Spurs Central's Spurs History section traces the origins of the Spurs in 1967 through to the
Spurs first NBA title in 1999 and beyond.
The Spurs History section has been divided up into five chapters:
-Chapter One-
The Birth of a Franchise
On February the 2nd, 1967, the ABA awarded the group of John Klug, James Peters, Gary Davidson
and August Spaeth a franchise in Dallas for the sum of $30,000. However, the Chaparrals, as
they were called, never even saw a game under this original ownership, as they were sold later
in 1967 to another group which included Robert S. Folsom Jr, James L. Embrey, David Bruton Jr,
Joseph W. Geary, Graham R.E. Koch and Lawrence S. Pollock Jr.
Click here to go to Chapter One.
-Chapter Two-
Entering the NBA
The merger between the NBA and the ABA took place on June 17, 1976. Four teams from the ABA
were absorbed into the NBA, the Spurs, the New York Nets, the Indiana Pacers, and the Denver
Nuggets.
Click here to go to Chapter Two.
-Chapter Three-
Into the 80's
San Antonio suffered a letdown during the 1979-80 season. After spending the previous two years
at the top of the Central Division the Spurs couldn't put together a third straight. James Silas
and Larry Kenon both had good individual years, and the Iceman continued to dominate offensively,
leading the league in scoring for the third consecutive year, at a whopping 33.1 points per
game.
Click here to go to Chapter Three.
-Chapter Four-
The Admiral Arrives
The first game of the Spurs meteoric rise from the ashes was against the Lakers, with the Spurs
winning 106-98. David Robinson, playing in his first NBA game, poured in 23 points and pulled
down 17 rebounds, prompting Magic Johnson to say after the game "Some guys just aren't ever
rookies".
Click here to go to Chapter Four.
-Chapter Five-
Twin Tower Power
Tim Duncan turned out to be all that was advertised and much more. The seven footer averaged 21.1
points per game, ranking him 12th in the NBA, and 11.9 rebounds per game, ranking him 3rd in
the league. He also led the NBA in double-doubles, with an impressive 57.
Click here to go to Chapter Five.
Spurs History section by Michael Bonner and Gene Hoffmann
Pictures Courtesy of Remember the ABA
