By Jordan Rivas, Project Spurs

Editor's note: Recently, the Basketball Hall of Fame inducted the 1992 Dream Team which included former San Antonio Spurs' legend, David Robinson. To honor Robinson, Jordan Rivas makes the point that Robinson was the best Olympic player ever to wear the red, white and blue jersey. Enjoy.

I remember, clearly, watching the 2002 FIBA World Basketball Championships. I remember watching the USA Men's Basketball team implode, watching Jermaine O'Neal punch a cooler full of Gatorade, but not manage to box out a 6-5 power forward from Yugoslavia, and hearing Paul Pierce say he was "embarrassed" to be on a USA Basketball team that lost the way they did.

No matter what anyone says, that was the low point for USA Basketball. The 2008 Olympic were a more public confirmation of what I already learned in 2006. USA Basketball lost its way for a while, and only of late has it started to redeem itself.

The golden era of international basketball in the 90s, including the Dream Team of 1992, actually... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

Back in 1996, the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks made a trade which resulted in the Spurs receiving Charles Smith and Monty Williams while the Knicks received JR Reid, Brad Lohaus and a 1996 first round pick.

The Spurs were looking to replace Dennis Rodman who was traded to the Chicago Bulls for center Will Perdue.

However, did you know the Spurs really wanted to trade for Charles Oakley?

Instead, the Knicks turned to the Spurs, who originally called Grunfeld about acquiring Charles Oakley. San Antonio was looking for a power forward to replace Dennis Rodman and the Spurs now feel they have their man.

This made me think how Oakley would have been a suitable replacement for Rodman in the 1995-1996 season and how a David Robinson, Sean Elliott and Oakley front-court would have been formidable. Not to mention, he would have helped erase the "soft" label the Spurs had.

It also made me wonder if Oakely would have made a difference in the playoffs that year against... (more)

By Robby Lim, Project Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs did some retooling this offseason adding Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal and drafting James Anderson. All three will contribute to the Spurs' success if they can mesh well with the "Big Three" of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

The Spurs might have found the right mix of talent and experience to make it back to the top but each of the new players will quickly grasp how most of the Spurs' offense and defense revolves around Duncan, Parker and Ginobili.

Now I'm not a basketball expert but I have followed the Spurs since Duncan arrived in San Antonio and I'm pretty familiar with the Spurs' style of play. So Splitter, Anderson and Neal, if you just happen to be reading this, here are a few pointers, from me to you, on how to play with the Spurs' "Big Three."

Splitter:

1) Be ready to provide some weak side help on defense. If an opponent gets past Duncan's defense, you have to be ready to protect the rim like David Robinson used to.

2)... (more)

By Michael De Leon, Project Spurs

On August 13, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame enshrined several players, a coach and an owner along with the 1960 and 1992 US Olympic teams.

But one name was once again not called, former Spur Artis Gilmore.

Gilmore, 22 years removed from the NBA, has yet to get enough votes from the Honors Committee to be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Lesser players are inducted every year and I'm sure I'm not the only person scratching my head and wondering every time the inductees are announced every year.

Some insist that it's because Gilmore's best years came when he played for the Kentucky Colonels in the ABA, which was considered inferior to the NBA.

But, as I've said many times before, it's the Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA Hall of Fame, and it's a tragedy that Gilmore's contributions continue to be overlooked.

Looking back, Gilmore excelled at every level of the game, which makes one wonder why he hasn't even received one vote and is now ineligible... (more)

Arianne Villanueva, Project Spurs

Arianné is back for the latest Spanish edition of the Spurscast. In this episode, Arianne recaps the latest player signings by the San Antonio Spurs for the Spanish speaking Spurs fans.

Remember, Project Spurs was the first Spurs blog to have a San Antonio Spurs podcast and the first to have a Spanish podcast for Spanish-speaking Spurs fans.

Arianne regresa con el Spurscast en Español mas reciente con todos de las noticias de los Spurs.

Y recuerden que Project Spurs fue la primera página de Internet en tener un podcast de Los San Antonio Spurs y la primera en tener un podcast en español para los fanáticos de habla hispana.

Click HERE to listen to the show at Project Spurs.

Escucharla AQUI!

By Michael De Leon, Project Spurs

According to the San Antonio Express-News, former Spurs' play-by-play announcer, Jay Howard, is battling cancer in both of his kidneys, called  renal cell carcinoma.

Surgery on Aug. 3 removed roughly half of one kidney. Another surgery set for Sept. 8 likely will cost him half of the other.

But Howard, the voice of the Spurs from 1989-2001, said doctors have told him his prognosis is excellent. The cancer has been found to be contained in both kidneys and hasn’t spread to any lymph nodes.

“They don’t know why I had two tumors growing at the same time,” said Howard, who has been with Planto Roe since 2005. “But they said that this kind of cancer could have been growing for five years.”

Howard, a fan favorite for his days with the Spurs and Ticket 760, will be in our thoughts and prayers as he prepares for his surgery next month.

Click HERE for more great Spurs coverage at Project Spurs.

By Lance Fell, Project Spurs

With a few months until the San Antonio Spurs' season opener, we are in basketball purgatory. The days just keep getting hotter while basketball seems to be getting farther. Thankfully the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey will give us a sigh of relief, but that's the World Championship, not the NBA.

So as I sit in my front yard, spraying myself with the water hose and thinking of basketball seasons past, here's a list of ten things Spurs fans should be on the look out for during the 2010-2011 season.

1.The arrival of Tiago Splitter

After years of wishing and wanting, the wait for Tiago Splitter is over. Splitter will finally be in a silver and black uniform when the regular season tips off against the Indiana Pacers on October 27th but will Splitter be the "Robin" to Tim Duncan's "Batman"? The peanut butter to his jelly? The Laverne to his Shirley? Splitter has everything he needs to be successful in San Antonio. He already has... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

With the 2010 FIBA World Championship fast approaching, the Canadian national team was trying to get San Antonio Spurs' forward Matt Bonner to join the team. He tried to rush the paper work to become a Canadian citizen but was denied.

Matt Bonner will not be granted quick citizenship to play for Canada at the world basketball championship.

Bonner's request for a speeded-up approval process was rejected for a second time this week by the ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Wayne Parrish, chief executive officer of Canada Basketball, accepts that Bonner's Canadian debut will have to wait until after the world championship, set to start in Turkey Aug. 28. (source theglobeandmail.com)

That huge sigh of relief is from Spurs nation.

Click HERE for more great Spurs coverage at Project Spurs.

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

Today in New York City's Madison Square Garden, the World Basketball Festival concluded as Team USA faced the French national team in an exhibition game before the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

In the end, Team USA beat France, 86-55.

After the game, I spoke with French guard and San Antonio Spurs' 2009 draftee, Nando de Colo to talk to him about the loss against the US and what the team needs to do before the World Championship begins later this month.

Jeff: This was the first time the French team played Team USA and unfortunately it ended in a loss for France. Got to be a difficult loss.

Nando: It was a difficult loss. We were not ready for this game. They played very tough and aggressive.

What areas does the team need to address before going to Turkey?

We need to be together on defense and on offense we must move the ball. When we move the ball we can play against each team at the Worlds but if we take the shot after one pass it becomes difficult for... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

NEW YORK CITY -- As Team USA is continuing preparations for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in New York City, I had a chance to talk with Chicago Bulls' guard Derrick Rose about the team, winning gold, the pressure of winning in Turkey and more.

As I walk to Rose, he is lacing his sneakers, icing down his knees and chatting with Oklahoma City Thunders' guard Russell Westbrook.

Jeff: I bet you and the team are ready to play against the international teams instead of each other?

Rose: (smiles) We want to start now! We want to start this journey we are on.

Got to get that gold huh?

We got to win this World Championship. We have to win it. No let downs!

Is there any pressure to win it in Turkey seeing how the US has not won at the Worlds since 1994?

Click HERE for the complete interview at Project Spurs.

By Jason Rogers, Project Spurs

After recovering from his ankle injury last season, San Antonio Spurs' all-star guard, Tony Parker, spent the final few games of the 2010 Spurs' regular season and the entire post-season coming off the bench in relief of George Hill.

This offseason has been fraught with Parker trade rumors, insinuations of his unhappiness at the prospect of a new role with the team, and manufactured drama between the two talented guards regarding who will be in the starting lineup and who will be riding the pine.  In the final months before camp, the roles have yet to be established in any definitive way.

It is hard to imagine Parker, a former all-star in the prime of his career, relegated to bench duty.  Parker is still ranked by some as a top 5 point guard in the NBA and at 28, he certainly has more than a few playing years left.  Additionally, the Spurs have a lot invested in Parker, paying him $12.6 million in 2009 and in the upcoming season, the final year of his contract,... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

NEW YORK CITY -- New York Knicks' head coach, Mike D'Antoni, knows a thing or two about the international game. He played in Italy for Milan for 13 seasons and became the club's all-time leading-scorer and won five Italian League regular season titles (1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986).

Once done as a player in Italy he moved on to coach Milan and Treviso Benetton compiling a record of 288-101 (.740) and a playoff record of 37-23 (.617).

To say D'Antoni is a wealth of international experience is an understatement.

Since then he has been a coach in the NBA and is back as an assistant coach with Team USA. This will mark his sixth stint as an assistant coach.

I caught up with coach D'Antoni while Team USA is in New York City gearing for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey to get his thoughts on the state of the team, imparting his international experience on a young squad and his thoughts on the newest addition to the Knicks, Roger Mason Jr.

"They are real good players...

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs 2010-2011 season schedule has been released and they will kick things off at home as they will host the Indiana Pacers on October 27.

Here are some key dates for each month of the new season.

October:

• Spurs will have two home games.
• The Indiana Pacers will be in town to kick off the new Spurs' season.

November:

• Spurs will have seven home games and eight away games.
• Will face the Phoenix Suns, the team which ended their playoff run, on November 3, in Phoenix.
• Their first meeting with their rival, the Dallas Mavericks, will be on November 26, in San Antonio. Also will be the first time former Spur, Ian Mahinmi, will be back in San Antonio.

December:

• This month will be kind to the Spurs as they will have eleven home games and four away games.
• They will have a six game home-stand in December.
• The defending NBA Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, will make their first appearance in San Antonio on December 28.

January:

• Spurs will have...

By Michael De Leon, Project Spurs

San Antonio Spurs fans may hate to face this reality, but Gregg Popovich will not be coach of the Spurs forever.

Finding a successor for one of the best coaches in league history won’t be an easy task, but we'll list some of our favorites today.

#1: Mike Budenholzer

“Coach Bud” has been by Pop’s side through all four championships and he is the longest-tenured assistant on the Spurs’ staff. Not to mention, he’s also getting head coaching job interviews and offers left and right.

The team also knows him well and respects him, which is very important, especially for a veteran-laden team. He's coached several summer leagues, takes over when Pop gets ejected and Pop has given him plenty of opportunities to coach during preseason.

The reason Budenholzer hasn't left for a higher pay-grade and head coaching job? He's likely being groomed and may have been promised the job here when Pop calls it quits.

Candidate #2: Scott Skiles<... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

San Antonio Spurs' center, Tiago Splitter, suffered a muscle contusion during the Super Four Basketball Tournament in Brazil:

Recently signed by the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, Splitter left the game in the third quarter, complaining of pain in his left thigh. Team doctors believed the player has a minor muscle contusion.

Splitter will undergo an MRI in order to check the degree of the injury. (source english.peopledaily.com)

This will not sit well with the Spurs organization nor Spurs fans.

Spurs fans have been through this before with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili playing for their respective national teams. In both instances, Parker and Ginobili suffered injuries.

I am sure this will spark a fresh debate among Spurs fans over foreign players playing during the summer instead of preparing and not risking injury prior to the new Spurs season.

UPDATE:

According to esporte.ig.com, Splitter did undergo an MRI for his thigh contusion and the results were not serious.... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

In the NBA, the point guard position is considered the most difficult position to play. It's not simply putting the ball in the basket. One has to be the floor leader, direct teammates, carry the burden of being the coach's voice on the court and much more.

It might be even tougher for a young point guard trying to make it in the NBA when the team is a championship caliber team like the San Antonio Spurs with head coach Gregg Popovich, who demands a lot from his point guard. Ask Tony Parker when he first arrived to the Spurs. 

Curtis Jerrells knows a thing or two being a point guard with the Spurs. In 2009, the Spurs signed Jerrells to their summer training camp and though he did not make the Spurs squad, he was offered a chance to be play for the Austin Toros (the Spurs’ NBDL affiliate) to develop his game.

In March 2010, Jerrells was called up from Austin to join the team because of an injury to guard Garrett Temple. Although... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

They arrive hours early to the AT&T Center, paint their faces black and sliver, wear everything and anything related to the Spurs and will gladly chant "Go Spurs Go" on command.

Of course I am talking about the San Antonio Spurs fans! Well Spurs fanatics, your efforts have not gone unnoticed.

According to Forbes.com, the Spurs' fan-base has been ranked in the top 10 of America's Best Sports Fans:

Right behind the Celtics at No. 8 are the San Antonio Spurs. Like their team leader, Tim Duncan, the Spurs are quiet champions. They’ve made the playoffs the last 13 seasons. Fan devotion is may be increased by the fact that they are the only big pro team in town.

Way to go Spurs fans. To rank eighth overall in all of the big four professional leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB) speaks volumes.

You know what else speaks volumes? The fact Spurs fans beat out Los Angeles Lakers fans where they ranked 12th overall on the list.

Click HERE for more great Spurs coverage... (more)

Arianne Villanueva, Project Spurs

Hola amigos y fieles seguidores de los San Antonio Spurs.  Hoy repasare unas noticias sobre los nuevos jugadores de los Spurs con ustedes.

El equipo de los Spurs se ha mantenido bastante ocupado esta temporada ya que se ha dedicado este verano a buscar jugadores elementales para reconstruir su equipo. Comenzamos con la impactante y emocionante noticia de nuestro mas nuevo jugador elegido la noche de la reclutacion de la NBA 2010, James Anderson. Este joven jugador de tan solo 21 años de edad fue reclutado de Oklahoma State University. Anderson fue reconocido como uno de los mejores anotadores de canasta y también como uno de los mejores pivots durante la reclutacion de la NBA 2010. Esperemos que este novato recién seleccionado para los Spurs sea una buena adición.

Definitivamente los Spurs han aprovechado muy bien su tiempo para contratar a varios jugadores excepcionales. Entre ellos sobre sale también el famoso y fenomenal jugador de baloncesto Tiago Splitter.... (more)

On this episode of the Spurscast, the women of Project Spurs, Spurscast En Espanol host Arianne Villanueva and staff-writer Emily Allen, take over the Spurcast to voice their thoughts on the offseason player additions for the San Antonio Spurs.

Arianne questions whether Tiago Splitter's style of play will translate into the NBA, Emily defends the resigning of Matt Bonner and much more!

The Spurscast! The first and original Spurs podcast!

Click HERE to listen to the show at Project Spurs.

By Jason Rogers, Project Spurs

With what might turn out to be their final offseason move, the San Antonio Spurs signed former Towson star, and Italian league player, Gary Neal, to a three-year deal last week.  Neal proved to be a pleasant surprise on the Spurs' undefeated summer league team, averaging 16 points per game and shooting 50% from the three-point line. 

During Neal's current stint in Italy, he lead the league in scoring on 65% shooting from the field.  While his offensive game appears to be fairly complete, defensively he often struggles.  Here is how Draft Express evaluates this portion of his game:

The main thing he must work on is his defense, though, as he lacks great size or length and doesn’t always appear to be putting in the best effort on this end of the floor, particularly fighting through screens and such, although he is capable of making plays from time to time thanks to his quick feet and solid anticipation skills.

By Lance Fell, Project Spurs

Three seems to be a magic number in the NBA. It's even more magical if you put the word "big" in front of it.

With LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining the Miami Heat with Dwayne Wade to complete the "Holy Trinity" of big threes and rumors of Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony creating a big three in New York next season with Amar'e Stoudemire, it's as if NBA General Managers discovered some fool-proof way to win championships as long as you have not one, but three superstars.

Even the Chicago Bulls solidified a big three lite this summer with the acquisition of Carlos Boozer to go along with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

So whats the deal with all these "big three" and where did teams get the idea that a big three can deliver championships? To find the answer, look no further than the San Antonio Spurs. The team with the best "big three" of recent years.

For the past two decades, there hasn't been a better trio like Tim... (more)

By Jeff Cerda, Project Spurs

In part three of "The San Antonio Spurs Family Tree" series, let's take a look at those who were once a Spur or worked for the team in the front-office and their success, or lack thereof, after leaving San Antonio.

It's no secret, the Spurs organization is a breeding ground for quality front-office personnel. Time after time, if there is a front-office vacancy on an NBA team, chances are someone from the Spurs will be a top candidate.

And who can blame those teams for looking at the Spurs' talent-pool? The franchise is considered the cream-of-the-crop when it comes to finding talent late in the draft or overseas. Not to mention the quality people who make up the organization, forge a title contending team every season.

Now let's look at four ex-members of the Spurs and how they did as General Managers after leaving San Antonio.

Steve Kerr

Kerr played for the Spurs from 1998 to 2001 and again in the 2002-2003 season. He won two NBA titles while he was in... (more)

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

According to a report from ESPN's Outside the Lines, a vendor inspection report was done among NBA teams and the AT&T Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs, scored among the worst in the NBA when it comes to food violations.

AT&T Center
San Antonio Spurs
Vendors with critical violations: 48%
Inspection report excerpt: Inspectors found 18 pounds of hot dogs that had expired more than 10 days prior.

Granted this is bad but it could be worse. The Denver Nuggets had violations for phorid flies, sometimes called coffin flies, in a bottle of cognac.

So the next time you are at a Spurs game, you want to rethink buying that hot dog.

By Jeff Garcia, Project Spurs

When San Antonio Spurs’ guards, Tony Parker and George Hill, suffered injuries in the last season, the Spurs signed Garrett Temple out of the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, to a 10-day contract to help fill the void at the point guard position.

Many Spurs fans were left scratching their heads as to who was Temple and did he have what it takes to step in for players such as Parker and Hill?

Those questions were answered immediately when Hill suffered a late season injury and Temple got his first NBA start against the Sacramento Kings.

Stepping in for Hill, Temple poured in 15 points, 4 assist, and 3 rebounds, in 27 minutes of play against the Kings helping the Spurs secure the win. Even after that great performance, he showed what really mattered, the team, "The biggest thing honestly is that we get the win no matter if I had two points, seven turnovers. As long as we won the game, that's the big thing."

In all, he played a total of 13 regular... (more)

By Robby Lim, Project Spurs

With many players changing teams this offseason throughout the NBA, a lot of teams may have improved on paper. The San Antonio Spurs have done their share of player movement by adding Tiago Splitter, James Anderson, Gary Neal and re-signing Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson. Also, it's still possible the team might add a piece or two before their summer is done.

But what about the rest of the Southwest Division? Did those teams make moves which could spell trouble for the Spurs in the upcoming season? Let's find out.

New Orleans Hornets

Roster wise this team is the same as last year. Their summer work has been so far highlighted by hiring former Spurs Monty Williams as their new coach and Dell Demps as their new GM. Despite Chris Paul's trade request, it is highly unlikely that the Hornets will grant his wish with two more years left in his contract. Also if there should be a Paul trade, Emeka Okafor's contract will be required as part of the trade which... (more)