Established
1967
City
Dallas – San Antonio
League History
1976 – Present / National Basketball Association
1967 – 1976 / American Basketball Association
Team History
1973 – Present / San Antonio Spurs
1970 – 1971 / Texas Chaparrals
1967 – 1970, 1971 – 1973 / Dallas Chaparrals
Nickname
Spurs – The San Antonio Spurs have been a staple in the NBA since their inception in 1967. They are one of the most successful teams in league history, with five championships and numerous playoff appearances. But many fans don’t know that there is an interesting story behind how they got their nickname - The Spurs!
It all began with a contest held by local media outlets to create a name for the new team. After much deliberation, “Spurs” was chosen as it represented Texas heritage and military prowess – which were very important to San Antonio residents. The logo was also designed around this concept, featuring an image of five spur points arranged like stars on top of a basketball surrounded by ten white circles signifying each player on the court during playtime!
The Spurs nickname has become synonymous with success over its long tenure within professional sports leagues and even internationally, where it's often seen when referring to any type or level of competition involving horses (especially horse racing). It also serves as a reminder that hard work can pay off no matter how big or small your goals may be - look at what happened for these beloved NBA franchises from South Texas!
Championship
NBA Championships 5
2014, 2007, 2005, 2003, 1999
ABA Championships 0
Arena
2005 – Present / AT&T Center
2002 – 2005 / SBC Center
1993 – 2002 / Alamodome
1973 – 1993 / HemisFair Arena
*Fort Worth*
1970 – 1971 / Tarrant County Coliseum
*Lubbock*
1970 – 1971 / Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
*Dallas*
1967 – 1973 / Dallas Memorial Auditorium
Owner
1993 – Present / Peter Holt
1988 – 1993 / Red McCombs
1973 – 1988 / Angelo Drossos
1967 – 1973 / Bob Folsom
- 1973
- 1976
- 1988
- 1999
- 2003
- 2005
- 2007
- 2014
-
Coming to San Antonio
While the Chaparrals had been modestly successful on the court, they were sinking financially by their third season, largely because the ownership group refused to spend much money on the team. After missing the playoffs for the first time in their existence in the 1972 – 1973 season, nearly all of the owners wanted out. A group of 36 San ... -
ABA-NBA Merge
Even though playoff success would elude the team, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the top teams in the ABA. Moreover, their gaudy attendance figures made them very attractive to the NBA, despite the size of the market. Although San Antonio had over 650,000 people at the time and has since grown to become the seventh-largest city in the ... -
Red McCombs Ownership
McCombs’ first entry into sports came in 1972 when he joined Angelo Drossos and several other San Antonio businessmen in leasing the struggling Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association and moving them to San Antonio as the Spurs. The Spurs proved to be a runaway hit, leading Drossos and McCombs to tear up the lease agreement and buy the ... -
NBA Finals Winner 1999
NBA Finals – 1999 The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998 – 1999 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home-court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format, with ... -
NBA Finals Winner 2003
NBA Finals – 2003 The 2003 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2002 – 2003 NBA season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New Jersey Nets of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home-court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. The Spurs won the series 4 ... -
NBA Finals Winner 2005
NBA Finals – 2005 The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004 – 2005 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home-court advantage and the Pistons as defending champions. The series was played under a best-of-seven format. ... -
NBA Finals Winner 2007
NBA Finals – 2007 The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2006 – 2007 National Basketball Association season and was the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers. This was Cleveland’s first trip to the NBA Finals in ... -
NBA Finals Winner 2014
NBA Finals – 2014 The 2014 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2013 – 2014 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the season’s playoffs. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in five games (4–1) for the Spurs’ fifth NBA championship in the franchise’s history. The ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs, previously known as the Texas Chaparrals, are among the most successful franchises in the history of the NBA. Founded in 1967, they have won five championships and made 18 appearances in the NBA Finals. They have had some of the greatest players to ever grace a basketball court, including Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Manu Ginobili. The team has also been incredibly consistent over its long history; since the 1997-1998 season, they have not missed out on making it to the playoffs for an incredible 21 consecutive seasons!
The Spurs’ first championship came during their third year as a franchise when they defeated their rivals in New York Knick's 4–2 series victory at Madison Square Garden. This was followed by four more titles over two decades, the most recent being in 2014 when Kawhi Leonard led them to a 5–1 series win against LeBron James' Miami Heat side. During this period of success, Gregg Popovich became head coach, replacing Bob Hill, who he served as an assistant coach before taking charge three games into his tenure as head coach back in the 1996-1997 season. Popovich's leadership saw him become only one of seven coaches who has won multiple championships while guiding the same team throughout his career so far.
In addition to all that winning, there is something else that makes the San Antonio Spurs stand out among other teams: loyalty and stability within the organization itself, essentially down to the ownership group headed up by Peter Holt along with general manager R C Buford, who both put together a robust support system allowing players, coaches, and staff alike to develop together without fear of instability or disruption. This culture helped create a dynasty-like atmosphere, enabling them to stay competitive for several years even when the core group was aging, plus new faces were coming through the door each summertime. As a result, today, we can look back fondly upon the fantastic legacy created by those building this great franchise now known worldwide due to its sustained excellence spanning almost half a century.
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
00 / Johnny Moore
6 / Avery Johnson
9 / Tony Parker
12 / Bruce Bowen
13 / James Silas
20 / Manu Ginobili
21 / Tim Duncan
32 / Sean Elliott
44 / George Gervin
50 / David Robinson
*Blue is this team’s history