From the Archives: What Spurs History Says About This Team's…

By the Spurs Nightly Desk · Monday, September 28

San Antonio's franchise has been defined by pairing a transformative big man with steady stars, and the Wembanyama-Fox-Vassell-Castle group fits that mold heading into its second act. History also shows the Spurs know both playoff heartbreak and River Walk celebration, which is exactly the range this season's roster is trying to navigate.

Spurs Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Why does the Wembanyama-Fox pairing carry so much historical weight?

San Antonio's biggest turnarounds have come from pairing a franchise big man with a steady running mate: David Robinson's 1989 arrival triggered the largest one-season jump in league history, and Tim Duncan built five titles alongside him and later Tony Parker. Wembanyama, Fox, Vassell and Castle now carry that same big-man-plus-guards blueprint into a second season together.

What does beating the Thunder finally settle, and what doesn't it?

Oklahoma City had haunted San Antonio in recent years before last season's Cup semifinal upset and a seven-game conference finals win sent the Spurs to their first Finals since 2014. That answers one rivalry question, but the Knicks then beat San Antonio in five games in that Finals and in the Cup final before it, leaving a second rivalry still open for camp roster to settle on the floor.

How does Mitch Johnson's job connect to the Popovich era?

Gregg Popovich coached the five championship runs between 1999 and 2014 before stepping down in May 2025 to stay on as president of basketball operations. Mitch Johnson inherited a program already built on ball movement and accountability, not a rebuild, and last season's 62-20 record and Finals trip suggest that culture transferred intact even as the coaching chair changed hands.

Why do six unproven rookies matter more than usual for this franchise?

San Antonio's history turns on rookie luck: Swen Nater's Rookie of the Year season in 1973, then the David Robinson and Tim Duncan lottery picks that built five titles. Dylan Harper, Carter Bryant, David Jones Garcia, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Taelon Peter and Jayden Quaintance haven't played a game yet, but this club has turned exactly this kind of unproven rookie class into its biggest eras before.

What would a title mean for the River Walk tradition?

San Antonio's five championship parades ran as boat trips down the River Walk, a tradition unique to this city among NBA champions. The Spurs reached the Finals last season for the first time since 2014 before the Knicks won it in five games, and with Wembanyama, Fox and Vassell all still under contract, the franchise's parade tradition is the clearest measure of what this season is chasing.

The verdictThis team's history says the blueprint — a generational big man flanked by disciplined guards — has worked before, and last season proved it still works now. The unfinished business is the same as always: turning a Finals run into a River Walk parade.

How many championships have the Spurs won?

Five, all under coach Gregg Popovich, in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.

When did the Spurs last reach the NBA Finals before last season?

2014, their fifth and most recent title before last season's run ended in a five-game loss to the Knicks.