The San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals of the original version of the American Basketball Association (ABA). They are one of four former ABA teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger.

Nicknamed "the Admiral" for his service with the U.S. Navy, 7 ft 1 in center David Robinson was a 10-time NBA All-Star, the 1995 NBA MVP, and a two-time NBA champion (1999 and 2003). He is widely considered one of the greatest centers in both college basketball and NBA history.

During the middle of the 1979-1980 season, San Antonio traded center Billy Paultz to the Houston Rockets. Because the Rockets had not played as many games as the Spurs at the time of the trade, Paultz managed to play 84 games during an 82-game season.

From 1999-2000 to 2016-17, the Spurs won at least 50 games each season, setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seasons.

At 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m), Chuck Nevitt is one of the tallest players ever in NBA history. He played one game with the Spurs, the 1993-94 season opener, in which he made 3-of-6 free throws in less than a minute against the Golden State Warriors.

A multi-dimensional player, Alvin Robertson registered 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals while playing for the Spurs against the Phoenix Suns on February 18, 1986. He is one of only four NBA players (and the only non-center) to record a quadruple-double (double digits in four statistical categories in a single game).

In 1993-94, Dennis Rodman won his third of seven consecutive NBA rebounding titles, setting franchise single-season records for defensive rebounds (914), offensive rebounds (453), and total rebounds (1,367).

James Silas played the majority of his career with the Dallas Chaparrals/San Antonio Spurs of the ABA/NBA. His nicknames include "The Snake", "Captain Late" and "The Late Mr. Silas", the latter two referring to the fact that Silas seemed to play his best late in games. On February 28, 1984, Silas's #13 became the first number ever retired by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 to win the 1999 NBA Finals. Spurs forward Tim Duncan was named the Most Valuable Player of the finals. On June 25, with 47 seconds to go in Game 5, Avery Johnson hit the game-winner. Johnson's shot was followed by a Latrell Sprewell miss that would have sent the series back to San Antonio.

George Gervin was nicknamed "Iceman" not only for his cool demeanor on the court, but also because of his rare ability to play the game of basketball at a high level without sweating.