The San Antonio Spurs debuted as
The San Antonio Spurs debuted as the Dallas Chaparrals of the
ABA in 1968 but by 1974 had moved to San Antonio. In 9 ABA seasons, the Spurs
made the playoffs 8 times but never advanced to the Finals.
Along with the Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets and Indiana
Pacers, the Spurs made the transition to the NBA. In only their third NBA season
the Spurs challenged the Washington Bullets of Elvin Hayes in the Eastern
Conference Finals but lost in 7 games. The Spurs of these years had a potent
offensive duo in George Gervin and Larry Kenon.
After moving to the Western Conference, the Spurs made two
trips to the Conference Finals in the early 1980's. In 1982, they were swept by
eventual champions the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1983 they again lost to the
Lakers, though this time in 6 games.
Out of the four former ABA teams, the Spurs made one of the
easiest transitions to the NBA. They made the playoffs in their first seven NBA
seasons. The Spurs also had intermittent success during the mid to late 1980's,
but not on the level they had enjoyed during the time when George "Ice Man"
Gervin was the face of the franchise.
In 1989, David Robinson was drafted by the Spurs with the
first overall pick. His impact was immediate as the Spurs improved from a 21-61
record the previous year to 56-26 in his rookie season. "The Admiral" would help
the Spurs advance to three Western Conference Finals appearances and one NBA
title over the course of a 14 year career spent entirely with San Antonio.
In 1995 the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference Finals,
a series that pitted two of the greatest centers of all time against each other:
David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon for the Houston Rockets. Despite having the
league MVP in Robinson and the rebounding presence of Dennis Rodman, the Spurs
lost in 6 games.
Robinson played only six games in 1997 and the Spurs record
plummeted to 20-62. In the draft after the season the Spurs selected a power
forward from Wake Forest with the first pick: Tim Duncan. In 1998 with both
Robinson and Duncan the Spurs won 56 games before losing in Western Conference
Semifinals to Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. The following season however, the
Spurs would glide through the playoffs - losing only two games - en route to the
franchises first NBA championship.
The Spurs returned to the Western Conference Finals in 2001,
where they were swept by Shaquille O'Neal and the eventual champion Los Angeles
Lakers.
2003 saw the Tim Duncan and the Spurs win their first
championship without David Robinson. They won the NBA Finals that year in 6
games over Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets.
In 2005, the Spurs won their third championship in 7 years as
they defeated Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and the Detroit Pistons in 7
games.
Some of the Spurs' most notable players have been:
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John Beasley (1968-1971)
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Ron Boone (1969-1970)
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Glen Combs (1969-1970)
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Terry Cummings (1990-95)
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Sean Elliott (1990-93, 95-2001)
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George Gervin (1973, 75-1985) Hall of Famer
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Artis Gilmore (1983-87)
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Manu Ginobili (2003-)
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Cliff Hagan (1968-1970) Hall of Famer
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Rich Jones (1970-75)
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Larry Kenon (1976-1980)
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Moses Malone (1995) Hall of Famer
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Mike Mitchell (1982-88)
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Tony Parker (2002-)
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Billy Paultz (1976-1979)
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Cincinnatus Powell (1968-1970)
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Alvin Robertson (1985-89)
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David Robinson (1990-2003)
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Dennis Rodman (1994-95)
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James Silas (1973-1981)
-
Dominique Wilkins (1997) Hall of Famer
The design of the San Antonio Spurs novelty fabric consists of
black and gray squares. Within the squares are jerseys, basketballs and
the Spurs' logo.
This San Antonio Spurs fabric is licensed by the NBA and is for
individual consumption. Any other use of this NBA fabric is prohibited and
illegal. The San Antonio Spurs cotton fabric is not suitable for children's
sleepwear.