Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History

The Spurs are the only former American Basketball Association (ABA) team to have won an NBA title after the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. In 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014, the team won NBA championships. The Spurs has the highest winning percentage among active NBA organizations as of the 2019–20 season.

In the three decades prior to May 2017, the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Spurs won 50 games in 18 consecutive seasons from 1999–2000 to 2016–17, setting a franchise record. With 22 consecutive playoff appearances in the 2018–19 season, the Spurs tied an NBA record.

The team's recent success has paralleled current head coach Gregg Popovich's tenure as well as the playing careers of Spurs legends David Robinson (1989–2003) and Tim Duncan (1997–2016).

Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History

Before we go into our list of the

best players in San Antonio Spurs history

, let's have a look at the San Antonio Spurs history.

A short history about San Antonio Spurs club

Spurs players are active members of the San Antonio community, and several former Spurs, such as David Robinson of the Carver Academy and George Gervin of the George Gervin Youth Center, are still engaged in the city.

While playing at the Alamodome, the Spurs established multiple NBA attendance records, including the highest audience ever for an NBA Finals game in 1999, and they continue to sell out the smaller AT&T Center (previously SBC Center) on a regular basis.

Since 2003, the team has been forced to spend much of February on the road due to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo being held at the AT&T Center during that month. This is known as the "Rodeo Road Trip" colloquially.

During this time, the Spurs have consistently posted winning road records, including an NBA-record-setting single-road-trip winning streak (eight games out of nine, achieved in 2003).

The Spurs' victory parades have featured boat rides down the San Antonio River Walk when they have won the NBA title. The San Antonio Spurs were originally known as the Dallas Chaparrals in the American Basketball Association's first incarnation (ABA).

The Dallas Chaparrals, led by player/coach Cliff Hagan, were one of 11 teams that competed in the ABA's inaugural season. The Chaps' second season was a letdown, as they finished fourth in the league with a poor 41–37 record.

The Chaparrals were easily eliminated from the playoffs by the New Orleans Buccaneers. In Dallas, the team struggled with low attendance and widespread apathy.

During the 1970–71 season, the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas," and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, with games in Fort Worth, at the Tarrant County Convention Center, and Lubbock, at the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum, but this was a failure, and the team returned to Dallas full-time for the 1971–72 season, splitting their games at Moody Coliseum and Dallas Convention Center Arena.

Now it's time to get acquainted with the

Ranking the Top 10 Players in San Antonio Spurs

and to know the San Antonio Spurs all-time best players.

Ranking the Top 10 Players in San Antonio Spurs

This list includes Ranking the Top 10 Players in San Antonio Spurs, such as Tim Duncan and George Gervin. Join us to get acquainted with

The Best San Antonio Spurs players of All Time

. The first name in the list of Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History is Tim Duncan.

Tim Duncan

• Born

  : April 25, 1976 (age 45)

• Birth Place:

  Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)

• Listed weight:

  250 lb (113 kg)

• position

  : Power forward, Center

Timothy Theodore Duncan is a former professional basketball player and coach from the United States. He is widely recognized as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the San Antonio Spurs' all-time best players, earning the nickname "the Big Fundamental."

Duncan is generally remembered as the best power forward of all time, but many people overlook the fact that he spent most of his 19-year NBA career with the Spurs as a center.

There isn't much more to say about his inclusion now that you know why. Duncan is not just the franchise's greatest player, but he is also one of the best players in NBA history. He has a strong case for being among the top ten players of all time, and he also has a strong case for being the finest player of the post-Michael Jordan era.

The Big Fundamental, who was just inducted into the Hall of Fame, led San Antonio to five championships and two MVP honors during his time with the team. The next player in the list of Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History in our opinion is David Robinson.

David Robinson

• Born

  : August 6, 1965 (age 56)

• Birth Place:

  Key West, Florida

• position

  : Center

• Nationality:

  American

• Listed height

  : 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)

• Listed weight

  : 235 lb (107 kg)

David Maurice Robinson is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003 and is one of the San Antonio Spurs all-time best players.

It's difficult not to appreciate David Robinson, who is without a doubt one of the classiest and nicest men to ever walk the hardwood. But make no mistake: on the court, he was a horrible man.

Robinson played for the Spurs for his entire 14-year NBA career, earning 10 All-Star teams and winning two titles in 1999 and 2003. Robinson was never able to break through without Duncan, but that didn't change the fact that he was a walking double-double machine, an MVP winner, and a powerful defensive force. Robinson averaged at least 23 points per game over the first seven years of his career, and during the 1993-94 season, he led the NBA with 29.8 points per game.

21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, and three blocks per game are all career highs for the Hall of Famer. Oh, and he was a free-throw machine, averaging 8.3 tries a night and hitting 73.6 percent of them. The next player on the list is George Gervin.

George Gervin

• Born

  : April 27, 1952 (age 69)

• Birth Place:

  Detroit, Michigan

• Nationality:

  American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)

• Listed weight:

  180 lb (82 kg)

• position

  : Shooting guard / Small forward

George Gervin, often known as "the Iceman," is a retired American professional basketball player who played for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He is one of the Best San Antonio Spurs players of All Time. During the 1977–78 NBA season, Gervin faced off against David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets for the scoring title.

Thompson took the lead on the final day of the season when he scored 73 points in an afternoon game against the Detroit Pistons. Gervin knew he needed 58 points against the Jazz in New Orleans that night.

Gervin got off to a fantastic start in the first quarter, scoring 20 points. Gervin scored 33 points in the second period, a single-period record. Gervin scored his 58 points early in the third period and went on to win the scoring title with 63 points.

The Spurs were winning the Central Division with a 52–30 record while Gervin was lighting up the scoreboard. Despite an excellent series by Gervin, who averaged 33.2 points per game, the Spurs were defeated in six games by the Washington Bullets in the playoffs.

The Spurs lead the Bullets 3–1 in the 1979 Conference Finals, but the Bullets won the final three games and recovered from behind to win the seventh game 107–105, dealing the Spurs a crushing loss.

The Spurs would have to wait another 20 years to reach the NBA Finals for the first time. In their first seven years in the NBA, the Spurs won five division titles and were regular participants in the playoffs.

The Spurs, on the other hand, couldn't seem to get a break in the playoffs, falling to teams like the Washington Bullets, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs saw their share of highs and lows as the 1980s progressed.

For the first few seasons of the decade, the Spurs maintained their 1970s success, posting records of 52–30 in 1980–81 (the Spurs were transferred to the Western Conference's Midwest Division that season), 48–34 in 1981–82, and 53–29 in 1982–83.

Despite their regular-season success, the Spurs were unable to win an NBA championship, losing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs to the Houston Rockets in 1981, in four games in 1982, and in six games in the 1983 Western Finals, despite winning both games at the Forum in the 1983 series.

In both series against the Lakers in 1982 and 1983, they lost every home game because Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the rest of the team were too strong. It wasn't until 1995 that the Spurs reached the conference finals.

Gervin, the Spurs' top star, was traded to the Chicago Bulls after the 1984–85 season, officially signaling the end of an era that began when the Spurs first moved to San Antonio. The next player in the list of

Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History

is Tony Parker.

Tony Parker

• Born

  : 17 May 1982 (age 39)

• Birth Place:

  Bruges, Belgium

• Nationality:

  French / American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)

• Listed weight:

  185 lb (84 kg)

• position

  : Point guard

William Anthony Parker Jr., a former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket in the LNB Pro A, is a French-American. Parker, the son of a professional basketball player, spent two years with Paris Basket Racing in the French basketball league before joining the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs (NBA).

The Spurs selected Parker with the 28th overall choice in the 2001 NBA Draft. During his debut season, Popovich was harsh on Parker, and the Frenchman was unsure if the NBA would be a good fit for him.

Popovich was, in fact, just being tough on Parker. Parker rebounded from a disappointing rookie season by averaging 15.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in his sophomore campaign.

Parker was a Hall of Famer after appearing in 1,198 games for the Spurs. TP averaged 15.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists during his time with San Antonio. Parker was a six-time All-Star who led the Spurs to a four-game victory over

and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals and was named Finals MVP.

Tony is unquestionably one of the greatest international players of all time. The next player in the list of Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History in our opinion is Tiago Splitter.

Tiago Splitter

• Born

  : January 1, 1985 (age 36)

• Birth Place:

  Blumenau, Brazil

• Nationality

  : Brazilian

• Listed height:

  6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)

• Listed weight:

  245 lb (111 kg)

• position

  : Power forward / Center

You are free to make whatever comments you like about Tiago Splitter. Yes, he was the brunt of Stephen A. Smith's jokes in the early stages of his career, but he went on to become a very excellent player and a key member of the 2014 Spurs squad that rolled to a championship.

Splitter made his NBA debut with the San Antonio Spurs in 2010, but he only stayed with the team for five seasons before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He was, however, a versatile danger during his time with the tea.

Splitter wasn't a great shooter, but he was a great passer and a very smart player on both ends of the court. He was able to defend several positions, was excellent at guarding the pick-and-roll, and always seemed to be in the perfect spot.

He also improved his free-throw shooting dramatically, improving from a 57.4 percent shooter in his rookie season to a 75 percent shooter in his final season with San Antonio in 2014-15.

Splitter only reached double figures once in his career, but his influence was undeniable. In fact, over the course of his seven-year NBA career, he averaged a solid. The next player on the list is Artis Gilmore.

Artis Gilmore

• Born

  : September 21, 1949 (age 72)

• Birth Place

  : Chipley, Florida

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height

  : 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)

• Listed weight

  : 240 lb (109 kg)

• position

  : Center

Artis Gilmore had a good five-year career with the Spurs from 1982 and 1987, yet his best years were with the Kentucky Colonels (an ABA franchise) and the Chicago Bulls. With San Antonio, Gilmore twice led the NBA in field-goal percentage and averaged double-doubles in each of his first three seasons. He also appeared in two All-Star games. Gilmore was a Hall of Famer who was also extraordinarily durable.

He appeared in 81 games in one of the only two seasons he didn't play the complete 82 games with the Spurs. Unlike the majority of the other players on this list, Gilmore never won a championship with the Spurs, but he did lead them to the playoffs four times and was a reliable member of the club. The next player in the list of Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History is LaMarcus Aldridge.

LaMarcus Aldridge

• Born

  : July 19, 1985 (age 36)

• Birth Place:

  Dallas, Texas

• Nationality:

  American

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)

• Listed weight

  : 250 lb (113 kg)

• position

  : Power forward / Center

LaMarcus Aldridge is most commonly known as a power forward. After all, that was his position with the Portland Trail Blazers, and he's spent a lot of time at the four in San Antonio.

Since joining the Spurs in 2015, Aldridge has played a significant amount of center in the modern NBA, where space and pace are kings. Aldridge has arguably been undervalued throughout his career despite being one of the smoothest frontcourt scorers of his generation.

No, he's never been a superstar, and he's unlikely to be the starting point guard on a title contender, but for the past decade, he's averaged around 20 points per game (if not more) while shooting around 50% from the field.

Not only that, but since joining San Antonio, Aldridge has improved drastically on defense, helping him to stay on the court against small-ball combinations.

Aldridge's best may have been in Portland, but he's grown as a player with the Spurs, expanding his range beyond the 3-point line and improving his Dead ball skills. The next player in the list of Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History in our opinion is Manu Ginobili.

Manu Ginobili

• Born

  : 28 July 1977 (age 44)

• Birth Place:

  Bahía Blanca, Argentina

• Nationality

  : Argentine / Italian

• Listed height:

  6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)

• Listed weight:

  205 lb (93 kg)

• position

  : Shooting guard

In the 1999 draft, Manu was the 57th overall pick. He didn't start playing in the United States until the 2002-2003 season. Ginobili averaged 7.6 points and 2.0 assists in his debut season with the Spurs.

San Antonio went on to win the NBA Finals, defeating Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets, capping off a successful rookie season for Manu, who had had a championship ring in his first season in the league.

In 2005, Ginobili was named to his first All-Star team, averaging 16.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. That season, the Spurs won the title yet again, this time by defeating the Pistons.

In 1,057 games with San Antonio, Manu averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. He was named to the All-Star squad twice and was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2008. Ginobili was as versatile as any player in NBA history, whether it was hitting crucial shots in the Finals or catching baseballs with his hands. Ginobili's presence with the Spurs for his whole playing career was a blessing. The next player in the list of Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History is Sean Elliott.

Sean Elliott

• Born

  : February 2, 1968 (age 53)

• Birth Place:

  Tucson, Arizona

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)

• Listed weight:

  220 lb (100 kg)

• position

  : Small forward

Elliot was selected third overall in the 1989 NBA Draft out of Arizona by the Spurs. As a rookie, he averaged 10.0 points and 3.7 rebounds, earning him a spot on the All-Rookie team.

During the 1992-93 season, Elliot was named to his first All-Star squad. For the Spurs, he scored 17.2 points and grabbed 4.6 rebounds while shooting 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.

In October of 1993, he was dealt with the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Isaiah Morris, Dennis Rodman, and a handful of draft picks. Elliot, on the other hand, only spent one season with the Pistons before returning to San Antonio.

In the summer of 1994, the Pistons traded the sharpshooter to the Spurs. During the 1995-96 season, he was named to his second All-Star squad after scoring a career-high 20.0 points per game. In 1999, the Spurs defeated the New York Knicks in five games to win their first title.

Elliot hit the "Memorial Day Miracle" in Game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 14.4 points per game throughout his Spurs career and ranks sixth in franchise history with 563 made 3-pointers. The last player in the list of

Best Players in San Antonio Spurs History

is Dennis Rodman. 

Dennis Rodman

• Born

  : May 13, 1961 (age 60)

• Birth Place:

  Trenton, New Jersey

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)

• Listed weight

  : 228 lb (103 kg)

• position

  : Power forward / Small forward

Dennis Rodman was only with the Spurs for a short time, yet he was a productive component of the team. Rodman spent two years in San Antonio after seven seasons with the Detroit Pistons and before his championship run with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Rodman topped the NBA in rebounding with 17.3 per game in 1993-94. Rodman only played 49 games the next season, but he still averaged 7.1 points and 16.8 rebounds per game.

In comparison, Rodman grabbed 823 rebounds in 49 games during the 1994-95 season. Omer Asik of the Houston Rockets played 82 games last season and led the NBA with 956 total rebounds.

Rodman's rebounding numbers are insane, and he was a huge contributor in San Antonio during his two seasons there. Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this article with us. We hope you enjoyed reading this article and will return to read more in the future. You can also read more stories by clicking on the links below.

 Read More:

Follow

for the