San Antonio Spurs

Not to be forgotten:. See also Category:Minnesota Twins players. The Spurs have advanced to the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history, and currently are tied 2-2 in the series against the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons. Although Minneapolis appears at first glance to be a "small market" city (3 million residents of the associated metropolitan area), the team routinely draws fans from as far away as Montana and Wyoming. In the postseason thus far, the Spurs have defeated the Denver Nuggets 4-1, the Seattle Supersonics 4-2 and the Phoenix Suns 4-1. The impact of the Twins on the Upper Midwest should not be underestimated. With the acquisitions of Brent Barry from Seattle, Nazr Mohammed from New York, and veteran Glenn Robinson from free agency, alongside defensive specialist Bruce Bowen, international phenom Manu Ginobili, lightning quick Tony Parker, clutch shooter Robert Horry, and MVP candidate Tim Duncan, the Spurs finished the 2004-2005 season ranked number two in the Western Conference with a 59-23 record, finishing with the best record in the Southwest division. In fact, in addition to the Twins, the Vikings and Gophers both have new stadium proposals in various stages of development.

Duncan was named both the NBA Regular Season and Finals MVP for the season. The Dome is thought to be an increasingly poor fit for all three of its major tenants (the Twins, the Vikings and the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team). The Spurs won the series 4-2, giving them their second NBA Championship in franchise history. However, attempts to spur interest and push legislative efforts towards a new stadium have repeatedly failed. The series against the Nets marked the first time two former ABA teams would play each other for the NBA Championship. In particular, the Twins receive no revenue from luxury suite leasing (as those are owned by co-tenant Minnesota Vikings) and only a small percentage of concessions sales; also, the percentage of season-ticket-quality seats in the Metrodome is said to be very low compared to other stadiums. In the playoffs, the Spurs defeated the Suns, Lakers and Dallas Mavericks en route to facing the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals. The Twins wish to replace the Metrodome with a new ballpark within the next half decade, claiming that the Metrodome generates too little revenue for the Twins to be competitive.

Mixing the inside presences of Duncan and Robinson with the newer outside threats, the Spurs earned a 60-22 record. Their streak of three straight division titles, along with some bitterly fought games, have helped to create an intense rivalry with the Chicago White Sox during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Second-year French star Tony Parker was now the starting point guard for the Spurs and the squad featured a variety of three-point shooters including Stephen Jackson, Danny Ferry, Bruce Bowen and Argentina product Manu Ginobili. Threatened with closure by league contraction in 2002, the team battled back to reach the American League Championship Series before being eliminated 4-1 by that year's eventual World Series Champion Anaheim Angels. The Spurs had remade their team in an attempt to dethrone the three-time defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. From <! daterange+ ->2002 to 2004<!- daterange- ->, the Twins compiled their longest streak of consecutive league/division championships ever (previous were the 1924 World Champion-1925 AL Champion Senators and the 1969–70 Twins). This version of the Spurs was very different from the team that had won the title a few years earlier. Things turned around, and in <! daterange+ ->2001 to 2004<!- daterange- ->, the Twins compiled the longest streak of consecutive winning seasons since moving to Minnesota, going 85-77 in 2001, 94-67 in 2002, 90-72 in 2003 and 92-70 in 2004.

Entering the 2002-2003 season, the team knew it would be memorable for at least two reasons, as David Robinson announced that it would be his last in the NBA and the Spurs would begin play at their new arena (approved in 1999 by County voters), the SBC Center, named after telecommunications giant SBC whose corporate headquarters were located in San Antonio. After 1992, the Twins again fell into an extended slump, posting a losing record each year through 2000. The Spurs finished with 58-24 records for both the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons but found themselves suffering playoff ousters in both seasons from the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. 1991 was also the first time any team finishing last in its division the previous year advanced to the World Series, with both the Twins and Braves accomplishing this unprecedented feat. The longterm viability of the Spurs franchise in San Antonio was however achieved during the 1999-2000 season, as Bexar County voters approved increases on car rental and hotel taxes which would allow for the construction of a new arena to be constructed near Freeman Coliseum. Paul native) Jack Morris. The Spurs were not able to capitalize on their success during the 1999-2000 season. Although they finished with an overall record of 53-29, the Spurs lost in the first round to the Suns primarily due to an injury to Duncan which kept him out of the playoff series. All three Series were decided in seven games, with the latter series ending in a dramatic 10-inning, 1-0 shutout by Series MVP (and St.

The victory by the Spurs was not only the first NBA title to be won by a former ABA team, but also was the first Finals appearance by a team from the ABA. In both of these World Series, the home team won each game, which had never occurred prior to 1987. Duncan was named the Finals MVP. Louis Cardinals to win the 1987 World Series, then later defeated the Atlanta Braves to win the 1991 World Series. They faced the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals and won the series and the franchise's first World Title four games to one on the Knicks' home court of Madison Square Garden. The Twins defeated the St. The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11-1. After several losing seasons in the Dome, the arrival of 1980s superstars Kent Hrbek and Kirby Puckett electrified the team and sent them to two World Series in five years.

Playing a shortened 50-game season, the Spurs ended up with a 37-13 record. The 1982 season brought the team indoors, into the Metrodome, which is in downtown Minneapolis near the Mississippi River. The season was delayed over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999. The Mall of America now occupies the spot where the "Old Met" stood. Prior to the beginning of training camps however, the NBA owners led by commissioner David Stern locked out the players in order to force a new collective bargaining agreement with the NBA Players Association (NBAPA). Through 1981, the team played its games at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, a suburb south of the Twin Cities. With a healthy Robinson and Duncan and the additions of playoff veterans such as Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey, the Spurs looked forward to the 1998-1999 season. The team continued to post winning records through 1971, but then entered a decade-long slump.

While both Duncan and Robinson played low-post roles, the two seamlessly meshed on the court. They were defeated in the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the championship drive cemented the team's relationship with the people of Minnesota. He was named First Team All-NBA while winning Rookie of the Year honors. The team ended up at 56-26 but once again lost to the Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals. The Twins were eagerly greeted in Minnesota when they arrived in 1961, and they advanced to the World Series in 1965, driven by the exciting play of superstar first baseman Harmon Killebrew. Duncan quickly emerged as a force in the NBA during the 1997-1998 season, averaging 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game as a power forward. This fact is reinforced by the stylized TC logo worn on road caps, and by their mascot, TC Bear. The Spurs used their pick to select Wake Forest University product and consensus All-American Tim Duncan. Paul (and, presumably, the entire state).

With the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA's draft lottery which gave them the top pick in the 1997 draft. The "Minnesota" designation, instead of "Minneapolis", comes from the fact that the team is intended to represent the "Twin" Cities of Minneapolis-St. Although the 1996-1997 season was not successful on the court for the Spurs, the offseason proved to be the opposite. Team nickname: Nats, short for Nationals. Also sometimes called Griffs by inventive headline writers, in reference to the club owner. Hill only lasted 18 games that season, eventually being replaced by Gregg Popovich, who had once been an assistant for the Spurs during Larry Brown's coaching turn. One of the songs from the musical, You Gotta Have Heart, is frequently played at baseball games. After an injury that limited Robinson to six games during the season, the Spurs wound up with a 20-62 record, the worst in franchise history. The plot features a middle-aged man named Joe Hardy who sells his soul to the Devil so the Washington Senators can win the pennant.

Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the 1996-1997 season. The longtime competitive struggles of the team were fictionalized in the book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, which became the Broadway musical and movie Damn Yankees. The Spurs finished the next season (1995-1996) under Hill at 59-23 and lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Jazz. The team played its games at Griffith Stadium, sharing it with the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues (who played some of their games there). Throughout the season and particularly in the playoffs there appeared to be friction developing between Rodman and several Spurs' teammates, most notably Robinson, and Rodman was traded after the season to the Chicago Bulls. [1] (http://www.snopes.com/sports/baseball/castro.asp). The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets. It is falsely claimed that prior to the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro tried out for the Senators as a pitcher during the early 1950s.

Elliott returned to the team after an uneventful season with the Pistons and the team finished with the best record at 62-20 while David Robinson was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player. During one portion of its history, the team was so notoriously inept that it inspired San Francisco Chronicle columnist Charley Dryden to joke: "Washington: First in war, first in peace, and last in the American League." This was a play on Light Horse Harry Lee's remembrance of George Washington: "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen." The team's difficulties on the field also inspired the book The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant (see below). Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill for the 1994-1995 season which would turn out to be the Spurs' most successful season to date. That, along with its poor early years, resulted in the team being remembered mostly for its failures rather than its successes. Prior to the season the Spurs traded fan-favorite Elliott to the Detroit Pistons in return for rebounding star Dennis Rodman. After that, the team fell into mediocrity quickly. The following season, the Spurs first in the newly built Alamodome, Lucas led the Spurs to a 55-27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs to the Utah Jazz which led to the immediate firing of Lucas as head coach. During the period <! daterange+ ->1907 to 1927<!- daterange- ->, the team's line up boasted the presence of Walter "The Big Train" Johnson and they won the 1924 World Series. They also appeared in the 1925 and 1933 Series and came very close in 1945.

The 1992-1993 season also marked the last that the Spurs would play in Hemisfair Arena. They and their expansion-replacement in 1961 would remain officially the "Senators" for good, although space-saving headline writers continued to refer to them as "Nats" frequently. His coaching propelled the team to a 39-22 finish over the rest of the regular season and the team reached the Western Conference semifinals, losing to the Phoenix Suns. In 1959 the word "Senators" finally appeared on their shirts. The Lucas era started out successfully. By the 1950s, "Nationals" was pretty much passe. It was Lucas' first NBA coaching assignment although he had gained recognition in league circles for his success in helping NBA players rehab from drug abuse. Baseball guides even said "Nationals or Senators" when listing the nickname.

After Rex Hughes filled the coaching shoes for one game, NBA veteran John Lucas was named head coach. Newspaper articles for decades used the names "Senators" and "Nationals" (or "Nats") interchangeably, often within the same article. The Tarkanian experiment proved a flop, as the coach was fired 20 games into the 1992-1993 season with the Spurs record at 9-11. Otherwise, the jerseys either read "Washington" or carried a plain block "W". McCombs made national headlines during the summer of 1992 with the hiring of former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian. During <! daterange+ ->1905 to 1906<!- daterange- -> the team actually wore "Nationals" on their jerseys. The team became a perennial playoff presence although were never able to advance further then the second round of the NBA Playoffs under Brown's tutelage. Late in the 1991-1992 season, McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with Bob Bass who finished the season as interim head coach. The Washington ballclub was known by two nicknames, the Nationals and the Senators, for most of its history prior to moving to Minnesota.

The Spurs began the 1990's with great optimism. The Blues were champions of the Western League in 1898, taking the league by a game-and-a-half from the Indianapolis Hoosiers. Robinson had one of the most successful rookie seasons for a center in NBA history, finishing the season as Rookie of the Year while averaging 24.3 points and 12.0 rebounds. Byron "Ban" Johnson, president of the Western League, changed the name to the American League in 1900 and major league status was awarded a year later. The Spurs eventually lost in the Western Conference semifinals after losing a seven-game series to the eventual Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers. The Kansas City Blues were a charter member of a the Western League, a minor league at the time. Led by Robinson along with the newly added Terry Cummings and 1989 draftee Sean Elliott, the Spurs achieved the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA History, finishing with a record of 56-26. in 1901 when the American League was formed, and played there through the 1960 season.

As the 1980's ended, the 1989-1990 season proved to be the rebirth of the Spurs franchise. The franchise originated in Kansas City, Missouri in 1894, moved to Washington, D.C. Additionally, the 1988-1989 season featured the debut of Larry Brown as the Spurs head coach who moved to San Antonio after winning the NCAA National Championship with the University of Kansas in 1988. Bear is the Twins' mascot, introduced in 2001. It was the first season of full ownership for Red McCombs, who was an original investor in the team and helped solidify local ownership for the team. T.C. Although the 1988-1989 season was the worst in Spurs history at 21-61, it was notable for several reasons. The club has several well-known, harmless hazing rituals, such as requiring the most junior relief pitcher on the team to carry water and snacks to the bullpen in a bright pink Barbie backpack and many of its players, both past and present, are notorious pranksters.

Although drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the 1989-1990 season to see Robinson actually play due to a two-year commitment he had to serve with the United States Navy. The party atmosphere of the Twins clubhouse after a win is well-known, the team's players unwinding with loud rock music (usually the choice of the winning pitcher) and video games. The Spurs used this selection on United States Naval Academy standout David Robinson. Former manager Tom Kelly and current manager Ron Gardenhire run and encourage a hard-nosed, fundamentals-first attitude toward playing and winning baseball games. The lone bright spot during this period was the Spurs' being awarded the top pick in the 1987 NBA draft through NBA Draft Lottery. The Twins are affectionately known among their fans as the "Twinkies." Despite the cream-puff sound of that nickname, the Twins have a reputation as a hard-working, hard-playing club. The next four seasons were a dark time in Spurs' history, with the team having a combined record of 115-215 from 1985-1986 till 1988-1989. The losing seasons and dwindling attendance caused the Spurs to often be mentioned as a potential candidate for relocation to another city. The team and its famous (or infamous) domed ballpark, the Metrodome, were featured in the 1994 motion picture Little Big League.

After the 1984-1985 season, Gervin, who arguably had been the Spurs' biggest star, was traded to the Chicago Bulls in what effectively signaled the end of the era that began when the Spurs first moved to San Antonio. The team is owned by Minneapolis businessman Carl Pohlad, the third owner of the club (following Clark Griffith and his son Calvin). Despite their regular season success, the Spurs were unable to win any NBA championships, losing in the Western Conference playoffs to the Houston Rockets in 1981 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982 and 1983. They are in the Central Division of the American League. For the first few seasons of the decade, the Spurs continued their success of the 1970's with records of 52-30 in 1980-1981, 48-34 in 1981-1982, and 53-29 in 1982-1983. The Minnesota Twins is a Major League Baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The decade of the 1980's marked both highs, then lows, and an eventual high. Elizabethton Twins
Gulf Coast League Twins.

The Spurs would go on to capture 5 division titles in their first 7 years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant. Fort Myers Miracle
Beloit Snappers. Although there was some initial skepticism in league circles regarding the potential success and talent levels of the incoming ABA teams, the Spurs would prove worthy of NBA inclusion during the 1975-1976 season with a record of 44-38, good for a tie for fourth place overall in the Eastern Conference. New Britain Rock Cats. The NBA however decided to admit four ABA teams into the league, with the Spurs being one of them along with the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and the New York Nets. Rochester Red Wings. Even though playoff success would elude the team in the ABA, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the top teams in the ABA. In 1976, the ABA folded, threatening the future of San Antonio's sole professional sports franchise. American League
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The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran James Silas and bolstered by the acquisition in early-1974 of future NBA Hall-of-Famer George Gervin from the Virginia Squires. Pitching saves: Eddie Guardado, 45 (2002). The team quickly made themselves at home at San Antonio's HemisFair Arena playing to increasingly large and raucous crowds. Pitching ERA: Walter Johnson, 1.14 (1.14). The team's primary colors were changed from the red, white, and blue of the Chapparrals to the now familiar silver and black motif of the Spurs. Pitching strikeouts: Walter Johnson, 313 (1910). The team was acquired by a group of 36 San Antonio businessmen, led by Angelo Drossos and Red McCombs who actually leased the team from the original Dallas ownership group, relocated the team to San Antonio, Texas and renamed them the Spurs. Pitching wins: Walter Johnson, 36 (1913).

After missing the playoffs for the first time in their existence in 1972-1973, the team was put up for sale. Strikeouts: Bobby Darwin, 145 (1972). In fact, during the 1970-1971 season, the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas" and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, playing games in Fort Worth, Texas as well as Lubbock, Texas but this proved a failure and the team returned full-time to Dallas in time for the 1971-1972 season. Walks: Eddie Yost, 151 (1956). The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas. Hitting streak: Ken Landreaux, 31 games (1980). The San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals of the original version of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967. Stolen bases: Chuck Knoblauch, 62 (1997).

The San Antonio Spurs are a National Basketball Association team based in San Antonio, Texas. Extra-Base hits: Tony Oliva, 84 (1964). 50 - David Robinson. Triples: Goose Goslin and Christian Guzman, 20 (1925 and 2000). 44 - George Gervin. Doubles: Mickey Vernon, 51 (1966). 32 - Sean Elliott. Singles: Sam Rice, 182 (1925).

13 - James Silas. Hits: Rod Carew, 239 (1977). 00 - Johnny Moore. Runs: Chuck Knoblauch, 140 (1996). Chuck "The Rifleman" Person. Runs batted in: Harmon Killebrew, 140 (1969). Malik Rose. Home runs: Harmon Killebrew, 49 (1964 and 1969).

Terry Cummings. Batting average: Rod Carew, .388 (1977). Steve Kerr. 44 Bob Casey. Avery "The Little General" Johnson. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). Sean "Ninja" Elliott. 34 Kirby Puckett.

Willie Anderson. 29 Rod Carew. Alvin Robertson. 14 Kent Hrbek. Johnny Moore.   6 Tony Oliva. Artis "The A-Train" Gilmore.   3 Harmon Killebrew.

James "Captain Late" Silas. Bob Casey, the public address announcer for the first 44 years of Twins baseball (<! daterange+ ->1961 to 2004<!- daterange- ->). David "The Admiral" Robinson. Frank Viola. Moses Malone - 2001. Zoilo Versalles. George "The Iceman" Gervin - 1996. César Tovar.

G-#11 Mike Wilks (Rice). Kevin Tapani. G-#14 Beno Udrih (Slovenia). Rich Rollins. F-#3 Glenn Robinson (Purdue). Jeff Reardon. C-#8 Radoslav "Rasho" Nesterovic (Slovenia). Pierzynski.

F/C-#34 Tony Massenburg (Maryland). A.J. F/C-#4 Sean Marks (California). Jim Perry. F-#43 Linton Johnson III (Tulane). Camilo Pascual. F/C-#5 Robert Horry (Alabama). Tony Oliva.

G-#23 Devin Brown (Texas-San Antonio). Joe Niekro. G-#17 Brent Barry (Oregon State). Al Newman. PG-#9 Tony Parker (France). Jack Morris. SG-#20 Emanuel "Manu" Ginobili (Argentina). Doug Mientkiewicz.

C-#2 Nazr Mohammed (Kentucky). Shane Mack. SF-#12 Bruce Bowen (Cal State-Fullerton). Gene Larkin. PF-#21 Tim Duncan (Wake Forest). Chuck Knoblauch. Tom Kelly.

Jim Kaat. Kent Hrbek. Brian Harper. Eddie Guardado.

Mudcat Grant. Dan Gladden. Greg Gagne. Gary Gaetti.

Scott Erickson. Chili Davis. Tom Brunansky. Bert Blyleven.

Juan Berenguer. Bob Allison. Rick Aguilera. Tom Kelly and Paul Molitor often work with the Twins in scouting and assistant coach roles, though neither are in the dugout during games.

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