury issues, the Spurs were able to send Game Five to overtime. In the overtime period, Manu Ginóbili blocked James Harden's three-point attempt in the final seconds to secure the 110–107 victory for the Spurs. The Spurs would close out the series in a Game Six with a 114–75 win.
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 Eurostile font, with the stylized spur substituting for the letter U, has been a part of the team's identity since their move to San Antonio. The logo incorporated 'Fiesta colors' of pink, orange and turquoise, used from 1989 to 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 during the 1973–76 ABA seasons and their first NBA season when 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 to 1982, the road uniform lettering was black with silver trim. In addition, from 1977 to 1981 a saddle-like striping was featured on the back of the home shorts. 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. In 2003–04 and later in 2006–07, they wore silver throwback jerseys to honor their late 1970s team. The Spurs wear black sneakers and socks on the road, and white sneakers and socks at home (except for select games with the silver alternates), a practice that began in the 2002–03 season. When the NBA moved to the Adidas Revolution 30 technology for the 2010–11 season, the Spurs changed to V-neck jerseys and eliminated striping on the shorts' beltline.
On September 19, 2012, the Spurs unveiled a silver alternate uniform. In breaking from the traditional practice of placing the team or city name in front, the Spurs' new uniform features only the stylized spur logo, with the black number trimmed in white and silver on the upper right. The Spurs primary logo is atop the player name and number on the back (replaced by the NBA logo prior to the 2014–15 season), while the Eurostile 'SA' initials (for San Antonio) are on the left leg of the shorts. They also wore ABA throwbacks of Chaparrals team. Black, silver and white side stripes are also featured on the uniform. The uniforms are worn for select home games. A variation of this uniform, featuring military camouflage patterns instead of the usual silver, was used for two games in the 2013–14 season; a sleeved version was used the next season. Another variation, this time in black, was unveiled for the 2015–16 season.
At times throughout the season, the Spurs wear a jersey that says "Los Spurs" on the front, in recognition of Latino fans both at home and across the US and Latin America. The Spurs (located in a city with a large Hispanic population) were one of the first NBA teams to wear these branded jerseys. In 2014, the jerseys were sleeved. These events are called "Noches Latinas", first launched during the 2006–07 NBA season, part of a Hispanic marketing campaign known as "éne-bé-a". Six teams in the NBA participate in these events. The Spurs have had the most players from Latin America and are one of only three NBA teams who have had at least five players on their rosters who originate from Latin America and Spain (if one includes Puerto Rico as part of Latin America, although it is a U.S. territory), the others being the Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The switch to Nike as the uniform provider in 2017 eliminated the "home" and "away" uniform designations. The Spurs' black "Icon", silver "Statement" and white "Association" uniform remained identical to the previous set save for the manufacturer's logo and switch from Eurostile to custom block lettering on the team name. They also continued to wear their camouflage-style uniforms as part of the "City" edition. However, the Spurs retired their camouflage-style "City" uniforms prior to the 2020–21 season in favor of a design influenced by the team's 1989–2002 "Fiesta" era. The Spurs reprised the "Fiesta" theme for the 2021–22 season, but mixed in a few elements from previous uniforms. The shorts featured turquoise diamonds in homage to the George Gervin-era uniforms, and the logo on the left leg honored the Dallas Chaparrals. In 2022, the Spurs replaced their silver "Statement" uniforms with a black one, but with silver letters, a new "SATX" wordmark, a new "Texas spur" alternate logo, and grayscale patterns inspired from traditional serapes and saddle blankets. Also during the season, the Spurs wore a turquoise "City" uniform with elements based on the uniforms worn in the 1996 NBA All-Star Game. The "City" uniform in the 2023–24 season paid homage to Hemisfair '68, featuring a white base, tan and orange stripes. Also featured is a psychedelic-style "San Antonio" wordmark in brown along with neon light-inspired numbers in sand, white and brown accents. The Hemisfair-themed design, albeit in light blue, was reused for the 2024–25 "City" uniform.
Mascot
The Coyote has been the Spurs' mascot since 1983. Created by and portrayed for 21 years by Tim Derk, Coyote is known for his slapstick humor, rehearsed skits and previous dance numbers with Spurs' cheerleaders, the Silver Dancers, who were replaced in 2018 after 26 years. The Coyote was a 2007 inductee into the Mascot Hall of Fame and has been featured in local and national media.
Season-by-season record
List of the last five seasons completed by the Spurs. For the full season-by-season history, see List of San Antonio Spurs seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage
| Season | GP | W | L | W–L% | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2019–20 | 71 | 32 | 39 | .451 | 4th, Southwest | Did not qualify |
| 2020–21 | 72 | 33 | 39 | .458 | 3rd, Southwest | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 34 | 48 | .415 | 4th, Southwest | Did not qualify |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 22 | 60 | .268 | 5th, Southwest | Did not quality |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 22 | 60 | .268 | 5th, Southwest | Did not qualify |
Television
The Spurs primarily air games on FanDuel Sports Network Southwest, though 15 games air via over-the-air television on KENS or WOAI-DT2.
Arena history
Dallas (Texas) Chaparrals
- State Fair Coliseum (1967–1973)
- Moody Coliseum (1967–1973)
- Tarrant County Coliseum (1970–1971)
- Lubbock Municipal Coliseum (1970–1971)
San Antonio Spurs
- HemisFair Arena (1973–1993)
- Alamodome (1993–2002, 2023)
- Frost Bank Center (formerly SBC Center and AT&T Center) (2002–present)
Personnel
See also: San Antonio Spurs all-time roster and San Antonio Spurs draft historyCurrent roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|
Roster |
InjuredRetained draft 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 United States. 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 second-rounder Manu Ginóbili (57th overall in 1999) and first-rounder Tony Parker (28th overall in 2001), who both went on to become All-Stars.
| Draft | Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Current team | Note(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 36 | Juan Núñez | G |  Spain
|
FC Barcelona (Spain) | Acquired from the Indiana Pacers | |
| 2011 | 2 | 59 | Ádám Hanga | G/F |  Hungary
|
Joventut Badalona (Spain) |
Retired numbers
| San Antonio Spurs retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Johnny Moore | G | 1980–1987 1989–1990 |
March 20, 1998 |
| 6 | Avery Johnson | G | 1991 1992–1993 1994–2001 |
December 22, 2007 |
| 9 | Tony Parker | G | 2001–2018 | November 11, 2019 |
| 12 | Bruce Bowen | F | 2001–2009 | March 21, 2012 |
| 13 | James Silas | G | 1972–1981 | February 28, 1984 |
| 20 | Manu Ginóbili | G | 2002–2018 | March 28, 2019 |
| 21 | Tim Duncan | F/C | 1997–2016 | December 18, 2016 |
| 32 | Sean Elliott | F | 1989–1993 1994–2001 |
March 6, 2005 |
| 44 | George Gervin | G | 1974–1985 | December 5, 1987 |
| 50 | David Robinson | C | 1989–2003 | November 10, 2003 |
Notes:
- LaMarcus Aldridge wore the number from 2015 to 2021 with permission from Bruce Bowen on July 9, 2015.
- The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.
Basketball Hall of Famers
| San Antonio Spurs Basketball Hall of Famers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
| 16 | Cliff Hagan | F/G | 1967–1969 | 1978 |
| 44 | George Gervin | G/F | 1974–1985 | 1996 |
| 2 | Moses Malone | C/F | 1994–1995 | 2001 |
| 21 | Dominique Wilkins | F | 1996–1997 | 2006 |
| 50 | David Robinson | C | 1989–2003 | 2009 |
| 53 | Artis Gilmore | C | 1982–1987 | 2011 |
| 10 | Dennis Rodman | F | 1993–1995 | 2011 |
| 10 | Louie Dampier | G | 1976–1979 | 2015 |
| 1 | Tracy McGrady | G/F | 2013 | 2017 |
| 10 | Maurice Cheeks | G | 1989–1990 | 2018 |
| 21 | Tim Duncan | F | 1997–2016 | 2020 |
| 20 | Manu Ginóbili | G | 2002–2018 | 2022 |
| 16 | Pau Gasol | F/C | 2016–2019 | 2023 |
| 9 | Tony Parker | G | 2001–2018 | 2023 |
| Coaches | ||||
| Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | |
| Larry Brown | Head coach | 1988–1992 | 2002 | |
| Jerry Tarkanian | Head coach | 1992 | 2013 | |
| 22 | George Karl | Assistant coach | 1978–1980 | 2022 |
| Gregg Popovich | Assistant coach Head coach |
1988–1992 1996–present |
2023 | |
| Contributors | ||||
| Cotton Fitzsimmons | Head coach | 1984–1986 | 2021 | |
Notes:
- He also coached the team in 1967–1970.
- In total, Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
- He also played for the team (1973–1978).
FIBA Hall of Famers
| San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
| 50 | David Robinson | C | 1989–2003 | 2013 |
| 10 | Andrew Gaze | G | 1999 | 2013 |
| 7 | Fabricio Oberto | C | 2005–2009 | 2019 |
| Coaches | ||||
| Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | |
| Ettore Messina | Assistant coach | 2014–2019 | 2021 | |
Notes:
- In total, Robinson was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
Franchise leaders
Bold denotes still active with the team. Italics denotes still active, but not with the team. "Name*" includes combined statistics for the team from both the ABA and NBA.
Points scored (regular season) as of the end of the 2022–23 season
- Tim Duncan (26,496)
- George Gervin* (23,602)
- David Robinson (20,790)
- Tony Parker (18,943)
- Manu Ginóbili (14,043)
- James Silas* (10,290)
- Mike Mitchell (9,799)
- Sean Elliott (9,659)
- Larry Kenon* (8,248)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (7,325)
- Kawhi Leonard (6,654)
- Avery Johnson (6,486)
- Rich Jones* (6,466)
- Alvin Robertson (6,285)
- Patty Mills (6,218)
- Artis Gilmore (6,127)
- John Beasley* (5,983)
- Willie Anderson (5,946)
- Mark Olberding* (5,626)
- Billy Paultz* (5,297)
Other statistics (regular season) as of the end of the 2022–23 season
| Most minutes played | |
|---|---|
| Player | Minutes |
| Tim Duncan | 47,368 |
| Tony Parker | 37,276 |
| David Robinson | 34,271 |
| George Gervin* | 31,115 |
| Manu Ginóbili | 26,859 |
| Most rebounds | |
|---|---|
| Player | Rebounds |
| Tim Duncan | 15,091 |
| David Robinson | 10,497 |
| George Gervin* | 4,841 |
| Larry Kenon* | 4,114 |
| Manu Ginóbili | 3,697 |
| Most assists | |
|---|---|
| Player | Assists |
| Tony Parker | 6,829 |
| Avery Johnson | 4,474 |
| Tim Duncan | 4,225 |
| Manu Ginóbili | 4,001 |
| Johnny Moore | 3,865 |
| Most steals | |
|---|---|
| Player | Steals |
| Manu Ginóbili | 1,392 |
| David Robinson | 1,388 |
| George Gervin* | 1,159 |
| Alvin Robertson | 1,128 |
| Tony Parker | 1,032 |
| Most blocks | |
|---|---|
| Player | Blocks |
| Tim Duncan | 3,020 |
| David Robinson | 2,954 |
| George Gervin* | 938 |
| Billy Paultz* | 796 |
| Artis Gilmore | 700 |
Individual awards
NBA individual awards
- David Robinson – 1995
- Tim Duncan – 2002, 2003
- Tim Duncan – 1999, 2003, 2005
- Tony Parker – 2007
- Kawhi Leonard – 2014
- David Robinson – 1990
- Tim Duncan – 1998
- Victor Wembanyama – 2024
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Alvin Robertson – 1986
- David Robinson – 1992
- Kawhi Leonard – 2015, 2016
- Manu Ginóbili – 2008
NBA Most Improved Player Award
- Alvin Robertson – 1986
- Gregg Popovich – 2003, 2012, 2014
- Angelo Drossos – 1978
- Bob Bass – 1990
- R.C. Buford – 2014, 2016
- Avery Johnson – 1998
- David Robinson – 2001
- Steve Smith – 2002
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- David Robinson – 2003
Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award
- Tim Duncan – 2015
- George Gervin – 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982
- David Robinson – 1994
- David Robinson – 1991
- Dennis Rodman – 1994, 1995
- Johnny Moore – 1982
- George T. Johnson – 1981, 1982
- David Robinson – 1992
- Victor Wembanyama – 2024
- Alvin Robertson – 1986, 1987
- Kawhi Leonard – 2015
- Dejounte Murray – 2022
- George Gervin – 1978–1982
- David Robinson – 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996
- Tim Duncan – 1998–2005, 2007, 2013
- Kawhi Leonard – 2016, 2017
- George Gervin – 1977, 1983
- Alvin Robertson – 1986
- David Robinson – 1994, 1998
- Tim Duncan – 2006, 2008, 2009
- Tony Parker – 2012–2014
- LaMarcus Aldridge – 2018
- David Robinson – 1990, 1993, 2000, 2001
- Dennis Rodman – 1995
- Tim Duncan – 2010, 2015
- Manu Ginóbili – 2008, 2011
- Tony Parker – 2009
- LaMarcus Aldridge – 2016
- Alvin Robertson – 1987
- David Robinson – 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996
- Dennis Rodman – 1995
- Tim Duncan – 1999–2003, 2005, 2007, 2008
- Bruce Bowen – 2004–2008
- Kawhi Leonard – 2015–2017
- Victor Wembanyama – 2024
- George Johnson – 1981
- Alvin Robertson – 1986, 1988, 1989
- David Robinson – 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998
- Dennis Rodman – 1994
- Tim Duncan – 1998, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015
- Bruce Bowen – 2002, 2003
- Kawhi Leonard – 2014
- Danny Green – 2017
- Dejounte Murray – 2018
- Greg Anderson – 1988
- Willie Anderson – 1989
- David Robinson – 1990
- Tim Duncan – 1998
- Tony Parker – 2002
- Gary Neal – 2011
- Kawhi Leonard – 2012
- Victor Wembanyama – 2024
- Sean Elliott – 1990
- Manu Ginóbili – 2003
- DeJuan Blair – 2010
- Jeremy Sochan – 2023
NBA All-Star Weekend
- George Gervin – 1977–1985
- Larry Kenon – 1978, 1979
- Artis Gilmore – 1983, 1986
- Alvin Robertson – 1986–1988
- David Robinson – 1990–1996, 1998, 2000, 2001
- Sean Elliott – 1993, 1996
- Tim Duncan – 1998, 2000–2011, 2013, 2015
- Manu Ginóbili – 2005, 2011
- Tony Parker – 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012–2014
- Kawhi Leonard – 2016, 2017
- LaMarcus Aldridge – 2016, 2018, 2019
- Dejounte Murray – 2022
- Edgar Jones – 1984
- Johnny Dawkins – 1987
- Greg Anderson – 1988
- Dale Ellis – 1994
- Chuck Person – 1995
- Terry Porter – 2000
- Steve Smith – 2002
- Roger Mason – 2009
- Matt Bonner – 2013
- Marco Belinelli – 2014, 2015
NBA All-Star Game head coaches
- Gregg Popovich – 2005, 2011, 2013, 2016
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
- George Gervin – 1980
- Tim Duncan – 2000
- Tony Parker – 2002, 2003
- Manu Ginobili – 2004
- Beno Udrih – 2005
- DeJuan Blair – 2010, 2011
- Gary Neal – 2011
- Kawhi Leonard – 2012, 2013
- Tiago Splitter – 2012
- Jonathon Simmons – 2017
- Keldon Johnson – 2021
- Jeremy Sochan - 2023, 2024
- Victor Wembanyama - 2024
- Tony Parker – 2003, 2009, 2012
- Victor Wembanyama - 2024
- Manu Ginobili – 2004
- Tony Parker – 2006, 2007
- Tim Duncan – 2008, 2009
ABA individual awards
- Tom Nissalke – 1972
ABA Executive of the Year award
- Jack Ankerson – 1974
- Swen Nater – 1974
- Donnie Freeman – 1972
- James Silas – 1976
- John Beasley – 1968, 1969
- Cincinnatus Powell – 1968
- Donnie Freeman – 1971
- Swen Nater – 1974, 1975
- George Gervin – 1975, 1976
- James Silas – 1975
- Ron Boone – 1969
- Joe Hamilton – 1971
- James Silas – 1973
- Swen Nater – 1974
- Mark Olberding – 1976
ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
- John Beasley – 1969
- John Beasley – 1968–1970
- Cliff Hagan – 1968
- Glen Combs – 1970
- Cincinnatus Powell – 1970
- Donnie Freeman – 1971, 1972
- Steve Jones – 1972
- Rich Jones – 1973, 1974
- Swen Nater – 1974, 1975
- George Gervin – 1975, 1976
- James Silas – 1975, 1976
- Larry Kenon – 1976
- Billy Paultz – 1976
Head coaches
See also: List of San Antonio Spurs head coaches| Years active | Name | Record (W–L) | Winning percentage | Playoff record (W–L) |
Playoff percentage | Playoff appearances | Division titles | Conference titles | NBA championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976–1980 | Doug Moe | 177–135 | .567 | 9–13 | .409 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | Bob Bass | 8–8 | .500 | 1–2 | .333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980–1983 | Stan Albeck | 153–93 | .622 | 13–14 | .481 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | Morris McHone | 11–20 | .355 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983–1984 | Bob Bass | 26–25 | .510 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984–1986 | Cotton Fitzsimmons | 76–88 | .463 | 2–6 | .250 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986–1988 | Bob Weiss | 59–105 | .360 | 0–3 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988–1992 | Larry Brown | 153–131 | .539 | 7–7 | .500 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | Bob Bass | 26–18 | .591 | 0–3 | .000 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | Jerry Tarkanian | 9–11 | .450 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992–1994 | John Lucas | 94–49 | .657 | 6–8 | .429 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994–1996 | Bob Hill | 124–58 | .681 | 14–11 | .560 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996–present | Gregg Popovich | 1,388–821 | .628 | 170–114 | .599 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 5 |
Notes:
- During 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.
- During 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.
- During 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.
- During 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.
- During 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.
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The San Antonio Spurs unveiled today the Nike Association Edition and Icon Edition uniforms that will be worn by the Silver and Black during the 2017-18 NBA season.
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- All facts and records taken from the San Antonio Spurs' history section.
External links
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| Arenas | |
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| G League affiliate | |
| Retired numbers | |
| NBA championships | |
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| Culture and lore | |
