86-667: Accor Arena (originally known as the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy ), also known as Bercy Arena , is an indoor sports arena and concert hall in the neighbourhood of Bercy , on the Boulevard de Bercy, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris , France. The closest Métro station is Bercy , which also serves the Finance Ministry . Designed by the architectural firm Andrault-Parat, Jean Prouvé and Aydin Guvan ,
172-619: A "lend-lease" deal with the Dallas ownership group. Drossos and his group would lease the team for three years with an option to purchase. After the deal was signed, the team was renamed the San Antonio Gunslingers. However, before they even played a game, the name was changed to Spurs. The team's primary colors were changed from the red, white, and blue of the Chaparrals to the now-familiar black, silver and white motif of
258-455: A broken foot sidelined him for the rest of the season. Elliott also missed more than half the season due to injury. Forward Chuck Person would miss the entire season with a back injury. Without Robinson and Elliott, the Spurs were a rudderless team. The lone bright spot was Wilkins, leading the team in scoring with an average of 18.2 points per game. The Spurs ended the season with a 20–62 record,
344-491: A dark time in Spurs' history with the team having a combined record of 115–213 from 1985–86 until 1988–89 . The losing seasons and dwindling attendance often caused the Spurs to be mentioned as a potential candidate for relocation to another city. The lone bright spot during this period was the Spurs being awarded the top pick in the 1987 NBA draft through NBA draft lottery. The Spurs used this selection on United States Naval Academy standout David Robinson . Although Robinson
430-524: A kidney transplant from his brother prior to the season, returned and played in the last 19 games. As the season wound down, Duncan suffered a knee injury and the Spurs finished in second place with a 53–29 record. Without Duncan, the Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in four games. The long-term viability of the Spurs franchise in San Antonio was, however, achieved during
516-528: A multitude of spectators. The word derives from Latin harena , a particularly fine-grained sand that covered the floor of ancient arenas such as the Colosseum in Rome , Italy, to absorb blood. The term arena is sometimes used as a synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl , but such a facility is typically called a stadium . The use of one term over the other has mostly to do with
602-738: A new league. The Spurs, the Denver Nuggets , the Indiana Pacers and the New York Nets joined the NBA for the 1976–77 season. The Spurs and the other three ABA teams added in the merger agreed to pay the owners of two other strong ABA teams that folded instead of joining the NBA. John Y. Brown, Jr. , the owner of the Kentucky Colonels , received $ 3 million, which he used to purchase the NBA's Buffalo Braves and later
688-539: A record of 56–26–vaulting from the worst record in franchise history to the best in franchise history. They also jumped all the way to first place in the Midwest Division, their first division title in seven years. Robinson had one of the most successful rookie seasons for a center in NBA history, finishing the season as the unanimous Rookie of the Year while averaging 24.3 points and 12.0 rebounds. The Spurs began
774-577: A second-round series with the Phoenix Suns as the key series in the entire NBA playoffs, as this series featured the teams with the two best records remaining in the NBA. The Spurs went on to win 4–2 in the contentious and controversial series versus the Suns. The series featured a Robert Horry foul on Steve Nash toward the end of Game 4 which resulted in Horry being suspended for two games. Those who said
860-573: A shortened 50-game season, the Spurs won their first two games of the season, against the Kings and the Timberwolves respectively. However, the Spurs lost their next three games to the Lakers, Timberwolves, and Cavaliers, the latter a 99–89 road loss. The Spurs finished the regular season with an NBA-best 37–13 record (.740 win percentage), the only season during Duncan's tenure with the Spurs that
946-431: A strong performance by David Robinson who recorded 27 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks for the Spurs. The next game, Sean Elliott recorded 23 points and David Robinson added 18 points and 19 rebounds as the Spurs got their first win of the season against the visiting New Jersey Nets. The Spurs finished with the NBA's best record at 62–20, cracking the 60-win mark for the first time in franchise history. Robinson
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#17327985484631032-618: A tie for fourth place overall in the Eastern Conference. This was done in spite of significant handicaps the NBA imposed on the incoming ABA teams, limiting their draft picks and television revenues during their early time in the merged league. They gained a new rival in the form of the Houston Rockets , who had played in Texas for five years prior to the merger. During the 1977–78 season , Gervin battled David Thompson of
1118-421: Is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre , musical performances , and/or sporting events . It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by a roof. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing maximum visibility. Arenas are usually designed to accommodate
1204-611: The 2019 League of Legends World Championship Finals. On January 24, 2020, it hosted an NBA regular season game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets , who would be represented by Frenchman Nicolas Batum . The Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 126–108 at the arena on January 19, 2023, during the 2022–23 NBA season . The 2023–24 NBA season saw the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat
1290-530: The Boston Celtics , after selling star guard Louie Dampier to the Spurs. The owners of the Spirits of St. Louis received a portion of all television profits during their NBA tenure, which amounted to approximately one-seventh of the Spurs' television profit every year. This agreement placed particular financial pressure on the Spurs and the other three surviving former ABA teams. In 2014, 38 years after
1376-547: The Brooklyn Nets 111–102 at the arena on January 11, 2024. The 2024–25 NBA season will see two games between the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs on January 23 and 25, with the games coming after the Spurs signed French star Victor Wembanyama . The arena hosted France's first UFC event on 3 September 2022, for UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa . UFC returned to the arena on 2 September 2023 for UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Spivak . The promotion returned to
1462-769: The Dallas Mavericks as they held the two best records in the Western Conference all season, battling for first place. In the end, the experience of the Spurs would be the difference as they won the Southwest Division again with a new franchise-best record of 63–19. The Spurs met the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs, but it would be Dallas coming out on top 4–3, including a 119–111 overtime victory in Game 7. The Spurs struggled during
1548-638: The National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference . The team plays its home games at Frost Bank Center . The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association (ABA) teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA–NBA merger , one of two former ABA teams to have won an NBA championship (the other being the Denver Nuggets ), and
1634-692: The Rookie of the Year award ) and George Gervin from the Virginia Squires in January. The ABA tried to halt the Gervin deal, claiming it was detrimental to the league; however, a judge ruled in the Spurs' favor and Gervin made his Spurs debut on February 7, 1974. The Spurs finished their inaugural season under that banner with a 45–39 record, good for third place in the Western Division. In
1720-616: The Tarrant County Convention Center , as well as Lubbock , at the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum , but this proved a failure and the team returned full-time to Dallas in time for the 1971–72 season , splitting their games at Moody Coliseum and Dallas Convention Center Arena . While the Chaparrals had been modestly successful on the court, they were sinking financially by their third season. The financial difficulties were largely caused by
1806-552: The basketball bronze and gold medal games for both genders. Due to Olympic rules regarding naming rights of venues, the venue temporarily reverted its name to Bercy Arena. The arena is one of the main concert venues in Paris . British rock band Queen performed at Bercy in 1984. Norwegian band A-ha played 2 concerts at Bercy in 1988. Among those who have performed there the most are French rock singer Johnny Hallyday with 93 solo concerts from 1987 to 2016 and eight concerts with
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#17327985484631892-456: The 1990s with great optimism. The team became a perennial playoff presence, although unable to advance further than the second round of the NBA playoffs under Brown's tutelage. Midway through the 1991–92 season , McCombs fired Brown and replaced him with Bob Bass for the remainder of the season. Without a healthy David Robinson, the Spurs were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. McCombs made national headlines during
1978-552: The 1996–97 season was for the Spurs, the off-season proved to be the opposite. With the third-worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA draft lottery, which gave them the top pick in the 1997 draft . The Spurs used their pick to select Wake Forest product and consensus All-American Tim Duncan . Paired together, the 7'1" Robinson and the 6'11" Duncan became known as the Twin Towers. The Twin Towers played together for
2064-465: The 1999–2000 season, as Bexar County voters approved increases in car rental and hotel taxes which would allow for the construction of a new arena next to the Freeman Coliseum . The Spurs finished with 58–24 records for both the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons but found themselves suffering playoff ousters in both seasons from the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers , getting swept from
2150-569: The 2001 Conference Finals and losing in five games during the second round in 2002. Entering the 2002–03 season , the team knew it would be memorable for at least two reasons, as David Robinson announced that it would be his last in the NBA and the Spurs would begin play at their new arena, the SBC Center , named after telecommunications giant SBC , whose corporate headquarters were located in San Antonio (SBC became AT&T after its acquisition of its former parent company). To mark this occasion,
2236-594: The Denver Nuggets all year long for the NBA scoring title. On the final day of the season, Thompson took the lead by scoring 73 points in an afternoon game against the Detroit Pistons . That night Gervin knew that he needed 58 points against the Jazz in New Orleans. Gervin got off to a good start by scoring 20 points in the first quarter. In the second, Gervin set a single period record with 33 points. Early on in
2322-586: The European gymnastics championship in 2000, the 1991 and 1996 FIBA EuroLeague Final Fours , and the FIBA EuroBasket championship in 1999 , among others. It also hosted the 2009–10 EuroLeague Final Four . It was co-host of the 2017 IIHF World Championship and the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 . The arena hosted the 2017 European League of Legends Championship Series Summer Finals and
2408-575: The Forum in the 1983 series. They lost every home game in both series in 1982 and 1983 vs the Lakers as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and co. were too strong. The Spurs did not make the conference finals until 1995. After the 1984–85 season , Gervin, who had been the Spurs' biggest star, was traded to the Chicago Bulls in what effectively signaled the end of the era that began when the Spurs first moved to San Antonio. The next four seasons were
2494-654: The Knicks' home arena, Madison Square Garden . Duncan was named the NBA Finals MVP . The Spurs became the first former ABA team to reach and win the NBA Finals. Coming off their first NBA Championship, the Spurs were still among the best teams in the West and battling for first place in the Midwest Division during the 1999–2000 season . On March 14, the Spurs playoff spirits got a lift when Sean Elliott , who received
2580-611: The Midwest Division of the Western Conference), 48–34 in 1981–82 , and 53–29 in 1982–83 . Despite their regular-season success, the Spurs were unable to win any NBA championships, losing in the Western Conference playoffs to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 1981 and the Los Angeles Lakers in four games in 1982 and in six games in the 1983 Western Finals despite getting both wins at
2666-504: The NBA standings. They would battle all year for the top spot in the Western Conference, as they ended the season on another strong note winning their final 11 games. However, they would fall one game short of a division title and the best record in the West, posting a record of 57–25. In the second round of the playoffs, the Spurs found themselves in another showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs would win Games 1 and 2 at home, but drop
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2752-531: The NBA, even though San Antonio, then as now, was a medium-sized market. Although San Antonio proper had over 650,000 people at the time (and has since grown to become the seventh-largest city in the United States ), the surrounding suburban and rural areas have never been much larger than the city itself. In June 1976, the ABA–NBA merger took place, moving San Antonio's sole professional sports franchise into
2838-512: The Spurs became an exciting fast-break team. The team finished the season with a 51–33 record and finished in second place in the West. In the playoffs, the Spurs fell to the Pacers in six games. Even though playoff success would elude the team before the merger, the Spurs had suddenly found themselves among the best teams in the ABA. Moreover, their gaudy attendance figures made them very attractive to
2924-663: The Spurs bowed down to the home team, the Golden State Warriors, 106–98. The Spurs christened the SBC Center in style on November 1, 2002, by defeating the Toronto Raptors 91–72. The next game, the Spurs were on the road to face the winless Memphis Grizzlies . In that game, the Spurs and the Grizzlies went to overtime. In the first minutes of the OT, the Grizzlies held a 7-point lead before Tim Duncan answered
3010-632: The Spurs celebrated the club's 50th anniversary. Spurs players are active members of the San Antonio community, and many former Spurs are still active in San Antonio, including David Robinson with the Carver Academy and George Gervin with the George Gervin Youth Center. The Spurs set several NBA attendance records while playing at the Alamodome including the largest crowd ever for an NBA Finals game in 1999, and
3096-692: The Spurs continue to sell out the smaller Frost Bank Center (formerly SBC Center and AT&T Center) on a regular basis. Since 2003, the team has been forced into an extended road trip for much of February since the Frost Bank Center hosts the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo during that month. This is informally known as the "Rodeo Road Trip". The Spurs have consistently posted winning road records during this period, including an NBA-record longest single road-trip winning streak (eight games out of nine, achieved in 2003). When
3182-675: The Spurs defeated the Suns, Lakers and Mavericks en route to facing the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals . The series against the Nets marked the first time two former ABA teams played each other for the NBA Championship. The Spurs won the series 4–2, giving them their second NBA Championship in franchise history. Duncan, after having been named NBA MVP, was also named Finals MVP. Coming off their second NBA Championship,
3268-433: The Spurs from 1997 to 2003. Both Robinson and Duncan were skilled offensive players, and the Twin Towers also anchored the Spurs' formidable defense. The duo helped lead the team to NBA championships in 1999 and 2003. Duncan quickly emerged as a dominant force in the NBA during the 1997–98 season , averaging 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game as a power forward. He was named First Team All-NBA while winning Rookie of
3354-716: The Spurs have won the NBA title, the team's victory parades have been boat trips on the San Antonio River Walk . The San Antonio Spurs started out as the Dallas Chaparrals of the original version of the American Basketball Association (ABA). Coached by player/coach Cliff Hagan , the Dallas Chaparrals were one of 11 teams to take the floor in the inaugural season of the upstart ABA. The Chaps' second season
3440-464: The Spurs led the series 3–1 but the Bullets came back to win the last three games and came from behind to win the seventh game 107–105 handing the Spurs a heartbreaking loss. The Spurs would have to wait another 20 years to make it to their first NBA Finals. The Spurs would go on to capture five division titles in their first seven years in the NBA and became a perennial playoff participant. However, in
3526-513: The Spurs looked forward to the 1998–99 season . Prior to the beginning of training camps, however, the NBA owners, led by commissioner David Stern , locked out the players in order to force a new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). The season was delayed for over three months until resolution on a new labor agreement was reached in January 1999. Playing
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3612-662: The Spurs looked to regain the NBA crown. With the acquisition of guard Brent Barry from Seattle , the Spurs would get off to a quick start, posting a 12–3 record in November. The Spurs would stay hot through December as they established a 25–6 record entering the New Year. With the later additions of center Nazr Mohammed from New York (acquired in a midseason trade of Malik Rose ), and veteran forward Glenn Robinson from free agency , alongside regulars Bruce Bowen , Robert Horry , Tony Parker , Manu Ginóbili , and Tim Duncan ,
3698-510: The Spurs lost Games 3 and 4 by big margins as the Pistons tied the series. Faced with a third straight loss in Detroit, the Spurs would play tougher in Game 5, which would go into overtime. After going scoreless in the first half, Robert Horry hit a clutch three-point shot with nine seconds remaining to give the Spurs a dramatic 96–95 win. The series moved back to San Antonio for game six, but
3784-479: The Spurs revamped their "Fiesta Colors" logo and reverted to the familiar silver and black motif (though, during the time of the Fiesta logo, the uniform remained silver and black). This version of the Spurs was very different from the team that had won the title a few years earlier. Second-year French star Tony Parker , drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft , was now the starting point guard for
3870-400: The Spurs were dealt by the visiting Trail Blazers their first home loss of the season. The Spurs would not get off to a flying start as they had just a 19–13 record heading into January. In January the Spurs began to gel and seemed prepped to make a run, when they embarked on their annual Rodeo Road Trip, a nine-game road trip from January 25 to February 16. However, it would be hardly a bump in
3956-475: The Spurs were unable to close out the series, setting up a deciding Game 7. In Game 7, Duncan had 25 points as the Spurs pulled away late to win their third NBA Title in seven years with an 81–74 win. Duncan was named Finals MVP , becoming the fourth player to win the MVP award three times (joining Magic Johnson , Shaquille O'Neal , and Michael Jordan ). Coming off their third NBA Championship in seven years, there
4042-417: The Spurs won 50 games each season, setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seasons. In the 2018–19 season, the Spurs matched an NBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances with 22. The team's recent success has coincided with the tenure of current head coach Gregg Popovich and with the playing careers of Spurs icons David Robinson (1989–2003) and Tim Duncan (1997–2016). In the 2022–23 season,
4128-401: The Spurs would be near the top in the Western Conference all season, battling the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA. Just as it appeared the Spurs would cruise toward the playoffs their season suddenly hit a bump in the road when Tim Duncan suffered an ankle injury. The Spurs struggled the rest of the season, finishing just 59–23. However, by the time the playoffs rolled around, Duncan
4214-529: The Spurs, with the branding taking effect for the 1973–74 season . In their first game at HemisFair Arena , the Spurs lost to the San Diego Conquistadors despite attracting a crowd of 6,000 fans. A smothering defense was the team's trademark, as they held opponents to less than 100 points in an ABA-record 49 games. The early Spurs were led by ABA veteran James Silas , and the team grew stronger by acquiring Swen Nater (who would go on to win
4300-410: The Spurs. The squad featured a variety of newly acquired three-point shooters, including Stephen Jackson , Danny Ferry , Bruce Bowen , Steve Kerr , Steve Smith and Argentine product Manu Ginóbili , a 1999 second-round draft choice playing in his first NBA season. The Spurs started the 2002–03 season with an 87–81 road win over the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers . The following game,
4386-422: The Year honors. The team ended up at 56–26, breaking their own record from 1989 to 1990 for the biggest single-season improvement for wins, but once again lost to the Jazz in the Western Conference semi-finals. While both Duncan and Robinson played low-post roles, the two seamlessly meshed on the court. With a healthy Robinson and Duncan and the additions of playoff veterans such as Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey ,
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#17327985484634472-413: The annual LNB All-Star Game basketball event and the Grand Slam Paris judo tournament. It is also used for many other sports events, such as table tennis , handball , basketball , boxing , gymnastics , track cycling and show jumping . Since 1985, the Accor Arena hosts the annual Festival des Arts Martiaux . The event was founded by Karaté Bushido and showcases martial arts masters from around
4558-426: The arena in 2024 for UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis . In May 2023, the arena hosted the BLAST.tv Major for the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , in what would be the final major played on Global Offensive before Counter-Strike 2 was released in September 2023. The arena was a venue for the 2024 Summer Olympics , hosting the artistic and trampoline gymnastics events, followed by
4644-411: The completion of the merger, the Spirits' owners reached an agreement with the NBA to end the perpetual payments and take a lump sum of $ 500 million instead. Although there was some initial skepticism in league circles regarding the potential success and talent levels of the incoming ABA teams, the Spurs would prove worthy of NBA inclusion during the 1976–77 season with a record of 44–38, good for
4730-405: The end to come to San Antonio for the 1989–90 season . While it was thought that Robinson's arrival would make the Spurs respectable again, no one expected what happened in his rookie season. Led by Robinson, 1989 draftee Sean Elliott from Arizona , and trade acquisition Terry Cummings from the Milwaukee Bucks, the Spurs achieved the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA history, finishing with
4816-401: The facility is called Cameron Indoor Stadium . Domed stadiums, which, like arenas, are enclosed but have the larger playing surfaces and seating capacities found in stadiums, are generally not referred to as arenas in North America. There is also the sport of indoor American football (one variant of which is explicitly known as arena football), a variant of the outdoor game that is designed for
4902-430: The first half of the 2006–07 season , which led to discussions of trading away veteran players to build for the future. The team remained intact, and the Spurs would win 13 games in a row during February and March, and were an NBA-best 25–6 in the final 31 games, as the Spurs were able to claim the 3-seed in the West. The Spurs cruised through the first round, while the first-seeded Dallas Mavericks were upset. This set up
4988-997: The group Les vieilles canailles , totaling 101 performances; French singer-songwriter Michel Sardou with 91 concerts from 1989 to 2012; French entertainer Dorothée with 56 concerts from 1990 to 1996 and another in 2010; Canadian singer Celine Dion with 35 concerts from 1995 to 2017; Canadian-born French singer Mylène Farmer with 33 concerts from 1989 to 2013; and American singer-songwriter Madonna with 25 concerts from 1990 to 2023. French electronic music duo Daft Punk performed and recorded their performance for Alive 2007 at Bercy. German band Rammstein recorded their performance for Rammstein: Paris at Bercy. American rock band My Chemical Romance performed at Bercy in June 2022 as part of their Reunion Tour . Congolese artists who have performed at Bercy include Koffi Olomidé , Papa Wemba , Werrason , JB Mpiana , and Fally Ipupa . [REDACTED] Media related to Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy at Wikimedia Commons Arena An arena
5074-406: The most important off-season acquisition would be the signing of veteran Robert Horry . The Spurs, playing with nine new players, struggled early as they missed the presence of Robinson while the new players struggled to fit in, as they held a 9–10 record on December 3. However, the Spurs would turn it around, as they ended December on a 13-game winning streak and quickly climbed back to the top of
5160-467: The next two in Los Angeles. In Game 5 back in San Antonio, Duncan seemingly delivered the Spurs a 73–72 win as he hit a dramatic shot with just 0.4 seconds remaining. However, the Lakers' Derek Fisher would launch a game-winner as time expired, giving the Lakers a stunning 74–73 win to take a 3–2 series lead. Demoralized the Spurs would head back to Los Angeles where they would lose the series in six games. After their disappointing second-round collapse,
5246-451: The only former ABA team to have won multiple championships. The franchise has won NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. As of the 2022–23 season, the Spurs had the highest winning percentage among active NBA franchises. As of May 2017, the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada over the previous three decades. From 1999–2000 to 2016–17,
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#17327985484635332-421: The ownership group's refusal to invest much money on the team. After missing the playoffs for the first time in their existence in the 1972–73 season , nearly all of the owners wanted out. The team decided to sell the team to a different city, and the Chaparrals had to choose between San Antonio and El Paso . A group of 35 San Antonio businessmen—led by Angelo Drossos , John Schaefer, and Red McCombs —worked out
5418-411: The playoffs, the Spurs could never catch a break, losing to teams like the Washington Bullets, the Boston Celtics , the Houston Rockets, and the Los Angeles Lakers . As the 1980s progressed, the Spurs would see their shares of highs and lows. For the first few seasons of the decade, the Spurs continued their success of the 1970s with records of 52–30 in 1980–81 (in that season, the Spurs were moved to
5504-430: The playoffs, the team was defeated by the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the first round. San Antonio embraced the Spurs with open arms; the Spurs drew 6,303 fans per game, surpassing the Chaparrals' entire total attendance in only 18 games. Drossos, Schaefer and McCombs knew a runaway hit when they saw it. After only one year, they exercised their option to tear up the lease agreement, buy the franchise outright and keep
5590-438: The playoffs, which led to the immediate firing of Lucas as head coach. Prior to the season, the Spurs traded fan-favorite Elliott to the Detroit Pistons in return for rebounding star Dennis Rodman . Elliott returned to the Spurs at the following year. Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill for the 1994–95 season . On their first game of the season, they were defeated by the visiting Golden State Warriors despite
5676-457: The pyramidal arena's sloping walls are covered with a lawn. It can seat 7,000 to 20,300 people, depending on the event. The arena was renamed Bercy Arena after renovations on 1 January 2015, AccorHotels Arena in October 2015, and its current name in June 2020. Since 1985, the arena has hosted the annual Festival des Arts Martiaux . The Accor Arena was until 2024 the main venue for the Paris Masters ATP Tour tennis tournament, and hosts
5762-525: The retirement of David Robinson left a void in San Antonio's daunting defense, while playoff hero Steve Kerr and veteran forward Danny Ferry also retired. Meanwhile, backup point guard Speedy Claxton left for the Golden State Warriors , and Stephen Jackson left for the Atlanta Hawks . With several holes to fill in their rotation, the Spurs would make several key signings in the off-season. Rasho Nesterović and Hedo Türkoğlu were brought in to replace Robinson and Jackson, respectively. What proved to be
5848-403: The road for the charging Spurs, who won eight of the nine and began to climb their way to first place. The Spurs went on to erase their seven-game deficit and finished the season in a tie with the Dallas Mavericks for the best record in the NBA (60–22). Thanks to a tiebreaker, the Spurs won their third straight Division title as Tim Duncan claimed his second straight NBA MVP. In the playoffs ,
5934-432: The run with a 9-point run by himself. With a tied score of 111–111 with 0.8 seconds remaining, Duncan made a 12-foot jumpshot to defeat the Grizzlies. The following game, the Spurs were down by three points at halftime against the visiting Warriors, but then scored 31 points in the third quarter to put the game away, clinching their fourth win of the season. Tony Parker led the Spurs after scoring 21 points. Three days after,
6020-409: The second-round series against the Suns was the true NBA Finals would be proven right, as the Spurs easily dispatched the Utah Jazz in five games to reach the NBA Finals . In the Finals, the Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers and captured their fourth title in nine years. Tony Parker , who dominated in the Finals averaging 24.5 points per game on 57 percent shooting, was named Finals MVP and became
6106-539: The summer of 1992 with the hiring of former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian . The Tarkanian experiment proved a flop, as the coach was fired 20 games into the 1992–93 season with the Spurs record at 9–11. After Rex Hughes filled the coaching shoes for one game, NBA veteran John Lucas was named head coach. It was Lucas' first NBA coaching assignment, although he had gained recognition in league circles for his success in helping NBA players rehab from drug abuse. The Lucas era started out successfully. His coaching propelled
6192-497: The team did not win at least 50 games in a season, a feat that extended through the 2016–17 season. The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11–1. In the NBA Finals , they faced the New York Knicks , who had made history by becoming the first eighth seed to ever make the NBA Finals. The Spurs won the series 4-1 and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 at
6278-554: The team in San Antonio for good. The team quickly made themselves at home at HemisFair Arena, playing to increasingly large and raucous crowds. Despite a respectable 17–10 start during the 1974–75 season , Coach Tom Nissalke was fired as the team's ownership become tired of the Spurs' slow playing style. He was replaced by Bob Bass , who said, "It is my belief that you cannot throw a set offense at another professional team for 48 minutes. You've got to let them play some schoolyard basketball." Gervin and Silas took that style to heart, as
6364-412: The team to a 39–22 finish over the rest of the regular season, and the team reached the Western Conference semi-finals. In 1993, local businessman Peter M. Holt and a group of 22 investors purchased the Spurs from Red McCombs for $ 75 million. In the 1993–94 season, the Spurs' first in the newly built Alamodome , Lucas led the team to a 55–27 record but the team suffered a loss in the first round of
6450-559: The third period, Gervin scored his 58 points on the way to 63 capturing the scoring title. While Gervin was lighting up the scoreboard the Spurs were winning the Central Division with a 52–30 record. However, in the playoffs, the Spurs would be stunned in six games by the Washington Bullets despite an outstanding series from Gervin who averaged 33.2 points per game. The following season in the 1979 Conference Finals
6536-538: The type of event. Football (be it association , rugby , gridiron , Australian rules , or Gaelic ) is typically played in a stadium, while basketball , volleyball , handball , and ice hockey are typically played in an arena, although many of the larger arenas hold more spectators than do the stadiums of smaller colleges or high schools. There are exceptions. The home of the Duke University men's and women's basketball teams would qualify as an arena, but
6622-716: The usual smaller playing surface of most arenas; variants of other traditionally outdoor sports, including box lacrosse as well as futsal and indoor soccer , also exist. The term "arena" is also used loosely to refer to any event or type of event which either literally or metaphorically takes place in such a location, often with the specific intent of comparing an idea to a sporting event. Such examples of these would be terms such as "the arena of war", "the arena of love" or "the political arena". San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio . The Spurs compete in
6708-518: The world. From 1993 to 2011, the arena hosted the Masters of Paris-Bercy , a all-star kart racing competition frequently contested by Formula One drivers and world champions in other auto racing disciplines. The inaugural 1993 edition marked the last duel on the track between Formula One World Drivers' Champions Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna . POPB (Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy) hosted
6794-438: The worst in franchise history—and the last time they missed the playoffs until the 2019–20 season. Hill only lasted 18 games as coach that season, eventually being fired and replaced by general manager Gregg Popovich , who had also served a stint under Brown as an assistant coach. Wilkins would play his lone season in 1996–97 for San Antonio, knowing his minutes and playing time would greatly diminish next season. As disastrous as
6880-563: Was a bit of a disappointment, as the team finished in fourth place with a mediocre 41–37 record. In the playoffs, the Chaparrals quickly fell to the New Orleans Buccaneers . The team suffered from poor attendance and general disinterest in Dallas. In fact, during the 1970–71 season , the name "Dallas" was dropped in favor of "Texas" and an attempt was made to make the team a regional one, playing games in Fort Worth , at
6966-483: Was a sense that the Spurs were the class of the NBA, and once again would be the team to beat in the NBA for the Championship. For the 2005–06 season , the Spurs acquired the two-time All-Star Michael Finley and one-time All Star Nick Van Exel . Not surprisingly, the Spurs would come flying out of the gate, winning 16 of their first 19 games. Once again, the Spurs would get challenged within their own division by
7052-521: Was an original investor in the team and helped solidify local ownership for the team. Additionally, the 1988–89 season featured the debut of Larry Brown as the Spurs head coach who moved to San Antonio after winning the NCAA National Championship with Kansas in 1988. Although there was speculation that Robinson might choose not to sign with the Spurs and to become a free agent once his Navy commitment ended, Robinson decided in
7138-486: Was drafted in 1987, the Spurs would have to wait until the 1989–90 season for Robinson to be a Spur because of his prior two-year commitment to serve in the United States Navy. The Spurs seemingly bottomed out in 1988–89 with a record of 21–61, the worst in franchise history at the time. However, the 1989–90 season was notable for several reasons. It was the first season of full ownership for Red McCombs, who
7224-490: Was named All-NBA Third Team for the Spurs that season. The Spurs finished the 1995–96 season under Hill at 59–23 and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals. Few observers could have predicted how far the Spurs would fall during the 1996–97 season , especially with the signing of Dominique Wilkins . Robinson missed the first month of the season due to a back injury. He returned in December, but played only six games before
7310-632: Was named the league's Most Valuable Player. The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual NBA Champion Houston Rockets . Throughout the season, and particularly in the playoffs, there appeared to be friction developing between Rodman and several Spurs' teammates, most notably Robinson. Rodman was traded to the Chicago Bulls after the season, and helped the Bulls win three titles from 1996 to 1998. Rodman
7396-495: Was ready to return. In the postseason , The Spurs went through the West relatively easily, culminating with a 5-game victory in the Conference Finals over the Phoenix Suns . In the NBA Finals , the Spurs would face the defending champion Detroit Pistons . The first two games in San Antonio were both Spurs' victories as Ginóbili led the way with 26 and 27 points respectively. However, as the series shifted to Detroit,
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