Top 5 Players in Franchise History, Ranked

Since their first season in the

NBA

in 1976-77, there have been many great players who have stepped on the hardwood for the

San Antonio Spurs

. Over their 49 seasons in the NBA, San Antonio has become one of the league’s most accomplished franchises. They have made the playoffs in 39 of their 49 seasons, including 22 straight years from 1997-98 to 2018-19.

In those 22 straight playoff runs, the Spurs reached the NBA Finals six times and won five of them. With head coach

Gregg Popovich

at the helm, San Antonio has become one of the most dominant and consistent teams over the last two decades. From 1999-00 to 2016-17, they won 50 or more games every season, including posting a franchise record 67 wins in 2015-16.

The Spurs have struggled since starting a rebuild in 2019-20, but they did luck out by landing the most hyped NBA prospect since

LeBron James

in

Victor Wembanyama

in the 2023 NBA Draft. With Wembanyama easily winning the Rookie of the Year award and dominating on the court for the Spurs, it is just a matter of time before he joins this list.

With their dominance in the last two decades, there have been many great players who have worn the silver and black, but only one of them can be the greatest Spur of all time.

Here are the top five Spurs of all time.

Honorable Mention:

Kawhi Leonard

5

Manu Ginobili

Ginobili helped lead the Spurs to four championships as a part of their big three

Manu Ginobili

spent 16 seasons in San Antonio after being drafted 57th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft. He made his NBA debut in 2002 after spending three years playing for a pro league in Italy. He immediately made an impact in the Alamo City during his rookie season as the Spurs went on to defeat the New Jersey Nets, now the

Brooklyn Nets

, in the NBA Finals. He was also part of one of the best big threes of all time with him, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

In his 16 seasons with the Spurs, Ginobili played a key role in helping the Spurs win four championships. He started his career as the starting shooting guard, then moved to the bench, becoming one of the best sixth men in NBA history. In 2007-08, he won his only Sixth Man of the Year award.

Over his career, Manu was a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection. Despite never being the best player on the Spurs during his time with them, he was one of their best leaders and brought energy and passion to every game that he played.

The four-time champion retired in 2018, ending a historic career. Ginobili will be remembered as one of the best Spurs of all time while also being one of the best steals in NBA Draft history. In 2022, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

4

Tony Parker

The greatest point guard in Spurs’ history

While his longtime running mate in the backcourt landed fifth on this list, there is no doubt that Tony Parker is one of the best Spurs in franchise history. He was drafted 28th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft.

When he first stepped on the court in the Alamo City during his rookie season, he became the youngest point guard in franchise history at just 19-years-old. That was just the beginning of Parker’s 17-year career with the Spurs that saw him blossom into the best point guard in franchise history.

Parker played 17 of his 18 seasons with the Spurs, winning four championships during his time in the silver and black. He was a six-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection as well. Parker’s biggest accomplishment was when he was named Finals MVP in 2006-07 after San Antonio swept LeBron James and the

Cleveland Cavaliers

in the NBA Finals.

With Parker running the offense as part of the big three, the Spurs dominated the 2000s and 2010s. Parker left the Spurs in 2018 after being replaced by

Dejounte Murray

in the starting lineup. He joined the

Charlotte Hornets

, who he played one season for before retiring in 2019. In 2023, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and will go down as the best point guard in Spurs’ history.

3

George Gervin

Gervin was a scoring machine that put the Spurs on the NBA map

George Gervin began his career in 1972 as a member of the Virginia Squires of the ABA. In 1974, he was traded by the Squires to the Spurs for cash, and quickly became one of the best scorers in both the ABA and the NBA. He made his NBA debut in 1976 after San Antonio moved from the ABA to the NBA, despite being selected 40th overall in the 1974 NBA Draft by the

Phoenix Suns

.

Although Gervin played just nine seasons in the NBA, he became one of the best scorers in NBA history. He averaged 27.3 points per game while shooting 51.4% from the field during his career. He also won four consecutive scoring titles and is second all-time in points scored for the Spurs franchise.

Gervin was a nine-time All-Star and named to the All-NBA team seven times. Of those seven All-NBA selections, he was named to the All-NBA First Team five straight seasons.

Despite never winning a championship, Gervin’s elite scoring and patented finger roll made the Spurs a household name in the NBA. In 1985, San Antonio traded him to the

Chicago Bulls

, where he would play just one season before retiring in 1986. In 1996, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

2

David Robinson

The greatest center in Spurs’ history

After being drafted first overall by San Antonio in the 1987 NBA Draft, Spurs fans had to wait until 1989 to see David Robinson make his NBA debut. This was due to his commitment to the United States Navy, which he served in the two years after being drafted. After making his debut, The Admiral quickly became one of the most dominant centers in the NBA, winning the 1989-90 Rookie of the year award.

Robinson played all 14 of his NBA seasons in the Alamo City, including forming one of the best frontcourts in NBA history with Tim Duncan. Robinson dominated at both ends of the court thanks to his elite athleticism. He finished his career as a ten-time All-Star, ten-time All-NBA selection and eight-time All-Defensive selection.

In 1991-92, he won his only Defensive Player of the Year award. In 1993-94, he beat out

Shaquille O’Neal

to win the scoring title after dropping 71 points in the final game of the season, the most points scored in a single game in franchise history. The next season, he would win his only MVP award after finishing runner up the season prior.

Robinson helped bring San Antonio its first championship alongside Duncan in 1998-99. He would go on to win another championship in 2002-03. After winning his second championship, Robinson retired, ending one of the most underrated careers in NBA history. In 2009, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

1

Tim Duncan

The greatest player and winner in Spurs history

Tim Duncan is the clear and obvious choice for the best player in Spurs’ franchise history. After being selected first overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan turned the Spurs from a playoff team to a championship contender. He, alongside head coach Gregg Popovich, would turn San Antonio into one of the best teams of the 2000s and 2010s while also making them one of the NBA’s most historic and successful franchises.

Duncan spent his entire 19-year career with the Spurs, becoming one of the best players in NBA history. In those 19 seasons, he was a 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection and 15-time All-Defensive selection. Despite being one of the best defenders of his time, including being one of just five players with 3,000 or more career blocks, Duncan was never named Defensive Player of the Year.

He was named Rookie of the Year in 1997-98 as he dominated on both ends of the court during his rookie season. In just his second year, Duncan would help lead the Spurs to their first NBA title.

He would go on to win four more championships during his career and finished 5-1 in NBA Finals appearances. In the five Finals that he and the Spurs won, Duncan was named Finals MVP in three of them. He was also a two-time regular season MVP during his Hall of Fame career.

Duncan quietly announced his retirement after the 2015-16 season, ending one of the most successful careers in NBA history. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

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