Spurs.com: Spurs to Celebrate 10th Anniversary Of 1999 Championship

[duncan228]

Spurs to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of 1999 Championship (http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/090612_99championship.html)

Spurs.com will take fans on an insiders look back at the Championship run with a different feature each day during the 10-day run.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA Championship in 1999 and to celebrate the 10th Anniversary, Spurs.com will highlight 10 days of exclusive content beginning Monday, June 15 and running through Wednesday, June 24.

Spurs.com will take fans on an insider’s look back at the Championship run with a different feature each day during the 10-day run. Highlights include exclusive interviews with Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson and Brandon Williams, the 14th man on the 1999 Championship team. The site will also feature a 4-part video series highlighting the Spurs 1998-99 season and playoff run to the 1999 NBA Championship, as well as a ‘where are they now’ section and photo gallery.

Log on to spurs.com starting Monday, June 15 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Spurs first NBA Championship.

Spurs 2009-10 season tickets are on sale now by calling 444-5050 or by visiting spurs.com.

[rayray2k8]

Ah yes, great memories. Nothing like the first time. :lol

[Spurm]

Was it the lockout shortened season in which Phil Jackson placed an asterisk next to it?

[rayray2k8]

Very bitter Magic fan. :lol
That or an obsessed suns/rocket/lakers fan..
Take your pick.

[Chieflion]

This shows that Spurs are old as dirt.

[timvp]

Spurs to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of 1999 Championship (http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/090612_99championship.html)

Spurs.com will take fans on an insiders look back at the Championship run with a different feature each day during the 10-day run.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA Championship in 1999 and to celebrate the 10th Anniversary, Spurs.com will highlight 10 days of exclusive content beginning Monday, June 15 and running through Wednesday, June 24.

Spurs.com will take fans on an insider’s look back at the Championship run with a different feature each day during the 10-day run. Highlights include exclusive interviews with Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson and Brandon Williams, the 14th man on the 1999 Championship team. The site will also feature a 4-part video series highlighting the Spurs 1998-99 season and playoff run to the 1999 NBA Championship, as well as a ‘where are they now’ section and photo gallery.

Log on to spurs.com starting Monday, June 15 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Spurs first NBA Championship.

Spurs 2009-10 season tickets are on sale now by calling 444-5050 or by visiting spurs.com.

This sounds like it's going to be awesome :hungry:

[ace3g]

maybe they will finally release the Spurs 99 Championship video on DVD

[Blackjack]

Spurs to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of 1999 Championship (http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/090612_99championship.html)

Spurs.com will take fans on an insider’s look back at the Championship run with a different feature each day during the 10-day run. Highlights include exclusive interviews with Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson and Brandon Williams, the 14th man on the 1999 Championship team. The site will also feature a 4-part video series highlighting the Spurs 1998-99 season and playoff run to the 1999 NBA Championship, as well as a ‘where are they now’ section and photo gallery.

Brandon Williams?:wow


:lol

[TDMVPDPOY]

no country for old men

[Sean Cagney]

Still old men or not they got that title which was their first! You have to start from there, and they DID 3 more times!


GO SPURS GO. Get #5 next year baby, please.

[Spurs Brazil]

This will be great

I hope they put a lot of highlights of the Spurs killing the Lakers and shutting down the Forum

The AJ shot in game 3 at LA was very very similar play of the game 5 at NY.

TD in the post, double, kick to Elliottt, who drive and pass to AJ in the corner to the dagger

[DannyT]

*

[Spurminator]

How about a tenth anniversary DVD re-release of the Championship video?

[ace3g]

I was saying the same thing

[ace3g]

maybe they will finally release the Spurs 99 Championship video on DVD


How about a tenth anniversary DVD re-release of the Championship video?

I was saying the same thing, I've actually never seen the 99 championship video, never got it, hopefully they will release it on DVD so I can add it to my collection

[rascal]

Thats nice, the spurs are celebrating the 1999 championship while the Lakers are celebrating this year's championship.

[EricB]

Thats nice, the spurs are celebrating the 1999 championship while the Lakers are celebrating this year's championship.


God, kill yourself.

[rascal]

God, kill yourself.


Why are you telling God to kill himself.

[EricB]

Why are you telling God to kill himself.

No I'm telling you.

You are nothing but a fucking jackass who thinks hes got to rain on everyone's parade with their supposed intelligence.

If the Spurs are celebrating their first ring, why the fuck must you be a dickhead and say "oh woe is me the Lakers are this this this'

STFU.

[Chieflion]

I was saying the same thing, I've actually never seen the 99 championship video, never got it, hopefully they will release it on DVD so I can add it to my collection
I have the championship VCD of 1999.

[objective]

the 99 championship program is already on dvd.

It's part of the 25 year title set from the nba.

NBA: 25 Years of Champions

It's at amazon for only $20.

[Mel_13]

the 99 championship program is already on dvd.

It's part of the 25 year title set from the nba.

NBA: 25 Years of Champions

It's at amazon for only $20.

:tu for the info

Prompted me to check on the 16-disk set that was put out in 2007 that had all 16 Finals wins in their entirety. I hadn't seen it priced below $69.99 and they have it now for $39.99. So it'll be here in a few days.

Thanks.

[spursdotcom]

Here's part 1 (of 4) of our video documenting the season and playoff run.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part1.html

:toast

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

I'll never forget the moment Elliott threw the ball in the air in the final seconds.

[Spurs Brazil]

Here's part 1 (of 4) of our video documenting the season and playoff run.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part1.html

:toast

Thanks for the video.

Can you make it available for download?

[duncan228]

Here's part 1 (of 4) of our video documenting the season and playoff run.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part1.html

:toast

Great stuff. Looking forward to the rest.

[alamo50]

I am so so very happy and proud to have experienced #1 as a fan of the franchise in '99.

:lobt:

[barbacoataco]

With Hollinger recently giving credit to the Spurs as the #3 all-time franchise and the 1999 team as their best ever, this team is being recognized as a great team. The only year the Spurs had Duncan and DRob more or less in their prime in the playoffs, they were so tough on defense. Mario Elie and Sean E were also tough defenders and Avery was scrappy. That team would have given any of the great NBA teams a run for its money. The combo of Duncan and DRob was too much for anyone to match up with.

Hollinger's stats like the 1999 team and even though I think he's usually pretty lame, a lot of of people read his articles and believe what he says.

[timvp]

Here's part 1 (of 4) of our video documenting the season and playoff run.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part1.html

:toast

Awesome.

:hat

[spursdotcom]

http://www.nba.com/media/spurs/pod_090615.jpg

Have a favorite memory from when the Spurs won the 1999 NBA Championship? Tell us about it!

http://www.nba.com/spurs/contact/fan_memories_99title.html

(This is not Tuesday's feature, just wanted to pass it along)

:toast

[JudynTX]

Here's part 1 (of 4) of our video documenting the season and playoff run.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part1.html

:toast

:lobt2: This is awesome! I'll never forget where I was when we won it in '99....@ Tiffany Billiard's on San Pedro. Cried my eyes out! :lol Didn't we all? :D

[spursdotcom]

Part 2 of the video series is now up - http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part2.html

enjoy!

:toast

[spursdotcom]

Day 3: One-on-One with Avery Johnson

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/avery_johnson_qa_99title.html

:toast

[urunobili]

Day 3: One-on-One with Avery Johnson

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/avery_johnson_qa_99title.html

:toast

It would be awesome if you make a re-edition ofr the 99 video on DVD... that one cannot be found anywhere :depressed

[Spurs1234]

they do make a dvd version, its on the nba dvd with all finals dvds, you can find it for 25 dollars on certain websites, which is a good price.

[spursdotcom]

Day 4 - Where are they now?

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/where_are_they_now_99champs.html

:toast

[Libri]

I have the original Road To The Championship tape. I bought it for 50 cents. It was being kicked around on the floor at a thrift store.

[Mel_13]

99 Photos From the 99 Playoffs

http://www.nba.com/spurs/photos/99_from_99.html

[lefty]

Garnett :lmao

" We are going to shock the world ! "


PWNED :rollin

[Spurs Brazil]

A Look Back At The 1999 Championship From The End Of The Bench
by Kris Davis, Spurs.com


Athletes everywhere in every sport spend years toiling for that rare, sometimes eternally elusive championship ring. It took Brandon Williams four minutes.
Williams, a 6-6 guard out of Davidson College, was signed by the Spurs just days before the 1999 lockout-shortened season got underway. Although he played sparingly, logging just four minutes in three regular-season games, and did not see any action during the playoffs, Williams was still one of 14 players that helped the Spurs capture their first NBA title.

“It was a great year and definitely a learning experience,” Williams recalled from his office at NBA Headquarters in New York. “My role on the team was pretty much to be the guy to keep the energy level up all the time. Pop and I had a great conversation in training camp and he told me that he put this team together to make a run at the championship and I told him that I could play a part in that.”

Williams joined the Spurs as a 23-year-old shooting guard with a résumé that included just nine NBA games along with stops in Europe and the CBA. On a team built around seasoned veterans with eight guys having played nine-plus seasons in the NBA, Williams was asked to bring youth and energy during practices to help the Spurs prepare for the younger stars the team would face during their playoff run.

“These guys needed to be prepared because they were going to have to play some young stars like Kobe (Bryant), Latrell Sprewell, Allen Houston and Bonzi Wells; guys at the two position that were athletic,” Williams said. “It was my job to go nuts sometimes. During the playoffs in particular, I would get the green light to act as much like Kobe or Sprewell or whoever it was as I could be.”

Despite being one of the last guys off the bench Williams kept himself prepared at all times and helped his teammates by being available any time of the day even when practices weren’t scheduled.

“If Pop gave the team day off, I knew that Steve Kerr or Jaren Jackson might not take the day off because they didn’t play a lot of minutes,” Williams said. “I looked at the way they prepared themselves and they had to go into the gym and get their competition. They had to keep their conditioning. If those guys were going to be in the gym, I was definitely going to be in the gym. I couldn’t let those guys show up to an empty gym.”

Williams has great memories from the Championship run. One of the season’s funnier moments for him is when the team was returning from a road trip and some of the guys realized that he was wearing a short-sleeve button-up shirt with a tie under his sports coat.

“You know NBA guys like to dress sharp,” Williams said. “I hadn’t been on the team very long and hadn’t gotten the chance to go out and revamp my wardrobe. We got on the plane and I took my jacket and tie off and Jaren (Jackson) said “What is that? I haven’t seen a short sleeve dress shirt since Catholic school.” Everybody just started going off on me and coming up with their best one-liners about my shirt. It was so bad that I actually took the shirt off and threw it away on the plane. The guys just wouldn’t let it go so I went and sat in back of the plane with the support staff.”

It’s memories like that plane ride that defy many people’s perception of Spurs teams as old, boring and stiff. “To know that is not true, I just get a kick out if it,” Williams said.

Of course, no memory tops the championship itself, even though looking back Williams wished the Spurs could have won the Championship on their home court.

“I wish we could have won it at the Alamodome because the experience in the Dome with Spurs fans was a lot of different than in other arenas,” Williams said. “I knew how badly San Antonians wanted it. You could see how proud people were at the parade.”

Following the season Williams left the Spurs and continued his professional career playing in Europe and in several semi-pro leagues in the U.S. He later had opportunities in the NBA with the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons but never caught on with one team.

“The experience of being part of that Championship team gave me confidence,” Williams said. “I was always chasing a dream that other people felt wouldn’t happen. Maybe there was some vindication in winning the championship, because not only did I make it, I was at least for some portion of time a part of one of the best teams in the world.”

Today, Williams works for the NBA as the Director of Basketball Operations. In his role he oversees all on-court operations, including officiating, game conduct and discipline, competition, as well as in-game operations issues. As part of William’s job he spends a lot of time on the road throughout the season which enables him to catch up with some of his former teammates.

“Being in the business I see the guys pretty often,” Williams said. “I run into Will (Purdue) quite a bit. I’ve seen Avery (Johnson) over the years. I run into David (Robinson) at the big events. I deal with Steve (Kerr) quite a bit doing what I do. Malik is still around playing so I will occasionally bump into him. The business keeps us in the circle.”

When Williams needs a break from basketball, he’s usually working on a home improvement project or watching the Do it Yourself Network. In fact, Williams was featured on one of the network’s shows. Man Caves.

“These guys (show producers) reached out to me to be on the show so I did it,” Williams recalled. “On the show they take a space in your house and they make it a dedicated “man cave.” A lot of guys like to theme the room. Me being an NBA guy, they themed it basketball. One of the cool features they did for me is they installed an accessible safe behind my Spurs jersey for my ring. When the guys come over they like looking through all the memorabilia and I can open it for them to take a look.”

Williams may have only played in three games for the Spurs during that magical run to their first NBA Championship, but he will always be able to do something many NBA players can only dream of: sit back in his man cave and reminisce of all the great memories and friendships while his championship ring rests safely behind a Spurs jersey that saw just four minutes of action.

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/brandon_williams_99title.html

[Spurs Brazil]

“These guys needed to be prepared because they were going to have to play some young stars like Kobe (Bryant), Latrell Sprewell, Allen Houston and Bonzi Wells; guys at the two position that were athletic,” Williams said. “It was my job to go nuts sometimes. During the playoffs in particular, I would get the green light to act as much like Kobe or Sprewell or whoever it was as I could be.”

Bonzi didn't play in the 99 playoffs

R.Wallace was the starting SF and Rider started at SG. JJ, W.Williams and Augmon were the subs at the wing.

[Ditty]

man did the blazers have some talented teams those years and never won a championship

[spursdotcom]

Three new (old) articles for Sunday. Dug these out of NBA.com's archives.

1999: Spurs Tower Over NBA
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999_spurstower.html

Little General Marches Spurs to 1st Championship
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/090621_generalmarches.html

Garden Variety Shootout
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/090621_gardenshootout.html

[duncan228]

Garden Variety Shootout
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/090621_gardenshootout.html

Thanks! Always fun to relive.

[Spurm]

Pathetic these bitches celebrating the asterisk title!! lol

[JudynTX]

:depressed I lost my Spurs '99 championship tshirt.

[spursdotcom]

Nine Questions about 1999 with Sean Elliott
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/090622_elliott.html

:toast

[spursdotcom]

Nine Questions about 1999 with Peter Holt
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/090623_holt.html

:toast

[Taco]

Day 4 - Where are they now?

http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/where_are_they_now_99champs.html

:toast


Cool thanks :tu

[spursdotcom]

We're wrapping up our 10 days of celebration, thanks to everyone for sending in their memories and coming to the site to relive history. Here are parts 3 and 4 of the video retrospective, they encompass the entire playoff run. Enjoy and Go Spurs Go!

Part 3
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part3.html

Part 4
http://www.nba.com/spurs/features/1999championship_part4.html

:toast

[Budkin]

I was already living in Austin at the time, but the night they won I was back in my hometown in upstate NY where obviously most people were Knicks fans. I was drinking at a local bar and I was the only one in the place celebrating when the buzzer sounded and had to make a quick getaway before the goons came after me. Great night!