60 Fun Facts About San Antonio Spurs

What name did the Spurs' arena, opened in 2002 under a telecom sponsor, take in 2023?

It opened in 2002 as the SBC Center next to the Freeman Coliseum, funded by hotel and car-rental taxes approved by Bexar County voters, and became Frost Bank Center in 2023.

In which five years did the Spurs win their NBA championships?

They are the only former ABA team to have won multiple NBA titles.

Under what name did the Spurs franchise begin play in the ABA in 1967?

Player-coach Cliff Hagan led them; the team briefly rebranded as the Texas Chaparrals in 1970–71.

What was the team briefly called after its 1973 move, before it became the Spurs?

'Spurs' may have come from a name-the-team contest or from an owner born in Spur, Texas.

Which trio led the 35 San Antonio businessmen who leased the Chaparrals in 1973?

They tore up the lease after one year and bought the team outright once it proved a runaway hit.

Which future Hall of Famer did the Spurs acquire from the Virginia Squires in January 1974?

A judge ruled in the Spurs' favour and 'The Iceman' debuted on February 7, 1974.

How many points did the Iceman score in one quarter on the last day of 1977-78 to win the scoring title?

He needed 58 against the Jazz to overtake David Thompson's 73 earlier that day and finished with 63.

Which team came back from 3–1 down to beat the Spurs in the 1979 Eastern Conference finals?

Washington won Game 7 107–105; the Spurs waited 20 more years for their first Finals.

What annual event forces the Spurs onto an extended February road trip each year?

The 'Rodeo Road Trip' has often gone well; they won eight of nine in 2003, an NBA record for a single trip.

How do the Spurs traditionally celebrate NBA championships?

The 1999 Finals also set the record for the largest crowd at a Finals game, at the Alamodome.

Which US Naval Academy centre did the Spurs draft first overall in 1987 but have to wait two years for?

His rookie season produced a then-record 35-win turnaround, from 21–61 to 56–26.

Which former UNLV coach was fired just 20 games into the 1992–93 season in a famous flop?

John Lucas took over and went 39–22 the rest of the way.

For how much did Peter Holt's group buy the Spurs from Red McCombs in 1993?

That season the team moved into the Alamodome.

Which rebounder did the Spurs acquire from Detroit in 1993, then trade to Chicago after friction with David Robinson?

He went on to win three titles with the Bulls; Elliott came back to San Antonio a year later.

What was the Spurs' record in 1996–97, the franchise's worst, before they won the lottery and drafted Tim Duncan?

David Robinson played only six games; Gregg Popovich replaced Bob Hill 18 games into the season.

Which team did the Spurs beat in the 1999 Finals, the first eighth seed ever to reach the Finals?

San Antonio clinched at Madison Square Garden and became the first former ABA team to win the NBA title.

What was the Spurs' record in the lockout-shortened 1999 season, their only Duncan year under 50 wins?

They went 11–1 through the Western Conference playoffs.

Which Spurs player returned in March 2000 after receiving a kidney transplant from his brother?

He played the final 19 games of that season.

The 2003 Finals were the first between two former ABA teams. Whom did the Spurs beat?

It was David Robinson's final season, and Tim Duncan was both MVP and Finals MVP.

Which Lakers guard hit the shot with 0.4 seconds left that stunned the Spurs in Game 5 in 2004?

Duncan had seemingly won it with a shot at 0.4 seconds; the Lakers won 74–73 and took the series in six.

Whose clutch three-pointer with nine seconds left won Game 5 of the 2005 Finals in Detroit for the Spurs?

'Big Shot Rob' had gone scoreless in the first half; the Spurs won Game 7 81–74.

Which player became the first European-born Finals MVP when the Spurs swept Cleveland in 2007?

He averaged 24.5 points on 57 percent shooting in the sweep.

A Spurs veteran's hip check on which Suns star in Game 4 of the 2007 series led to a two-game suspension?

The series is often called the 'true' Finals of 2007.

With which pick did the Spurs draft Manu Ginóbili in 1999?

Tony Parker went 28th in 2001; both became All-Stars.

Which guard did the Spurs trade to Indiana on 2011 draft night for the rights to the 15th pick?

Hill went to his hometown team; Leonard had been picked 15th by the Pacers.

Which eighth seed upset the top-seeded, 61-win Spurs in the 2011 first round?

Manu Ginóbili had been hurt in the final regular-season game.

Whose late three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals denied the Spurs a title that night?

Popovich had benched Duncan for the possession; Miami won in overtime and took Game 7.

Who was named Finals MVP when the Spurs beat Miami in five games in 2014?

At 22 he was the third-youngest Finals MVP after Magic Johnson and Duncan; every Spurs win was by 15 or more.

How many straight games did the Spurs win in February and March 2014, a franchise record?

They finished with the NBA's best record at 62 wins.

Which WNBA star did the Spurs hire in 2014 as the first full-time female coach in a major US pro league?

She joined Popovich's staff after retiring from the San Antonio Stars.

What was the Spurs' franchise-record win total in 2015–16?

They also went 40–1 at home, tying the 1985–86 Celtics, but lost in the second round to Oklahoma City.

How many consecutive 50-win seasons did the Spurs record from 1999–2000 to 2016–17, an NBA record?

The streak ended in 2017–18, the season lost to the Kawhi Leonard injury dispute.

Which Warrior's foot did the Spurs' star land on in Game 1 of the 2017 West finals?

The Warriors went on to sweep the shorthanded Spurs.

Whom did the Spurs get from Toronto in the July 2018 trade of their star forward?

Leonard won a title in Toronto that season; the Spurs also got a protected first-round pick.

Which team did the Spurs' French point guard join in 2018 after 17 seasons in San Antonio?

He signed there in July 2018; Manu Ginóbili retired a month later.

How many fans attended the Spurs' January 2023 Alamodome game against Golden State, an NBA regular-season record?

The game marked the franchise's 50th anniversary season.

Whom did the Spurs take first overall in 2023, their third No. 1 pick after Robinson and Duncan?

He was unanimous Rookie of the Year and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Which All-Star point guard did the Spurs acquire from Sacramento in a three-team deal in February 2025?

Weeks later Wembanyama's season ended with blood clots.

Who was named the Spurs' permanent head coach when Gregg Popovich stepped down in May 2025?

Popovich stayed on as president of basketball operations; a 'Pop 1,390' banner honours his regular-season wins.

Which two players won Rookie of the Year for the Spurs in consecutive seasons, 2024 and 2025?

Castle was taken fourth overall in 2024.

What are the 'Fiesta colours' the Spurs used in their logo from 1989 to 2002?

The uniforms stayed silver and black throughout; the theme returned on 'City' uniforms in 2020–21.

In the Spurs' logo, a stylised spur replaces which letter?

The wordmark has used the Eurostile font since the 1973 move.

What is the name of the Spurs' mascot, a 2007 Mascot Hall of Fame inductee?

Tim Derk created and portrayed the character for 21 years.

The Spurs' 2023–24 'City' uniform paid homage to which 1968 event held in San Antonio?

The world's fair site later housed HemisFair Arena, the Spurs' first home.

What abbreviation appeared on the Spurs' 2022 black 'Statement' uniform beside the 'Texas spur' logo?

Its grayscale patterns were inspired by serapes and saddle blankets.

What was the name of the Spurs' cheerleading squad, replaced in 2018 after 26 years?

The Coyote often performed dance numbers with them.

The Spirits of St. Louis' owners took what lump sum in 2014 to end their share of Spurs TV revenue?

The perpetual payment was part of the price of the ABA–NBA merger.

Which team knocked the 63-win Spurs out of the 2006 playoffs in a seven-game overtime thriller?

Dallas won Game 7 119–111 in overtime and went on to the Finals.

What nickname was given to the Spurs' pairing of two 7-foot stars in the frontcourt from 1997 to 2003?

The pairing won titles in 1999 and 2003 before Robinson retired.

Where did the Spurs play home games from 1973 to 1993?

They drew 6,000 for their first game there and Charles Barkley's 1993 buzzer-beater was the arena's last playoff moment.

Which team beat the Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals, ending their first Finals run since 2014?

Game 3, the Spurs' only win, drew the biggest US TV audience since that year's Super Bowl.

Who was player-coach of the Dallas Chaparrals in the ABA's inaugural 1967-68 season?

The Chaps were one of 11 original ABA teams and slipped to a mediocre 41-37 in their second year.

Why was coach Tom Nissalke fired despite a 17-10 start to the 1974-75 season?

Replacement Bob Bass declared that a set offense could not be thrown at a professional team for 48 minutes.

What was the Spurs' combined record during their four-season slump from 1985-86 to 1988-89?

Dwindling crowds led to relocation talk, and the only bright spot was winning the 1987 lottery to draft David Robinson.

Which team beat the Spurs 100-96 in the 2021 play-in, marking their first back-to-back playoff misses?

DeMar DeRozan was traded to Chicago that summer, and the Spurs sent Derrick White to Boston at the following deadline.

Which Spurs guard made the 2022 All-Star Game, the first Spur selected since LaMarcus Aldridge in 2019?

He was traded to Atlanta that summer for Danilo Gallinari and draft picks as the rebuild began.

Which two players did the Spurs select with the second and 14th picks of the 2025 NBA draft?

The team then opened 2025-26 with a franchise-best five straight wins and reached the NBA Cup final before losing to the Knicks.

What was the Spurs' regular-season record in 2025-26, the league's second best?

It was their best mark since 2015-16 and brought a first Southwest Division title since 2016-17.

Which opponent did the Spurs outlast in seven games in 2026 to reach their first Finals since 2014?

Earlier they beat Minnesota in six despite Wembanyama's Game 4 ejection for elbowing Naz Reid.

What number appears on the banner the Spurs raised in October 2025 to honour Gregg Popovich?

It counts his regular-season wins excluding his final incomplete season, with five stars for five titles and his 2023 Hall of Fame induction.