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). 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. 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. , 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; however, before they even played a game under that name, the team name was changed to the Spurs instead. It's debated whether the name related to a winning entry in a local "Name That Team" contest or if it related to one of the team owners being born in
Spur, Texas. In any case, 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 (a third ABA team, the
Virginia Squires, had survived their final regular season of play, but folded operations a month before merger talks began).
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 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
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 was named
NBA Most Valuable Player in
1995 and later helped the Spurs win its first NBA championship in
1999. Although there was speculation that Robinson might choose not to sign with the Spurs and to become a free agent once his Navy service 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 in 1997 was a turning point in the history of the Spurs.
1997–2003: The "Twin Towers" 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. 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 (.610 win percentage in an 82-game 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 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. File:Spurs_White_House.jpg|330px|The Spurs visit the White House after their championship in 2003.|left|thumb • Names/People rect 142 49 196 101
Kevin Willis rect 202 58 252 99
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Head coach, Gregg Popovich rect 58 49 88 80
Danny Ferry rect 83 82 129 186
Manu Ginóbili poly 240 139 259 73 286 76 305 147
Tim Duncan rect 171 103 239 191
George W. Bush rect 362 82 398 111
Asst. coach, P. J. Carlesimo rect 335 112 381 159
Steve Kerr poly 13 130 34 100 54 121 59 180 15 182
Owner, Peter Holt circle 57 105 20
Tony Parker • Unknown People • rect 458 104 494 139
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The Spurs visit the White House after their championship in 2003. desc top-left 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.
2003–2011: The "Big Three" Coming off their second NBA Championship, the retirement of
David Robinson left a void in San Antonio's daunting defense. 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. 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. was acquired by the Spurs in 2011. 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 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. 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 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: Difficult years On 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 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. 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. 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. 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 2023–2025: Continued rebuild 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. Wembanyama was unanimously elected
Rookie of the Year and came second in
Defensive Player of the Year voting, as well as setting many more rookie records. Despite Wembanyama's best efforts, the team failed to improve upon their previous regular season record, ending with another 22–60 record, and were eliminated from playoff contention following a loss to the
Sacramento Kings on March 7. During the following off-season, the Spurs signed veterans
Chris Paul and
Harrison Barnes. They also drafted
Stephon Castle and Rob Dillingham, although Dillingham was later 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. A few days before the trade deadline, the Spurs acquired All-Star point guard
De'Aaron Fox as part of a three-team deal with the
Chicago Bulls and the
Sacramento Kings. After 46 games, Wembanyama was announced to miss the rest of the season due to blood clots. Following the season, Castle was named Rookie of the Year. On May 2, 2025, Popovich announced that he would step down as the head coach but remain president of basketball operations. Mitch Johnson was named the team's permanent head coach.
2025–2026: Return to playoffs The 2025–26 season marked the best regular season record for the Spurs since the 2015–16 season. In the
2025 NBA draft, the Spurs received the 2nd and 14th overall picks and drafted
Dylan Harper and
Carter Bryant, respectively. The Spurs opened the regular season with their best start in franchise history, winning their first five games. In the
2025 NBA Cup, San Antonio emerged as the winner of West Group C, and upset the defending NBA champion
Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals before falling to the
New York Knicks in the championship game. Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox were both selected to the
2026 NBA All-Star Game, with Wembanayma earning his first selection as a starter and both players making their second All-Star appearances. The Spurs clinched a playoff berth following a victory against the
Phoenix Suns on March 19, securing their first playoff appearance since 2019. The Spurs would also clinch their first Southwest Division title since the
2016–17 season following a victory against the
Miami Heat on March 23. They would end their regular season with the second-best record in the league with a 62–20 record, and entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference. They faced the
Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the
2026 NBA playoffs, defeating them 4 games to 1. ==Rivalries==