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San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
Information
Conference Western Conference NBA Western Conference
Division Southwest Division
Founded 1967 (Joined NBA in 1976)
History Dallas Chaparrals (ABA)
1967–1970, 1971–1973
Texas Chaparrals (ABA)
1970–1971
San Antonio Spurs (ABA)
1973–1976
San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
1976–present
Arena Frost Bank Center
City San Antonio, Texas
Team Colors Black, Silver
         
Media KENS
KMYS
Fox Sports Southwest
WOAI
KXTN
Owner(s) Spurs Sports & Entertainment (Peter John Holt, Chairman and CEO)
General Manager Brian Wright
Head Coach Gregg Popovich
Uniform Sponsor Self Financial
D-League affiliate Austin Spurs
Championships
NBA NBA Championship logo 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
Conference Conference Championship logo 6 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2014)
Division 22 (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)
Other
Retired numbers 11 (00, 6, 6, 9, 12, 13, 20, 21, 32, 44, 50)
Official Website spurs.com
Uniforms
SAS AE SAS IE SAS SE
Home court
San Antonio Spurs court design

The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs are a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

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 Spurs' five NBA championships are the fourth most in history behind only the Boston Celtics (17), Los Angeles Lakers (17), Golden State Warriors (7), and Chicago Bulls (6). The Spurs currently rank first among active franchises for the highest winning percentage in NBA history, and have a winning head-to-head regular season record against every active NBA franchise.

In their 50 NBA seasons since 1976–77, the Spurs have won 22 division titles. They have made the playoffs in 27 of the last 28 seasons (since 1989–90) and have only missed the playoffs four times since entering the NBA; they have not missed the playoffs in the 20 seasons since Tim Duncan was drafted by the Spurs in 1997. With their 50th win in the 2016–17 season, the Spurs extended their record for most consecutive 50-win seasons to 18 (the 1998–99 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 1997–98 season, the Spurs have had 20 consecutive seasons with a winning percentage of .610 or greater during the regular season which is also an NBA record. The team's success during this period coincides with the tenure of current head coach Gregg Popovich, who had been the team's general manager before replacing Bob Hill in 1996.

The Spurs in San Antonio[]

The Spurs are the only major professional sports franchise to be located in the San Antonio area, and the city shares a special bond with the team almost unmatched in the rest of the NBA. Spurs players are active members of the San Antonio community, and many former Spurs are still active in San Antonio, like David Robinson's Carver Academy and the George Gervin Youth Center.

In part because of this community involvement, Spurs fans have been among the most loyal in the NBA. The Spurs set several NBA attendance records while playing at the Alamodome, including the largest crowd ever for a NBA Finals game in 1999, and the Spurs continue to sell out the smaller, more intimate AT&T Center on a regular basis. The Spurs' rallying cry of "Go Spurs Go!" has endeared itself to the city of San Antonio, and the phrase pops up all over the city as the season progresses into the playoffs and the Spurs inch closer to a possible title.

San Antonio has also garnered praise for the way its citizens celebrate Spurs championships. When the Spurs win a title, San Antonians jam up the streets downtown, march around waving flags, throw confetti and honk car horns until dawn, but with little incidence of crime. There has yet to be a major riot involving a Spurs title celebration.

Team history[]

1967–1973: Beginnings as the Dallas/Texas Chaparrals[]

The San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals of the original version of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967. The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas. In fact, during the 1970-1971 season, the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas" and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, playing games in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Tarrant County Coliseum, as well as Lubbock, Texas, at the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum, but this proved a failure and the team returned full-time to Dallas in time for the 1971-1972 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. A group of 36 San Antonio businessmen—led by Angelo Drossos, John Schaefer, and Red McCombs—worked out a "lend-lease" deal with the Dallas ownership group. Drossos and his group would lease the team for three years with an option to purchase. They were allowed to move the team to San Antonio immediately, but and would return the team to Dallas if no purchase occurred by 1975.

After the deal was signed, the team was renamed the San Antonio Gunslingers. However, before they even played a game, the name was changed to Spurs. The team's primary colors were changed from the red, white, and blue of the Chaparrals to the now familiar black, silver and white motif of the Spurs, 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 noisy 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 Indiana 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[]

San Antonio Spurs logo 1976–1989

San Antonio Spurs logo 1976–1989.

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 1st quarter. In the 2nd, The Iceman was even better, setting a single period record with 33 points. Early on in the 3rd period Gervin scored his 58 points on the way to 63 capturing the scoring title. While Gervin was lighting up the scoreboard, the Spurs were winning the Central Division with a 52–30 record.

However, in the playoffs, the Spurs would be stunned in six games by the Washington Bullets despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33.2 ppg. The following season in the 1979 Conference Finals the Spurs led the series 3–1, but the Bullets came back to win the last three games and came from behind to win the 7th 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 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 115–215 from 1985–1986 until 1988–1989. 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 drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the 1989–1990 season to see Robinson actually play due to a two-year commitment he had to serve with the United States Navy.

Although the 1988–1989 season was the worst in Spurs history at 21–61, it was notable for several reasons. It was the first season of full ownership for Red McCombs, who was an original investor in the team and helped solidify local ownership for the team. Additionally, the 1988–1989 season featured the debut of Larry Brown as the Spurs head coach who moved to San Antonio after winning the NCAA National Championship with the University of Kansas in 1988.

As the 1980s ended, the 1989–90 season proved to be the rebirth of the Spurs franchise. Led by Robinson along with the newly added Terry Cummings and 1989 draftee Sean Elliott, the Spurs achieved the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA History, finishing with a record of 56-26. The Spurs eventually lost in the Western Conference semifinals after losing a seven-game series to the eventual Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers. Robinson had one of the most successful rookie seasons for a center in NBA history, finishing the season as Rookie of the Year while averaging 24.3 points and 12.0 rebounds.

1989–1997: The David Robinson era[]

San Antonio Spurs logo (1989-2002)

San Antonio Spurs logo 1989–2002.

The Spurs began the 1990s with great optimism. The team became a perennial playoff presence although were never able to advance further than the second round of the NBA Playoffs under Brown's tutelage. Late in the 1991-1992 season, McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with Bob Bass who finished the season as interim head coach. 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 1992-1993 season with the Spurs record at 9-11. After Rex Hughes filled the coaching shoes for one game, NBA veteran John Lucas was named head coach. It was Lucas's first NBA coaching assignment although he had gained recognition in league circles for his success in helping NBA players rehab from drug abuse.

The Lucas era started out successfully. His coaching propelled the team to a 39-22 finish over the rest of the regular season and the team reached the Western Conference semifinals, losing to the Phoenix Suns. The 1992-1993 season also marked the last that the Spurs would play in HemisFair Arena. In 1993 local businessman Peter M. Holt and a group of 22 investors purchased the Spurs from Red McCombs for $75 million.

The following season, the Spurs first in the newly built Alamodome, Lucas led the Spurs to a 55-27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs to the Utah Jazz which led to the immediate firing of Lucas as head coach. Prior to the season the Spurs traded fan-favorite Elliott to the Detroit Pistons in return for rebounding star Dennis Rodman.

Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill for the 1994-1995 season which would turn out to be the Spurs' most successful until 2006. Elliott returned to the team after an uneventful season with the Pistons and the team finished with the best record at 62-20 while David Robinson was named the NBA'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, and Rodman was traded after the season to the Chicago Bulls.

The Spurs finished the next season (1995-1996) under Hill at 59-23 and lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Jazz. Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the 1996-1997 season. After an injury that limited Robinson to six games during the season, the Spurs wound up with a 20-62 record, the worst in franchise history. Hill only lasted 18 games that season, eventually being replaced by Gregg Popovich, who had once been an assistant for the Spurs during Larry Brown's coaching turn.

Although the 1996–97 season was not successful on the court for the Spurs, the offseason proved to be the opposite. With the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA's draft lottery which gave them the top pick in the 1997 draft. The Spurs used their pick to select Wake Forest University product and consensus All-American Tim Duncan.

1997–2016: The Tim Duncan era[]

1997–2003: The "Twin Towers"[]

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.

Duncan quickly emerged as a force in the NBA during the 1997–98 season, averaging 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game as a power forward. He was named First Team All-NBA while winning Rookie of the Year honors. The team ended up at 56-26 but once again lost to the Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals. While both Duncan and Robinson played low-post roles, the two seamlessly meshed on the court.

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 1998-1999 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 NBA Players Association (NBAPA). The season was delayed over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999.

1998–99: First NBA championship[]

Playing a shortened 50-game season, the Spurs ended up with a 37–13 record. The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11–1. They faced the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals and, on June 25, 1999, won the series and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 (final score: 78-77) on the Knicks' home court of Madison Square Garden. Duncan was named the Finals MVP. The victory by the Spurs was not only the first NBA title to be won by a former ABA team, but also was the first Finals appearance by a team from the ABA.

1999–00 season[]

The Spurs were not able to capitalize on their success during the 1999–00 season. Although they finished with an overall record of 53-29, the Spurs lost in the first round to the Suns primarily due to an injury to Duncan which kept him out of the playoff series. The longterm viability of the Spurs franchise in San Antonio was however achieved during the 1999-2000 season, as Bexar County voters approved increases on car rental and hotel taxes which would allow for the construction of a new arena near Freeman Coliseum.

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.

2000–01 & 2001–02 seasons[]

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.

2002–03: Second NBA championship and David Robinson's final season[]
San antonio spurs

San Antonio Spurs logo 20022017.

Prior to the 2002–03 season, the team revealed their new logo, dumping the "fiesta colors" which had become unpopular with fans. 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 (approved in 1999 by County voters), the SBC Center (now the AT&T Center), named after telecommunications giant SBC, whose corporate headquarters are located in San Antonio. This version of the Spurs was very different from the team that had won the title a few years earlier. The Spurs had remade their team in an attempt to dethrone the three-time defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. Second-year French star Tony Parker was now the starting point guard for the Spurs and the squad featured a variety of three-point shooters including Stephen Jackson, Danny Ferry, Bruce Bowen, Steve Kerr, Steve Smith, and Argentina product Manu Ginobili. Mixing the inside presences of Duncan and Robinson with the newer outside threats, the Spurs earned a 60–22 record.

In the playoffs, the Spurs defeated the Suns, Lakers, and Dallas 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 would play each other for the NBA Championship. The Spurs won the series 4-2, giving them their second NBA Championship in franchise history. Duncan was named both the NBA Regular Season and Finals MVP for the season.

2003–2013: The "Big Three"[]

2003–04 season[]

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, best known for his clutch shooting.

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' 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.

2004–05: Third NBA championship[]

With the acquisition of guard Brent Barry from Seattle, and the later additions of center Nazr Mohammed from New York (acquired in a midseason trade of Malik Rose to the dismay of Spurs fans), and veteran forward Glenn Robinson from free agency, alongside regulars Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili, and Tim Duncan, the Spurs finished the 2004-2005 season ranked number two in the Western Conference with a 59-23 record, finishing with the best record in the Southwest Division. In the postseason the Spurs defeated the Denver Nuggets 4-1, the Seattle Supersonics 4-2 and the Phoenix Suns 4-1 before advancing to the NBA Finals, where they won the NBA championship for a third time in seven years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion and defending NBA Champion Detroit Pistons 4-3 on June 23, 2005. Tim Duncan was named Finals MVP, becoming only the fourth player to win the MVP award three times (joining Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Michael Jordan). Also, Manu Ginobili established himself as a NBA star, earning local, national, and international fan praise (particularly in his home country of Argentina) and a berth in that season's All-Star Game.

2005–06 season[]

In the 2005–06 season, the Spurs broke their franchise record for wins in a season (63-19) and qualified for the playoffs for the ninth year in a row. (The Spurs and Indiana Pacers currently share the NBA's longest active consecutive playoff appearance streak with nine in a row — see Active NBA playoff appearance streaks.) However, the defending-champion Spurs were eliminated in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks in a 7-game semifinal series that, due to a quirk in the playoff ranking system, featured the two top teams in the conference.

During the 2006 off-season, the Spurs traded Rasho Nesterovic to the Toronto Raptors for Matt Bonner, Eric Williams, and a second-round draft pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. [1]

2006–07 season: Fourth NBA championship[]

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 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 Phoenix 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 ppg on 57% shooting, was named Finals MVP and became the first European-born player to win the award.

2007–08 season[]

The 2007–08 season 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 lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

2008–09 season[]

The 2008–09 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 2nd-round picks in the 2009 draft. Their selection of Pittsburgh Panthers forward DeJuan Blair with the #37 pick was described as a "steal" by analysts; the Spurs later drafted two guards they had been targeting with the No. 37 pick, taking Miami Hurricanes shooting guard Jack McClinton and point/shooting guard Nando de Colo from France with the No. 51 and No. 53 picks, respectively. On July 10, 2009, the Spurs signed Detroit Pistons power forward Antonio McDyess to a three-year deal worth approximately $15 million in guaranteed money.

2009–10 season[]

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.

2010–11 season[]

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 at #20. 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 #1 seed, but an injury to Ginóbili in the final regular season game took a toll on the team, and they were upset by the #8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

2011 brought a change to the Spurs' philosophy that 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 #15 overall by the Pacers in the 2011 NBA draft. The team also selected Texas Longhorns' Cory Joseph as the #29 overall pick.

2011–12 season[]

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 Diawafter 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 would win 20 straight games. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder would end up winning the next four games in the West Finals, to take the series 4–2.

2012–13: First NBA Finals defeat[]

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 #2 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. LeBron James missed a three-point field goal attempt, but the undersized Spurs could not grab the defensive rebound. Chris Bosh rebounded the ball and Ray Allen then hit an iconic 3-pointer near Parker to tie the game at 95 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 over Leonard and increase the Heat's lead to 92–88. After a steal from Manu 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, and hand the Spurs their first ever defeat in the NBA Finals.

2013–14 season: Fifth NBA Championship[]
President Barack Obama with a Spurs jersey 2015-01-12

The 2014 NBA champions are received by President Barack Obama at the White House.

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 7 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 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 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 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, 4 games to 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.

2014–15 season[]

The 2014–15 season was an up-and-down season, but finishing strong with a 55–27 regular season record and 6th 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.

2015–16 season: Tim Duncan's final season and retirement[]

With the acquisitions of four-time All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and veteran big man David West during the off-season, the Spurs finished the 2016–17 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 a 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 Grizzles in the first round before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 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.

2017–present: Post–Duncan era[]

2016–17 season[]

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 eventual champions 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. 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.

2017–18 season: Tony Parker's final season with the Spurs and Manu Ginóbili's retirement[]

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 Quincy Pondexter and Dante Cunningham and guard Marco Belinelli and re-signed guard Bryn Forbes and forward Rudy Gay.

2018–19 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.

2019–20 season[]

On March 11, 2020, the NBA suspended its season after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Commissioner Adam Silver stated the next day that this suspension "will be most likely at least 30 days, and we don't know enough to be more specific than that". 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, 2020.

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, snapping their 22 year consecutive playoff streak. They finished the season with a losing record also for the first time since the 1996–97 season, with a 32–39 record.

Season-by-season records[]

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Percentage

Season W L % Playoffs Results
Dallas Chaparrals (ABA)
1967–68 46 32 .590 Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals
Dallas 3, Houston 0
New Orleans 4, Dallas 1
1968–69 41 37 .526 Lost Division Semifinals New Orleans 4, Dallas 3
1969–70 45 39 .536 Lost Division Semifinals Los Angeles 4, Dallas 2
Texas Chaparrals (ABA)
1970–71 30 54 .357 Lost Division Semifinals Utah 4, Texas 0
Dallas Chaparrals (ABA)
1971–72 42 42 .500 Lost Division Semifinals Utah 4, Dallas 0
1972–73 28 56 .333
San Antonio Spurs (ABA)
1973–74 45 39 .536 Lost Division Semifinals Indiana 4, San Antonio 3
1974–75 51 33 .607 Lost Division Semifinals Indiana 4, San Antonio 2
1975–76 50 34 .595 Lost Division Semifinals New York 4, San Antonio 3
San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
1976–77 44 38 .537 Lost First Round Boston 2, San Antonio 0
1977–78 52 30 .634 Lost Conference Semifinals Washington 4, San Antonio 2
1978–79 48 34 .585 Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 4, Philadelphia 3
Washington 4, San Antonio 3
1979–80 41 41 .500 Lost First Round Houston 2, San Antonio 1
1980–81 52 30 .634 Lost Conference Semifinals Houston 4, San Antonio 3
1981–82 48 34 .585 Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 4, Seattle
Los Angeles 4, San Antonio 0
1982–83 53 29 .646 Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 4, Denver 1
Los Angeles 4, San Antonio 2
1983–84 37 45 .451
1984–85 41 41 .500 Lost First Round Denver 3, San Antonio 2
1985–86 35 47 .427 Lost First Round LA Lakers 3, San Antonio 0
1986–87 28 54 .341
1987–88 31 51 .378 Lost First Round LA Lakers 3, San Antonio 0
1988–89 21 61 .256
1989–90 56 26 .683 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 3, Denver 0
Portland 4, San Antonio 3
1990–91 55 27 .671 Lost First Round Golden State 3, San Antonio 1
1991–92 47 35 .573 Lost First Round Phoenix 3, San Antonio 0
1992–93 49 33 .598 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 3, Portland 1
Phoenix 4, San Antonio 2
1993–94 55 27 .671 Lost First Round Utah 3, San Antonio 1
1994–95 62 20 .756 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 3, Denver 0
San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 2
Houston 4, San Antonio 2
1995–96 59 23 .720 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 3, Phoenix 1
Utah 4, San Antonio 2
1996–97 20 62 .244
1997–98 56 26 .683 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 3, Phoenix 1
Utah 4, San Antonio 1
1998–99 37 13 .740 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
San Antonio 3, Minnesota 1
San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 0
San Antonio 4, Portland 0
San Antonio 4, New York 1
1999–00 53 29 .646 Lost First Round Phoenix 3, San Antonio 1
2000–01 58 24 .707 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 3, Minnesota 1
San Antonio 4, Dallas 1
LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 0
2001–02 58 24 .707 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 3, Seattle 2
LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 1
2002–03 60 22 .732 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
San Antonio 4, Phoenix 2
San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 2
San Antonio 4, Dallas 2
San Antonio 4, New Jersey 2
2003–04 57 25 .695 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 4, Memphis 0
LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 2
2004–05 59 23 .720 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
San Antonio 4, Denver 1
San Antonio 4, Seattle 2
San Antonio 4, Phoenix 1
San Antonio 4, Detroit 3
2005–06 63 19 .768 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 4, Sacramento 2
Dallas 4, San Antonio 3
2006–07 58 24 .707 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
San Antonio 4, Denver 1
San Antonio 4, Phoenix 2
San Antonio 4, Utah 1
San Antonio 4, Cleveland 0
2007–08 56 26 .683 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 4, Phoenix 1
San Antonio 4, New Orleans 3
LA Lakers 4, San Antonio 1
2008–09 54 28 .659 Lost First Round Dallas 4, San Antonio 1
2009–10 50 32 .610 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 4, Dallas 2
Phoenix 4, San Antonio 0
2010–11 61 21 .744 Lost First Round Memphis 4, San Antonio 2
2011–12 50 16 .758 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 4, Utah 0
San Antonio 4, LA Clippers 0
Oklahoma City 4, San Antonio 2
2012–13 58 24 .707 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals
San Antonio 4, LA Lakers 0
San Antonio 4, Golden State 2
San Antonio 4, Memphis 0
Miami 4, San Antonio 3
2013–14 62 20 .756 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
San Antonio 4, Dallas 3
San Antonio 4, Portland 1
San Antonio 4, Oklahoma City 2
San Antonio 4, Miami 1
2014–15 55 27 .671 Lost First Round LA Clippers 4, San Antonio 3
2015–16 67 15 .817 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
San Antonio 4, Memphis 0
Oklahoma City 4, San Antonio 2
2016–17 61 21 .744 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
San Antonio 4, Memphis 2
San Antonio 4, Houston 2
Golden State 4, San Antonio 0
2017–18 47 35 .573 Lost First Round Golden State 4, San Antonio 1
2018–19 48 34 .585 Lost First Round Denver 4, San Antonio 3
2019–20 32 39 .451
2020–21 33 39 .458 Lost Play-in game to advance to No. 8 seed game Memphis 1, San Antonio 0
2021–22 34 48 .415 Lost Play-in game to advance to No. 8 seed game New Orleans 1, San Antonio 0
2022–23 22 60 .268
Totals 2632 1721 .605
Playoffs 237 209 .531 5 Championships

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)
  • AT&T Center (formerly SBC Center) (2002–present)

Players of note[]

For a complete list of current and former players, see the San Antonio Spurs players category.

Basketball Hall of Famers[]

Players[]

Current roster[]

Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
F 31 Bates-Diop, Keita 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 229 lb (104 kg) 1996-01-23 Ohio State
F/C 18 Cacok, Devontae (FA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1996-10-08 UNC Wilmington
F/C 23 Collins, Zach 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1997-11-19 Gonzaga
G/F 3 Johnson, Keldon 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1999-10-11 Kentucky
G 33 Jones, Tre 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2000-01-08 Duke
F/C 34 Landale, Jock 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1995-10-25 Saint Mary's
G/F 35 Langford, Romeo 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 216 lb (98 kg) 1999-10-25 Indiana
F 17 McDermott, Doug 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1992-01-03 Creighton
G 5 Murray, Dejounte 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1996-09-19 Washington
C 25 Pöltl, Jakob 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1995-10-15 Utah
G 11 Primo, Joshua 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 2002-12-24 Alabama
G/F 7 Richardson, Josh 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1993-09-15 Tennessee
G 16 Stewart, D. J. (TW, FA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1999-06-28 Mississippi State
G/F 24 Vassell, Devin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2000-08-23 Florida State
G/F 1 Walker, Lonnie (FA) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 204 lb (93 kg) 1998-12-14 Miami (FL)
G/F 15 Wieskamp, Joe (FA) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1999-08-23 Iowa
F 28 Woodard, Robert (TW, FA) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1999-09-22 Mississippi State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: April 3, 2022


Individual awards[]

NBA individual awards[]

NBA Most Valuable Player

NBA Finals MVP

NBA Rookie of the Year

NBA Defensive Player of the Year

NBA Sixth Man of the Year

NBA Most Improved Player Award

  • Alvin Robertson – 1986

NBA Coach of the Year

NBA Executive of the Year

  • Angelo Drossos – 1978
  • Bob Bass – 1990
  • R.C. Buford – 2014, 2016

NBA Sportsmanship Award

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award

NBA scoring champion

NBA rebounding leader

NBA assists leader

  • Johnny Moore – 1982

NBA blocks leader

NBA steals leader

All-NBA First Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

NBA All-Defensive First Team

NBA All-Defensive Second Team

NBA All-Rookie First Team

NBA All-Rookie Second Team

NBA All-Star Weekend[]

NBA All-Star selections

Slam Dunk Contest

  • Edgar Jones – 1984
  • Johnny Dawkins – 1987
  • Greg Anderson – 1988

Three-Point Contest

  • 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

NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award

Rising Stars Challenge

Skills Challenge

Shooting Stars Competition

ABA individual awards[]

ABA Coach of the Year Award

  • Tom Nissalke – 1972

ABA Executive of the Year Award

  • Jack Ankerson – 1974

ABA Rookie of the Year Award

  • Swen Nater – 1974

All-ABA First Team

  • Donnie Freeman – 1972
  • James Silas – 1976

All-ABA Second Team

  • John Beasley – 1968, 1969
  • Cincinnatus Powell – 1968
  • Donnie Freeman – 1971
  • Swen Nater – 1974, 1975
  • George Gervin – 1975, 1976
  • James Silas – 1975

ABA All-Rookie Team

  • 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

ABA All-Star Selections

  • John Beasley – 1968–1970
  • Cliff Haga – 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

Retired numbers[]

San Antonio Spurs retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure
00 Johnny Moore G 1980–1987
1989–1990
6 Avery Johnson G 1991
1992–1993
1994–2001
Bill Russell N/A Retired across NBA on August 11, 2022
9 Tony Parker G 2001–2018
12 Bruce Bowen F 2001–2009
13 James Silas G 1972–1981
20 Manu Ginóbili G 2002–2018
21 Tim Duncan F/C 1997–2016
32 Sean Elliott F 1989–1993
1994–2001
44 George Gervin G 1974–1985
50 David Robinson C 1989–2003

Notes[]

Not to be forgotten[]

Player positions[]

Table below indicates each player's most frequently played positions in bold and with link.
Secondary positions are in normal text and unlinked.

  • Primary: the usual starter and player likely to get the most minutes in that position.
  • Substitute: consistently comes off bench and receives regular minutes.
  • Fill-in: either plays only occasionally or fills in a non-standard role for a brief period.
Position
Primary
Substitute
Fill-in
Tony Parker Patty Mills

Dejounte Murray

Brent Barry
Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili Brent Barry
Michael Finley
Melvin Sanders
Beno Udrih
Kawhi LeonardEric Williams
Michael Finley
Brent Barry
Melvin Sanders
Fabricio Oberto
Danny GreenMatt Bonner

Robert Horry

Fabricio Oberto
Michael Finley
Pau GasolJackie Butler
Tim Duncan
Robert Horry

Fabricio Oberto

Unsigned draftees[]

The Spurs have been uncommonly successful among NBA teams in finding foreign talent as demonstrated by selecting Manu Ginobili (1999 NBA Draft 57th pick) and Tony Parker (2001 NBA Draft 29th pick) who have both become All Stars. 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.

CFile:Flag of Lithuania.svg   Robertas Javtokas 2001 NBA Draft 56th pick
CFile:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg   Sergey Karaulov 2004 NBA Draft 58th pick
PFFile:Flag of France.svg   Ian Mahinmi 2005 NBA Draft 28th pick
SFFile:Flag of Georgia.svg   Viktor Sanikidze 2004 NBA Draft 42nd pick
PFFlag of Argentina   Luis Scola 2002 NBA Draft 56th pick

See also[]

External links[]

Preceded by
Chicago Bulls
1996 & 1997 & 1998
NBA Champions
San Antonio Spurs

1999
Succeeded by
Los Angeles Lakers
2000 & 2001 & 2002
Preceded by
Los Angeles Lakers
2000 & 2001 & 2002
NBA Champions
San Antonio Spurs

2003
Succeeded by
Detroit Pistons
2004
Preceded by
Detroit Pistons
2004
NBA Champions
San Antonio Spurs

2005
Succeeded by
Miami Heat
2006
Preceded by
Miami Heat
2006
NBA Champions
San Antonio Spurs

2007
Succeeded by
Boston Celtics
2008
Preceded by
Miami Heat
2012 & 2013
NBA Champions
San Antonio Spurs

2014
Succeeded by
Golden State Warriors
2015

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National Basketball Association
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