San Antonio Spurs: Top 5 points leaders in franchise history
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most talked-about franchises from a developmental standpoint. Equipped with an iconic coach in Gregg Popovich, they’re known for nurturing individuals who play well both individually and as a part of a system.
The San Antonio Spurs were originally known as the Dallas Chaparrals and played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) before being taken over by a group of San Antonio businessmen. They are one of four former ABA teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger.
Many legendary players have built the San Antonio Spurs' legacy, but this article will focus on their best scorers.
San Antonio Spurs' all-time scoring leaders
A franchise with great history, the San Antonio Spurs have been associated with some really talented names. They have won five championships – the first one in 1999 and the most recent one in 2014.
They've had different legends leading the lines in different eras with many finding their way to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. Without further ado, let us take a look at the five all-time leaders in points scored for the San Antonio Spurs.
#5 Manu Ginóbili – 14,043 points
Career Stats: 25.4 MPG 13.3 PPG 3.8 APG 3.5 RPG 52 eFG%
Emanuel "Manu" David Ginóbili was selected as the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft but he couldn't join the San Antonio Spurs until 2002. He spent his entire NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs and won four championships. Ginobili has won a lot in his 23-year-long professional career outside of the NBA as well including the 2001 EuroLeague title and an Olympic Gold medal in 2004.
Ginobili scored 14,043 points with the Spurs and missed the playoffs only once in his tenure, that too because of injuries. He was an effective defender and a crafty passer. He also leads the franchise in steals with 1,392 of them.
Ginobili's best scoring run with the San Antonio Spurs came in the 2007-08 season where he averaged 19.5 points per game. A two-time All-Star, he had his #20 jersey retired by the Spurs which is the best tribute a franchise can give its player.
#4 Tony Parker – 18,943 points
Career Stats: 30.5 MPG 15.5 PPG 5.6 APG 2.7 RPG 50.8 eFG%
Tony Parker started his professional basketball career by playing for a French outfit called Paris Basket Racing. Parker was San Antonio Spurs’ 28th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft and spent 17 of his 18 NBA seasons with the franchise.
Tony Parker is an accomplished player with four NBA titles, six NBA All-Star appearances and one NBA Finals MVP in 2007. He won gold at the Euro Basket 2013 with France and was also named the MVP of the tournament.
Apart from scoring 18,943 points in 17 seasons for the San Antonio Spurs, he also leads the team in all-time assists with 7,036 dimes. Tony Parker’s #9 was also retired by the Spurs.
#3 David Robinson – 20,790 points
Career Stats: 34.7 MPG 21.1 PPG 2.5 APG 10.6 RPG 51.9 eFG%
David Robinson was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1987 NBA Draft, but he first spent two years serving in the US Navy. This earned Robinson the nickname of 'The Admiral'.
After his arrival, Robinson helped the San Antonio Spurs completely change their fortunes. From a 21-61 record in the 1988-89 season, the Spurs soared high to finish the 1989-90 season with a 56-26 record.
David Robinson won two championships with the San Antonio Spurs and was named to the All-Star team in 10 out of his 14 seasons. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice, once for his legendary career with the Spurs and once as a member of USA's Dream Team of 1992.
Robinson retired after helping the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Championship in 2003. He scored 13 points and 17 rebounds in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to lead the Spurs past the New Jersey Nets.
#2 George Gervin – 23,602 points
Career Stats: 33.6 MPG 25.1 PPG 2.6 APG 5.3 RPG 50.7 eFG%
Nicknamed 'The Iceman', George Gervin played 12 seasons for the San Antonio Spurs, three of which were before the ABA-NBA merger. The combo guard was a scoring machine and led the NBA in points per game for three straight years in a row from 1978 to 1980.
Although George Gervin could not win a championship with the San Antonio Spurs, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996. He made nine NBA All-Star appearances from 1977 and 1985. Unsurprisingly, his #44 jersey has been retired by the Spurs.
Averaging 26.3 points per game, he scored 23,602 points in 899 games for the San Antonio Spurs. He followed up his Spurs career with a one-year stint in Chicago where he averaged 16.2 points per game for the Bulls.
#1 Tim Duncan – 26,496 points
Career Stats: 34 MPG 19.0 PPG 3.0 APG 10.8 RPG 50.7 eFG%
The undisputed leader of San Antonio Spurs' famed big-three, Tim Duncan is arguably the greatest Spur of all time. Ever since he entered the league as the No.1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, he has got nothing but praise from fans, teammates, coaches and even the then-Hall of Famers. He played all of his 19 seasons in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs.
In his NBA career, Tim Duncan (a.k.a The Big Fundamental) won five championships, three NBA Finals MVPs, two regular-season MVPs and made 15 All-Star appearances. With his 26,496 points for the San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan holds the 15th spot in the all-time scoring leaderboard. He's also sixth in rebounding in NBA history with 15,091 boards.
Duncan is set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 in a ceremony set to take place in May this year. He had his #21 jersey retired by the Spurs back in December 2016.
Also read: 5 NBA players with most regular-season wins in league history