Category: Spurs History

Spurs release Happy Birthday tribute to Tim Duncan for 48th birthday

The San Antonio Spurs released a tribute video for Tim Duncan’s 48th birthday.

With Victor Wembanyama now leading the charge, the San Antonio Spurs have their new face of the franchise. However, the Frenchman has some very big shoes to fill. Before him, there was Tim Duncan, who reigned over the 2000s and 2010s among the best in the league, taking home five championships in the process.

Duncan, alongside the likes of David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, helped the Spurs raise five banners into the rafters. His dominance on the defensive end of the court was matched by an elite leadership quality that makes him one of the best players in the history of the NBA, and likely the greatest Spur of all time.

On his birthday, April 25, the Spurs released a tribute video on their YouTube channel paying homage to the all-time great.

Duncan isn’t one for dramatics, so it seems unlikely he’s ever a consistent face in the media, but it’s nice to see the Spurs show him some love for his birthday.

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Will San Antonio Spurs finish with worst record in franchise history?

Will the San Antonio Spurs finish this season with the worst record in team history?

The shining light of Victor Wembanyama has healed a lot of wounds in the world of the San Antonio Spurs this season. The 20-year-old rookie looks like a guy who can lead the franchise into the future and be one of the faces of the league. But that doesn’t change the fact that they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league this season.

Following their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, the Spurs fell to 11-46 on the season. That’s on pace for a .193 win percentage. If they finish the year on that pace, it would be the worst winning percentage in franchise history.

The current franchise-worst is a .244 winning percentage, which the Spurs achieved during the 1996-97 season when they went 20-62. That summer, they drafted Tim Duncan.

Can the Spurs avoid having the worst record in franchise history this year? The Locked On Spurs podcast YouTube channel recently discussed this very topic.

Will the Spurs win at least nine more games this year?

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Could Victor Wembanyama be the greatest Spurs player of all time?

Does Victor Wembanyama have a chance to be the best San Antonio Spurs player ever?

The San Antonio Spurs is one of the most prestigious organizations in the NBA. They’ve won five championships, all of which were led by Tim Duncan, with Hall-of-Famers such as David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker by his side. Duncan is widely regarded as a top 15 player of all time (and sometimes top 10), as well as the best Spur ever. But will he hold that title forever?

To see a player reach the same heights as Duncan would be incredible, but to assume any player can get there is preposterous. Yet less than one season into his career, people are already looking at Victor Wembanyama and wondering, “Could he do it?”

The Locked On Spurs podcast recently discussed this exact topic.

Wembanyama has a long way to go before he even enters the conversation, and it all starts with winning championships. But before all of that, he needs to finish his rookie season.

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How similar is Victor Wembanyama to Spurs icons Tim Duncan and David Robinson?

What does Wemby have in common with The Admiral and Old Man Riverwalk?

If there is a better head coach and ball club for a skilled big man to hone their craft and find success than the San Antonio Spurs and Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, we can’t think of which they might be. So the luck of French rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama to land with San Antonio in the 2023 NBA draft may pay dividends, and fans are already starting to compare Wemby to Spurs greats like David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

Even that HoFer head coach has commented that he sees similarities with Wembanyama, Duncan, and Robinson, so maybe those fans are onto something.

On a recent episode of the “Locked on Spurs” podcast, host Jeff Garcia linked up with guest Rudy Campos of “Sweep the League” to talk over those eerie similarities between Wembanyama and fellow San Antonio frontcourt greats of the past.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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Ex-NBA coach compares Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic to Spurs legend Tim Duncan

Former NBA coach George Karl recently compared Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic to San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan.

This year’s iteration of the San Antonio Spurs is a far cry from what the organization once was. Obviously, the team hopes to get back to the same heights they once reached with Victor Wembanyama at the help, but while he develops and their young core grows, they’re stuck at the bottom of the West.

Meanwhile, atop the NBA lies the Denver Nuggets, who are captained by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who just led his squad to their first championship in franchise history last season. Jokic’s dominance has been incredible to watch for the past few years, and one former NBA coach compared him to a Spurs legend who dominated at a similar level.

Former long-time NBA coach George Karl took to Twitter the other day, comparing Jokic’s greatness to Spurs legend Tim Duncan.

“The Truth is that we’ve never really seen a unicorn like Jokic before. But the best comp for him is Tim Duncan. Complete and utter Greatness. 💪🏼,” Karl tweeted.

Karl coached in the NBA from 1979 to 2016, enjoying head-coaching stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Seattle Supersonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings.

However, Karl began his career with the Spurs as an assistant coach in the 1979-80 season. It was his only season with the Spurs and his only season in the NBA as an assistant.

Jokic has some catching up to do in terms of rings if he wants to catch Duncan, but in terms of their on-court dominance, the parallels are clearly there.

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Derrick White tells hilarious Popovich story: ‘Get towels and water’

During a recent podcast appearance, former San Antonio Spurs guard Derrick White shared a funny Gregg Popovich story.

Over the years, the San Antonio Spurs have had some great players suit up for their organization. However, for the past few years, they’ve been in a bit of a playoff drought and, in turn, have traded away some solid players in an attempt to rebuild their roster.

The Dejounte Murray trade to the Atlanta Hawks is perhaps the most notable in recent memory. However, the Spurs also traded Murray’s backcourt-mate Derrick White in a deal with the Boston Celtics. And now, White is helping lead the Celtics in their quest to win a championship, concocting a serious All-Star case for himself in the process.

During a recent appearance on “The Old Man & The Three With JJ Redick and Tommy Alter,” White revealed a hilarious story about head coach Gregg Popovich from his rookie season with the Spurs. (H/t Nick Moyle of the San Antonio Express-News)

“I’m always thankful for Pop. Every time I see him, I tell him I love him and that I’m thankful,” White said. “But when I was a rookie, after my first preseason game I thought I played pretty good. And then I seen this report where it’s like, ‘What’s Derrick’s role this year?’ And he said, ‘Get towels and water for the guys.’ And I’m like oh, that’s how it’s gonna be this year.”

White spent most of his rookie season with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League squad, but now, he’s one of the best defensive guards in the NBA and has taken massive leaps on offense, too.

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David Robinson on Dennis Rodman’s leadership: ‘He is not that guy’

During a recent interview, San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson spoke about Dennis Rodman’s leadership.

One of the most dominant big men in NBA history, David Robinson was a great leader on the San Antonio Spurs. He ended up winning two championships alongside Tim Duncan in San Antonio while also earning 10- All-Star nods, 10 All-NBA appearances, one DPOY, and one MVP.

During his time with the Spurs, Robinson got the chance to play with some elite NBA talent, highlighted by Duncan, as previously mentioned. However, he also played with some interesting characters, Dennis Rodman being the most notable of the bunch. Rodman had a very interesting NBA career, and while he’s best known for his time with the Chicago Bulls, he was also a Spur for two seasons.

In a recent interview with Joe Buck, Robinson spoke at length about his experience with Rodman. (H/t Shane Garry Acedera of Basketball Network)

“You know what? I love Dennis. I really do,” Robinson said. “He’s an unbelievable player, incredibly athletic. I mean, he was like Superman. Like, he just was a freak of nature. The guy could run all day long, never got tired, and was like the Energizer bunny. I loved having him next to me on the court because you always felt like, you know you just got a warrior with you. So on the court, he’s a great guy to have next to you. In the locker room is a little different story.”

However, he also noted that Rodman wasn’t a great leader.

“You know, he marches to the beat of his own drum,” Robinson said. “Like when you need a leader, a leader needs to be tuned in to what everybody else is doing. A leader needs to say, ‘Hey, how do I help this guy and that guy?’ And so that was hard for him. He is not that guy.”

Rodman was great at what he did best, but leading wasn’t necessarily part of that.

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Why 2014 San Antonio Spurs were best team in NBA history

Were the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs the best team in NBA history?

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls went 72-10. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors went 73-9. The former won the NBA championship, and the latter didn’t, but both are considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history. And over the years, the San Antonio Spurs have had a few teams that deserve to have their name thrown in the ring for that title.

San Antonio’s best record in franchise history was in the 2015-16 season when they went 67-15. However, they didn’t win the championship. The Spurs’ team in 2014 was just as impressive. Their regular season was a bit worse at 62-20, but they finished the job when the season came to a close.

The Heart of Texas Media Network recently uploaded a YouTube video that detailed why the 2013-14 Spurs were the best team in NBA history.

Not only did the Spurs win the title that year, they managed to take down the Miami Heat, who were riding the high of two straight NBA championships.

Kawhi Leonard took home the Finals MVP award, largely because of the defense he played against LeBron James, but the Spurs’ scoring was well-rounded throughout the playoffs.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Leonard were able to bring home another championship to San Antonio on the tail end of their dynasty.

It was Duncan’s fifth title in San Antonio and the fourth for both Parker and Ginobili. All three were entering the final stages of their career, yet with the help of Leonard, they were able to take down one of the best teams in the league.

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Spurs were one of most dominant championship dynasties ever

The San Antonio Spurs were one of the best dynasties in NBA history, and they were amazing in the NBA Finals.

At the conclusion of the 1998-99 season, the San Antonio Spurs were crowned champions of the NBA. Over the course of the next 15 years, they would consistently be one of the top teams, bringing home five titles behind the talent of Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, among others.

To this day, they are one of the winningest franchises in the history of the sport. Their five championships rank fifth among all NBA teams, behind only the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Chicago Bulls. Led by Gregg Popovich, the Spurs stood on top more often than not.

The FreeDawkins YouTube channel recently compiled a four-hour video of the Spurs’ best moments in the NBA Finals.

Duncan was at the forefront of the Spurs’ success over the years. His dominance isn’t always appreciated in the grand scheme of things, but he’s widely regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time. And yet, he’s still somehow underrated historically.

Guys like Robinson, Parker, and Ginobili were there to back him up.

Now, Victor Wembanyama is looking to lead a new generation of Spurs into the future. The rookie Frenchman has been great this year, but unfortunately, the Spurs haven’t been winning just yet. It could take a few years for them to get back to that point and even longer to get back into title form.

Wembanyama isn’t Duncan, and he never has to be, but for as long as he stays in San Antonio, he’ll have a great example to follow.

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Spurs legend Tim Duncan’s rookie season was best ever

San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan may have had the best rookie season ever.

The San Antonio Spurs are having a rough season, but the presence of Victor Wembanyama has been a bright spot. He’s not shooting particularly well from the field (or from three-point land), but his potential is clear. At his height and with his knowledge of the game, he’s set to be the face of the Spurs franchise for years to come.

Wembanyama is averaging 18.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 43.3% from the floor and 27.8% from behind the arc. The statline is incredible. However, it’s not even the best rookie season produced in Spurs history. No, that title belongs to Tim Duncan, who was not only the best San Antonio rookie ever but perhaps the best rookie ever, period.

The Bench Mob YouTube channel recently broke down why Duncan’s rookie season may have been the best in NBA history.

In his rookie year, Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 54.9% from the field. He was an All-Star in his rookie year.

Duncan helped lead the Spurs to the second round of the playoffs in his rookie season, and in his sophomore year in the league, he helped them win an NBA Championship.

That said, Duncan did have the help of fellow legend and Hall-of-Famer David Robinson in his first few years, giving him a perfect co-star to help him compete.

With the numbers he put up and the level of success he found, Duncan’s rookie year may very well be the best ever.

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