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We’re less than two weeks out from training camp, and the arrival of Victor Wembanyama will surely bring a whole new round of fans to the Spurs from all over the world. However, some of us have been around for much longer and stuck it out through the good and bad. As a result, I thought it would be fun to put together a Spurs trivia challenge that only diehard fans can pass. (Okay isn’t that hard, but it will be harder for the casuals.)
Here’s how it will work. The questions are below in a poll format, and the answers will be listed at the bottom of the article with some added context and historical facts. Unfortunately, there isn’t a “spoiler” font or a way I can black out this information until you click on it (like there is in the comments), so I will just have to trust that no one will peak before answering the questions or do any online research.
I hope this is fun for everyone, and feel free to share your results in the comments below!
Poll
1. Who was the fourth player Gregg Popovich sat along with the Big Three during "Restgate"?
This poll is closed
-
33%
Kawhi Leonard
(335 votes) -
43%
Danny Green
(443 votes) -
5%
Patty Mills
(60 votes) -
17%
Boris Diaw
(173 votes)
Poll
2. Which of these first-round draft picks signed with the Spurs but never played a regular season game for them?
This poll is closed
-
6%
Felipe Lopez
(65 votes) -
6%
John Salmons
(59 votes) -
44%
Leandro Barbosa
(437 votes) -
42%
Livio Jean-Charles
(420 votes)
Poll
3. What was the first season the Spurs missed the NBA playoffs?
This poll is closed
-
17%
1972-73
(152 votes) -
29%
1983-84
(252 votes) -
32%
1986-87
(282 votes) -
20%
1988-89
(181 votes)
Poll
4. Who owns the franchise record for best three-point shooting percentage in an individual season? (minimum requirement: 100 attempts)
This poll is closed
-
12%
Steve Smith
(107 votes) -
50%
Matt Bonner
(445 votes) -
9%
Bruce Bowen
(82 votes) -
28%
Danny Green
(254 votes)
Poll
5. Which member of the 1999 championship team had NOT won a championship before?
This poll is closed
-
11%
Will Perdue
(103 votes) -
3%
Steve Kerr
(27 votes) -
58%
Jerome Kersey
(518 votes) -
26%
Mario Elie
(230 votes)
Poll
6. Who is the one Western Conference team Tim Duncan never faced in the playoffs?
This poll is closed
-
20%
Minnesota Timberwovlves
(182 votes) -
48%
Sacramento Kings
(425 votes) -
17%
Houston Rockets
(151 votes) -
13%
Utah Jazz
(119 votes)
Poll
7. What NBA franchise do the Spurs have the highest winning percentage against?
This poll is closed
-
23%
Los Angeles Clippers
(196 votes) -
45%
Washington Wizards
(381 votes) -
16%
Orlando Magic
(135 votes) -
15%
Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets
(128 votes)
Poll
8. What team did the Spurs face the most in the playoffs of championship-winning seasons?
This poll is closed
-
35%
Phoenix Suns
(295 votes) -
25%
Dallas Mavericks
(216 votes) -
34%
Los Angeles Lakers
(289 votes) -
3%
Portland Trail Blazers
(33 votes)
Poll
9. Which former Spur owns the NBA record for highest regular season winning percentage? (Minimum requirement: 1000 games)
This poll is closed
-
34%
Tim Duncan
(290 votes) -
42%
Manu Ginobili
(353 votes) -
7%
Tony Parker
(65 votes) -
14%
Robert Horry
(124 votes)
Poll
10. Who was the first player the Spurs drafted in the lottery?
This poll is closed
-
16%
Johnny Dawkins
(134 votes) -
38%
Alvin Robertson
(314 votes) -
33%
David Robinson
(275 votes) -
11%
Willie Anderson
(90 votes)
Answers (No peaking!)
- Pop sat the Big Three and Danny Green in a nationally televised game against the Miami Heat in 2012, incurring David Stern’s wrath and a $250,000 fine.
- Felipe Lopez and John Salmons were both drafted by the Spurs but traded for other players (Antonio Daniels and Speedy Claxton, respectively), and Leandro Barbosa was traded to the Suns for a future picks, but none ever signed with the Spurs. Livio Jean-Charles signed with the Spurs after three years playing overseas but was waived in the preseason.
- Trick question! While the first time the Spurs missed the postseason was in 1973, that was with the ABA. The first time they missed the NBA Playoffs was in 1984. After 1989, they would go on to make the playoffs 22 straight times.
- Steve Smith hit 47.2% of his threes on 246 attempts in the 2001-02 season. Matt Bonner (2010-11), Danny Ferry (2000-01) and Brent Barry (2006-07) round out the top 4, while Bowen (2002-03) and Green (2011-12) hold the 6th and 9th spots, respectively.
- Will Perdue and Steve Kerr both won three championships with Michael Jordan’s Bulls, while Mario Elie won two with Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets. Jerome Kersey’s only championship was in 1999.
- The stars just never aligned for the Spurs and Rockets to face each other in the Tim Duncan era despite both constantly making the playoffs in the 2000’s. It would take until 2017 for the Spurs to get revenge for 1995.
- The Spurs have beaten the Nets 72.3% of the time, with a 78-23 record. For a while, they had a winning record against all 29 other teams, but just last season they fell behind Lakers after a season sweep and now sit at a 92-93 record all time against their old rivals.
- The Spurs faced the Suns three times in five championship runs (2003, 2005, 2007). They also face five teams twice: the Lakers (1999, 2003), Mavericks (2003, 2014), Nuggets (2005, 2007), Trail Blazers (1999, 2014), and Supersonics/Thunder (2005, 2014).
- Manu Ginobili leads all players who have appeared in 1000 or more NBA games with a 72.1 winning percentage in the regular season, followed closely by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker at second and third. Robert Horry is eighth at 67.1%.
- The Draft Lottery started in 1985 (before, it was a coin flip for the top pick), so that eliminates Alvin Robertson even though he was the 7th pick in 1984. While Johnny Dawkins (1986) and Willie Anderson (1988) were both 10th overall picks, back then there was only 23 teams in the NBA, so only the bottom seven teams were involved in the lottery. As a result, David Robinson is the first of seven lottery pick for the Spurs.
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