San Antonio Spurs are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team competes in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The Spurs play in the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The Spurs began playing professional basketball in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967-1968. The team was known as the Dallas Chaparrals through 1972-1973, except for 1970-1971, when it was called the Texas Chaparrals. The team took its present name in 1973-1974. The Spurs moved to the NBA beginning in the 1976-1977 season.
The Spurs were one of the strongest teams in the NBA during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, winning five division titles. The star of those teams was forward George Gervin, one of the greatest scorers in NBA history.
The Spurs were one of the dominant teams in the NBA throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Gregg Popovich, the Spurs coach, became one of the winningest coaches in NBA history. San Antonio won the NBA championship in 1999, during a season shortened by a player-management disagreement. The major San Antonio players during the 1990’s included center David Robinson, forward and center Tim Duncan, forward Sean Elliott, and guard Avery Johnson.
Duncan remained one of the NBA’s stars into the early 2000’s, leading the Spurs to other NBA championships in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. Additional stars of Spurs championship teams included guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and forwards Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, and Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs won their division in 2005-2006 but lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Dallas Mavericks. San Antonio lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals in 2008. In 2013, the Spurs lost in the NBA championship finals to the Miami Heat. In 2014, San Antonio—featuring stars Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, and Leonard—defeated Miami for the NBA title. In 2023, the Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot 4-inch (224-centimeter) Frenchman, with the first overall pick in the NBA draft.
See also Duncan, Tim; Robinson, David; Leonard, Kawhi.
