The 10 best moments at the SBC/AT&T/Frost Bank Center
Spurs fans have been lucky to witness the ride
The San Antonio Spurs have played in their building, now the Frost Bank Center, for 22 seasons. Its home has seen many of the top moments in franchise history. But is the run there coming to an end?
As KSAT reported in July and in 2023, it’s unknown what the Spurs’ connection with the project at Hemisfair Park is, but previously, talks were held between team representatives and city officials about a relocation. As of July, that communication is seemingly continuing.
Regardless, it’s an excellent opportunity to honor the Spurs’ house and the unforgettable memories created there. Let’s review some of the greatest moments of the ride.
10. The first game at the SBC Center: Nov. 1, 2002
The Spurs moved from the Alamodome, a large football stadium, to a more accommodating, modern venue for the fans.
After starting the season on the road, beating the Lakers and losing to the Warriors and Golden State, the reigning MVP Tim Duncan powered the Silver and Black to a win on day one for the SBC Center. After leading by four entering the fourth quarter, the Spurs closed the match, shutting down the visiting Toronto Raptors to six points in the frame.
Duncan finished with 22 points on 47.1 percent shooting, 15 rebounds and three rejections to kick off the first of four championship seasons in the arena.
9. Batgate: Halloween, 2009
A loose bat flew around the gym in the first quarter as the Spurs dueled with the Sacramento Kings. The broadcast comically observed that the winged mammal was leading the Kings’ fastbreak.
During a dead ball, Ginóbili slapped the bat out of the air, picked it up and handed the creature to an usher. The NBA clipped this footage on its YouTube page and ended the video with “Where amazing happens.”
The match resumed with only humans participating, and the Spurs won by 19 points.
Ginóbili later got a rabies shot and informed the public his actions were not safe.
8. Victor Wembanyama’s debut: October 25, 2023
Victor Wembanayma’s first taste of NBA action was a seven-point loss for the Spurs at home to the Dallas Mavericks. His performance—15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block—was nothing special by his standards, but it was the beginning of a new era.
Still, it was enough to showcase his potential as a generational player, and many fans were impressed. His finest action of the evening was denying Kyrie Irving’s pull-up jumper as a helper after Zach Collins was beat on a switch.
Before the season, the Spurs had missed the Playoffs for four straight years. It may take more before the squad sniffs the postseason again, but that reality is easier to stomach for anyone supporting the team because it is being built in the right direction, led by a special young man.
7. Tony Parker outduels Russell Westbrook And Kevin Durant: Game 2, 2012 Western Conference Finals
Despite TD having a nightmarish performance, Parker destroyed the Thunder on pick-and-pop sets, caught and fired behind flares, spun into the lane for baskets and threaded dimes in the open and half court. Parker was so fast that he looked like the Phantom of the AT&T Center. Parker had the Spurs in control the entire evening. He finished as the top scorer with 34 points on 76.2 percent accuracy, leading the Spurs to a 2-0 series lead.
6. Manu Ginóbili blocks James Harden: Game 5, 2017 West semifinals
The Spurs versus Houston Rockets series was tied at 2-2, and the scoreboard read 110-107 in favor of the hosts. Patty Mills for the Spurs and Eric Gordon for the Rockets handled the jump ball in the former’s territory with 9.3 seconds left.
Gordon won the tip, Ryan Anderson recovered the ball on the left wing and passed to James Harden behind him. Ginóbili was tracking the Beard and got beat by the dribble. Yet, Ginóbili stayed with the play and denied Harden’s 3-point attempt from behind and any chance to tie.
After the game, the veteran guard told reporters in a scrum, “I tried to bother him as much as I could, and I found myself very close to the ball, so I went for it. [It] was very risky. It was risky thing, but it was also a risky thing to let him shoot, so I took my chances.”
5. Duncan claims his first MVP crown in front of supporters: 2002
In 2001-02, Duncan joined Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, Bob Pettit, and George Mikan as the only players named to First Team All NBA the first five years of their careers. And he became the second and last Spur to win MVP honors.
Before Game 3 of the West semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Spurs chairman Peter Holt handed him the trophy. Duncan lifted it over his head as most of the thirty-five thousand fans screamed in admiration.
4. Spurs set franchise record, go 40-1 at home: April 12, 2016
On April 12, 2016, the OKC Thunder visited for the penultimate game of the year. The Spurs’ four-point win was the 66th earned, which continued its run of the top regular season in franchise history and was its 40th at AT&T Center. The Spurs’ triumph tied the 1985-86 Boston Celtics for the best home record in NBA history.
The starters averaged 30.8 minutes in that match, indicating how serious the Spurs took it. Notably, Durant and Westbrook were absent. The group finished with one more victory the next day in Dallas, going 67-15. Before this campaign, the best record the Silver and Black ever amassed was 63-19 in 2005-06.
3. Tim Duncan’s OT three vs. Suns: Game 1, 2008 first round
At the height of the Spurs-Suns rivalry, the two teams opened the 2008 playoffs against each other in a hotly contested match. Amar’e Stoudemire ripped Spurs coverages for 33 marks before fouling out in overtime. Then, with 9.9 seconds left, the Spurs ran a sideline inbound as they were down by three. Everyone in the building was standing.
Next, Ginóbili and Duncan ran a pick-and-roll set that attracted two defenders to the ball. Ginóbili flicked the rock back to TD on the wing, who then canned a 3-pointer to tie. It was the only triple Duncan made all season and he was zero for four before his hoist. The crowd erupted just as Duncan did with emotion. Ginóbili would go on to secure the win in 2OT.
2. Danny Green and Manu Ginóbili huge threes vs. Warriors: Game 1, 2013 West semifinals
It looked like the Warriors would pants the Spurs in the series opener in round two in 2013. Stephen Curry pieced up the defense for 22 points on nine of 12 looks, including 16 straight points, in the third quarter. The Spurs were below 16 points with fewer than five minutes remaining.
Then the Silver and Black started chopping away at the lead. With 29 seconds left, Danny Green curled to the right wing behind a stagger screen and connected on a tray that forced the first extra period.
In the second overtime, with 3.9 seconds left, Ginóbili was left open on the weak side as Parker attracted two defenders and Leonard inbounded. He caught the ball and buried the game-winner over a late closeout by Kent Bazemore.
Popovich was famously quoted in the San Antonio Express-News saying, “I went from trading him on the spot to wanting to cook breakfast for him tomorrow.”
1. Securing championships at home: 2003 vs. Nets, 2005 vs. Pistons, 2014 vs. Heat
No championship means more than any other unless you count the ones earned before the Civil Rights Movement. So this must be a three-way tie. Spurs fans are fortunate to have witnessed three titles seized in their building and experienced the emotions of the celebration.
First they got to see the Silver and Black hold the trophy after taking out the Nets in Game 6. This was Admiral David Robinson’s last ride and he went out dropping 13 points on six of eight attempts with 17 rebounds. At the on-court interview, he said his grand finale was a plan written by God.
Next, the Spurs narrowly defeated the defending champions, the Pistons, in Game 7, winning the third ring in seven years. The defense was the difference, holding the Pistons’ starters to 40 percent shooting and preventing a high volume of trips to the line.
Popovich became the fifth coach (at the time) to win three NBA championships that night by defeating his old friend and mentor, Larry Brown. He said, “I don’t know how the hell we did it, but I’m thrilled. Thank you very much.”
Lastly, it was revenge in Game 5, blasting the Heat into oblivion and breaking them up following the previous year’s debacle- not putting them down and paying for it.
After a shaky start, Ginóbili, Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills settled the offense, each hitting catch-and-shoot triples. The three of them combined for 11 of 18 trays, which had the effect of a war hammer piercing a rival’s armor, shattering their internal organs.
Ginóbili even posterized Bosh after shedding Ray Allen on a drive. And Tiago Splitter annihilated Dwyane Wade with a baseline block.
The fans were ready for the party throughout the game.
The Heat bent the knee early in the last quarter and the night ended with Leonard earning the Finals MVP. These are unerasable memories.
