The Spurs is the only major professional sports team that calls the city of San Antonio their home. For this special honor, the residents of San Antonio shower their “boys” with praise and attention. In return, the Spurs team delivers an entertaining season and also gives back to the community. This is quite evident through the efforts and endeavors associated with influential personalities, such as David Robinson (Carver Academy) and George Gervin (Youth Center).
It is believed that the impressive community involvement from players greatly contributes to creating one of the most loyal fan bases within the NBA. This fact is also obvious through the attendance records that the team set when they called the Astrodome their home court. They also broke records for having one of the biggest crowds in history during the 1999 NBA Finals. Now, they play in the AT&T Center and continue to regularly sell out seats.
Another unique bond that the city and team have with one another showcases one of the most important forms of respect. When celebrating championship runs or significant milestones within the sporting world, the residents of San Antonio march up and down the streets, honking horns and spreading pride with little disruption. When it comes to rejoicing after a Spurs-title win, a major riot has yet to take place.
Throughout the years, San Antonio has had a lot to be happy about. They have sent three players to the Basketball Hall of Fame: George Gervin, Moses Malone, and Dominique Wilkins. The first of these basketball greats inducted into the Hall of Fame was George Gervin, who was nicknamed the “Iceman” during his career. In 1996, his outstanding run with the Spurs left him retiring with the second-most blocks of any guard in the NBA.
In 2001, Moses Malone was inducted into the Hall of Fame. By the end of his career, his longevity in the game sent him playing with two members of the Berry family (Rick in Houston; 1979 and 1980) and his son (Jon in Milwaukee; 1992 and 1993). The last of the current Hall of Famers is Dominique Wilkins, who in 2006 was inducted after leading an NBA career filled with major scoring and dunking accolades.
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