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When listing the all-time top ten players of an NBA franchise, one must consider why a specific player is included. For one, a player's contribution to the franchise -- whether it's in the form of accolades won for the franchise or the culture he instilled, should be among the reasons for his inclusion.
Fortunately, the San Antonio Spurs are an NBA team loaded with winners and have impacted the game of basketball outside of Texas. They have produced a ton of Hall of Fame inductees, including current Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich.
Let's discuss the top ten players that the San Antonio Spurs have produced in NBA history.
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Tim Duncan
There is no question in every basketball fan's mind Tim Duncan is the greatest Spur of all time, and like what Michael Jordan is to the Chicago Bulls, Duncan has become an icon for San Antonio basketball.
In his 19-year career with the Spurs under Popovich, Duncan became arguably who many believe is the greatest power forward of all time. A five-time NBA champion who beat LeBron James twice in the NBA Finals, Duncan took playing the power forward position to another level and more. He won three Finals MVP awards, two season MVP awards, and earned 15 All-Star selections.
Tim Duncan is the Spurs' franchise leader in numerous statistics and even became an assistant to Pop from 2019 to 2020.
Tim Duncan in the 21st century:
4x Champ
2x FMVP
2x MVP
14x All-Star
13x All-NBA
13x All-Defense (1st in NBA)Has more blocks than anyone this century. pic.twitter.com/7RLih8f2c5
— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 25, 2024
David Robinson
You can't have an all-time Spurs list without including David Robinson.
Robinson, the first pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, was hailed by many as one of the best centers not just at the collegiate level, but also in the NBA.
A two-time NBA champion, Robinson was the 1995 MVP and a ten-time All-Star. In 1992, he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. The Admiral's accolades speak for themselves.
David Robinson was a great scorer during his prime but scoring alone didn't land him this high in this list. He was also great at stealing the orange, stealing the ball 1,388 times in his career.
David Robinson turns 54 today.
One of the most underrated legends.
➖ 2x champ
➖ MVP
➖ ROY
➖ DPOY
➖ 71-point game
➖ 8x All-Def
➖ 10x All-Star
➖ 10x All-NBA
➖ Quadruple-double
➖ Never missed playoffs healthy
➖ Trails only MJ, Bron, AD, Shaq in PER pic.twitter.com/7QEnXbDP0G— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 6, 2019
George Gervin
Hailed as one of the best two-way players to wear the Spurs colors, George Gervin has the numbers that earned him to be on this list.
As a four-time scoring champion, Gervin was an automatic bucket and was in the top ten leaders in scoring both in the NBA and in the ABA in 11 different times. Gervin averaged 26.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He had nine All-NBA selections and was a 12-time All-Star.
As a defender, The Iceman forced 1,159 turnovers and remains in seventh place in the franchise leaderboard in steals.
ARCHIVE 75: George Gervin
Go through the legacy of the 75th Anniversary Team’s George Gervin!
Read Here: https://t.co/g2HRoH8DUB pic.twitter.com/WbY3Af1Ga4
— NBA (@NBA) December 27, 2021
Tony Parker
Tony Parker is in this for many reasons.
He was the Spurs' leading point guard during the franchise's championship-winning years in the 2000s -- becoming Gregg Popovich's extension on the court that produced four NBA championships in that span. He is also the franchise's leader in assists with 6,829 dimes as a Spur.
A six-time NBA All-Star and the 2007 NBA Finals MVP, Tony Parker's smarts on the court made him a better point guard against some of the young and upcoming point guards of his time.
To put things in perspective, TP9 beat the likes of Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, and other premier point guards at that time.
Join us in wishing a Happy 41st Birthday to 6x #NBAAllStar, 4x NBA champion and 2006-07 NBA Finals MVP, Tony Parker! #NBABDAY pic.twitter.com/7tZMgE1Htq
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 17, 2023
Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili spent most of his Spurs career as a sixth man and became one of the best to do so -- earning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2008. He is also the franchise's all-time leader in steals with 1,392 steals.
Ginobili, the 57th pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, was a two-time All-Star and had two selections to the All-NBA Third Team. People tend to forget it was Ginobili who revolutionized the euro-step lay-up in the NBA.
He had multiple accolades playing for the Argentinian national team including a gold medal finish in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Manu Ginobili will become the ninth player in Spurs history to have his number retired. He joins:
Bruce Bowen (12)
Tim Duncan (21)
Sean Elliott (32)
George Gervin (44)
Avery Johnson (6)
Johnny Moore (00)
David Robinson (50)
James Silas (13)#GraciasManu pic.twitter.com/4ZQx5LI4Uo— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 30, 2018
Sean Elliott
Even though he had two separate stints with the Spurs, Sean Elliott made sure his presence was felt.
Elliott averaged 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists and owns multiple spots in the franchise's all-time leaderboards, including the third-most threes made and tenth-most rebounds grabbed.
He was a member of the Spurs' 1999 champion team alongside Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
A look back at our @NBAAllStar history through wallpapers 📲
First up: George Gervin (9x ⭐️) pic.twitter.com/58JSGHGzEV
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 16, 2020
James Silas
James Silas is considered one of the earliest Spurs stars -- playing first in the ABA before the NBA was created.
Silas spent nine years with the franchise in a career that would see him finish as the franchise's sixth-leading scorer. He was a two-time ABA All-Star and a member of the All-ABA First Team in 1976.
Happy Birthday to Spurs legend James Silas! 🎂🎉 pic.twitter.com/D4JwHEg9mS
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 11, 2022
Alvin Robertson
Another great two-way player who wore the Spurs colors was Alvin Robertson, who spent half a decade of his career in Texas.
Robertson averaged 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.9 steals for San Antonio. He won the Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Improved Player in 1986 and led the league in steals thrice. His 2.71 steals per game still owns the top spot all-time. He also had a total of six selections to the All-NBA Defensive Teams.
In 1986, Alvin Robertson won DPOY as a member of the Spurs.
Robertson broke the NBA records for the most Steals Per Game (3.7) and Total Steals (301) - records that both still stand today.
He also added 17/6/6 on 51% FG.
Most Impressive? He was only a 2nd year player. pic.twitter.com/tNST9PHe7w
— The NBA Realist (@nbarealist23) October 3, 2023
Bruce Bowen
Better known as an aggressive defender during his stint, Bruce Bowen proved defense helps win championships. For his effort, he earned eight consecutive selections to the All-NBA All-Defensive Teams.
He also made 661 three-pointers in eight seasons -- fourth in the franchise leaderboard. He shot 44.1% from the three-point and in seven of his eight seasons, Bowen played at least 80 games. He won three NBA championships and had his jersey number 12 retired by the Spurs.
Sending a special birthday shoutout to Spurs legend Bruce Bowen today 🎉
Happy birthday, @Bowen12! pic.twitter.com/dXG3tSWpPq
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 14, 2024
Larry Kenon
Even though he played for the Spurs for five seasons, Larry Kenon showed his effectiveness around the rim.
Kenon's lowest scoring average stood at 18.7 points. For his career in San Antonio, he averaged 20.7 points per game.
For his career, Larry Kenon, an ABA champion in 1974 and a three-time ABA All-Star, averaged 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He also appeared in two NBA All-Star games during his career. He also owns multiple top-ten spots in the Spurs' all-time leaderboards.
Larry Kenon's 11 steals vs. the Kings on December 26, 1976 is still tied for the most in a single game in NBA history 👀#SASvsSACseries | #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/1alYJX8z0H
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 1, 2020
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