He officially joined Nagoya Grampus Eight after playing his final game for Spurs on 2 May 1992, when he scored the consolation goal in a 3 – 1 defeat by Manchester United on the last day of the season.

This device appeared on most Spurs ' playing kits for the next 23 years.

The Spurs set several NBA attendance records while playing at the Alamodome, including the largest crowd ever for a NBA Finals game in 1999, and the Spurs continue to sell out the smaller, more intimate AT & T Center ( formerly SBC Center ) on a regular basis.

He would be replaced by Bob Bass, who stated that the Spurs would have an entirely new playing style: " It is my belief that you cannot throw a set offense at another professional team for 48 minutes.

After the lockout, the Spurs signed T. J. Ford, who would eventually retire in the middle of the season after playing only 14 games due to a stinger after being elbowed by Baron Davis during a game against the New York Knicks on March 7, 2012.

The trio of Duncan, Ginóbili and Parker continued playing to form for the remainder of the series, and the Spurs eliminated the Suns in five games.

* Patty Mills, All-American point guard, NBA player playing for the San Antonio Spurs ( entered NBA draft after sophomore year )

He was very successful with Spurs, playing as a right-back in more than 250 cup and league games, and in 1948 made his England debut against Switzerland ; he went on to captain his country three times, all in games where the regular skipper Billy Wright was unavailable through injury.

On March 24, Odom did not play in a 104 – 87 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, the first time he could remember not playing due to a coach's decision.

In January 2011, San Antonio Spurs owner SS & E expressed an interest in bringing a professional soccer team to San Antonio, possibly playing in Alamo Stadium.

After playing 39 games with the Spurs, he was released.

He played 100 games and scored 27 goals in all competitions for Spurs, playing on the losing side in two FA Cup semi-finals, before becoming Middlesbrough's most expensive signing in a £ 5. 25 million deal in June 1995.

In 1946 Nicholson returned to the Spurs first team, playing at centre half for two seasons, then moving to right half for a further six years.

While playing for the Lakers, he hit a buzzer beater with 0. 4 seconds left in game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, which the NBA lists as the 18th-greatest playoff moment of all time.

Each won three titles playing for Phil Jackson-coached teams and two with the San Antonio Spurs.

This was particularly unfortunate as Defoe's transfer also resulted in him missing out on playing in Spurs ' League Cup final victory over Chelsea despite appearing in every match en route to the final.

Clapham was born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. His career started at Tottenham Hotspur with Clapham playing for the Spurs ' first XI in the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Bentley playing for Spurs in the North London derby in October 2009

After playing in the Alberta Midget Hockey League ( AMHL ) with the Calgary Royals in 1981 – 82, Murzyn began his junior career with the Calgary Spurs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League ( AJHL ).

After Sunderland failed to sign Hutton on a permanent deal he returned to Spurs, starting and playing the full 90 minutes against Manchester United at Old Trafford in a 2 – 0 Premier League defeat.

However, Udrih's playing time dropped significantly in the 2005 – 06 season with the Spurs signing Nick Van Exel during the off-season, but increased again after the All-Star break due to an injury to Van Exel's elbow.

When the Spurs joined the NBA in 1976, Karl began his two-year NBA playing career.

After his playing career, Karl became an assistant coach for the Spurs.

Banks played well, but with the right back Len Chalmers carrying an injury, was powerless to prevent second half goals from Bobby Smith and Terry Dyson giving Spurs a 2 – 0 win and the first " double " of the 20th century.

He finally collected an English piece of silverware when he won the 1991 FA Cup Final with Spurs, who beat Nottingham Forest 2 – 1.

Since the breakup of the Chicago Bulls championship roster in the summer of 1998, the Western Conference has dominated, with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs combining to win the title in nine of fourteen years.

Tim Duncan and David Robinson won the 1999 championship with the Spurs, and Shaquille O ' Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s with three consecutive championships for the Lakers.

The Lakers / Spurs dominance continued in 2007 with a four-game sweep by the Spurs over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were led by LeBron James.

Following the Lakers are the Chicago Bulls with six championships, all of them over an 8-year span during the 1990s, and the San Antonio Spurs with four championships, all since 1999.

Alf was also a supporter of West Ham United ( a football club based in the East End ) and known to make derogatory remarks about " the Jews up at Spurs " ( referring to Tottenham Hotspur, a North London club with a sizeable Jewish following ).

He played a big part in another FA Cup triumph the following year, but did not play in the final because it had already been arranged with the Spurs management that he would leave early to join up with Argentina's 1982 World Cup squad.

Image of the Battle of the Golden Spurs, showing men with falchions

Although they finished January with 10 wins and 5 losses, they had already lost to the defending Champions San Antonio Spurs twice, twice to the Phoenix Suns, and in a nationally televised broadcast lost by 36 points to their eventual opponent in the 2006 NBA Finals the Dallas Mavericks.

Duncan opted to remain with the San Antonio Spurs, the Magic acquired Hill, a perennial All-Star, and McGrady.

Derrick Rose was injured for most of the 2011 – 12 NBA season ; however, the team was still able to finish with a 50 – 16 record and clinched the first seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year and the best overall record in the NBA ( tied with the San Antonio Spurs ).

In the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 1994, the Pistons lost a hard-fought game with the Spurs, who won their third NBA championship since 1999.

The Big Three gradually disbanded with Nash returning to the Phoenix Suns in 2004, and Finley picked up off waivers by the Spurs in 2005.

Nowitzki emerged as the team's leader, and with Avery Johnson coaching the team, the Mavericks would make their first NBA Finals appearance in 2006 ; along the way exacting revenge against the Spurs and defeating Steve Nash and the Suns.

The Nuggets were one of four ABA teams taken into the NBA, along with the New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers for the 1976 – 77 NBA season.

However, chemistry would be an issue, as the Nuggets finished the season with the 6 seed, giving them a first round matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.

Spurs players are active members of the San Antonio community, and many former Spurs are still active in San Antonio, like David Robinson with the Carver Academy and George Gervin with the George Gervin Youth Center.