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.

However the San Antonio Spurs would emerge as their main rivals, defeating them in the playoffs each time.

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.

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.

The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran James Silas, and the team would get stronger as the season went on as they twice took advantage of the Virginia Squires, acquiring Swen Nater, who would go on to win Rookie of the Year, in November, and " The Iceman " George Gervin in January.

The ABA tried to halt the Gervin deal, claiming it was detrimental to the league, but a judge would rule in the Spurs ' favor, and Gervin made his Spurs debut on February 7.

In the playoffs, the Spurs would battle the Indiana Pacers to the bitter end before falling in 7 games.

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.

" However, in the playoffs the Spurs would fall to the Indiana Pacers in 6 games.

Even though playoff success would elude the team, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the top teams in the ABA.

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 1976 – 77 season with a record of 44 – 38, good for a tie for fourth place overall in the Eastern Conference.

However, in the playoffs the Spurs would be stunned in 6 games by the Washington Bullets despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33. 2 ppg.

The Spurs would have to wait another 20 years to make it to their first NBA finals.

The Spurs would go on to capture 5 division titles in their first 7 years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant.

However, in the playoffs, the Spurs would never find a break, losing to teams like the Washington Bullets, the Boston Celtics, the Houston Rockets, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

As the 1980s progressed, the Spurs would see their shares of highs and lows.

Although drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the 1989 – 90 season to see Robinson actually play, due to a two-year commitment he had to serve with the United States Navy.

While it was generally thought his arrival would make the Spurs respectable again, no one expected what happened in his rookie season.

The 1992 – 93 season also marked the last one that the Spurs would play in HemisFair Arena.

Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill for the 1994 – 95 season, which would turn out to be the Spurs ' most successful regular season until 2006.

Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the 1996 – 97 season, especially with the signing of Dominique Wilkins.

The Spurs would go on to capture the series in 6 games win a 98 – 96 win in Seattle to close it out.

However, the Spurs would not go down without a fight as they rebounded to win a physical war in Game 5 by a score of 98 – 97, as former Maverick Michael Finley got hit with a low blow from Jason Terry in the final seconds.

The 2007 – 2008 season saw the Spurs go 56 – 26 and finish 3rd in the Western Conference where 7 games separated all 8 playoff teams.

Along the way, the Spurs compiled a 12-game winning streak to go 13 – 2 after 15 games.

Sunderland would then go on to succumb to a Danny Blanchflower-inspired Spurs side, who became double winners for the first time in the 20th century.

He then scored a brilliant 35-yard free-kick on 24 March in a 3 – 0 win over Aston Villa, helping his team go a further three points ahead of North London rivals Spurs in the race to secure Champions League football.

They would go on to face the defending Champion San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals.

The Spurs won the series four games to three in the first NBA Finals to go to a Game 7 since 1994.

Rebrov, who played for Spurs between 2000 and 2004, said: " I wouldn't go for a walk on my own around White Hart Lane.

The roofing on the ' Smithy ' was financed through the sale of Alan Mullery to Spurs.

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.

Tod Browning made the once controversial Freaks ( 1932 ) for MGM, based on " Spurs ", a short story by Tod Robbins, about a band of circus freaks.

He lives in Islington and drives an Audi, is a supporter of English Premiership football team Tottenham Hotspur and has appeared on fellow comedian Phil Cornwell's Spurs Show podcast.

Based on the short story " Spurs " by Clarence Aaron " Tod " Robbins, the screenwriter of The Unholy Three, the film concerns a love triangle between a wealthy dwarf, a gold-digging aerialist, and a strongman ; a murder plot ; and the vengeance dealt out by the dwarf and his fellow circus freaks.

Chelsea eventually reached an FA Cup final in 1967, where they faced Tottenham Hotspur, but the team got outplayed on the day and Bonetti could do little to stop Spurs winning 2 – 1.

Manu Ginobili from the San Antonio Spurs NBA team, has sometimes been referred to as Obi Wan Ginobili, due to his quick movements and play on the court.

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

They landed George Hill from the San Antonio Spurs on draft night.

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.

When the Spurs won the NBA title, the teams ' victory parade has always included the team traveling on the San Antonio River on boats adjacent to the San Antonio River Walk.

" George Gervin and James Silas took that style to heart, as the Spurs became an exciting fast breaking team on the way to a solid 51 – 33 record, good enough for 2nd place in the West.

This agreement has placed particular financial pressure on the Spurs and the other three former ABA teams.

The Spurs used this selection on United States Naval Academy standout David Robinson.

Although the 1996 – 97 season was not successful on the court for the Spurs, the offseason proved to be the opposite.

In the NBA Finals, they faced the Cinderella New York Knicks, who had made history by becoming the first ( and to this date, the only ) 8th seed to ever make the NBA Finals, and, on June 25, 1999, the Spurs won the series and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 ( final score: 78 – 77 ) on the Knicks ' home court, Madison Square Garden.