Higgins is the only Wolverine SPARKY can find that the Spurs drafted.
The Spurs did draft another player from state of Michigan in the second round in the 1990s. Interestingly enough his alma mater was the same as the first Spur to enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Who did the Spurs draft and what was the name of the university he attended and played at?
Indeed.No one's got it so far. The weird thing is I've already asked this question on the forum. I don't remember who knew it last time ... I'm thinking it was MI21.
Cool thread too
Which Spurs' 1st round draft pick was a HOYA?
Derrick Dial. Eastern Michigan.
That is correct. What UConn Huskie did the Spurs draft in the 1990s in the 1st round?
Ahem, you guys gotta at least take a guess at the Baseline bum question...you have a 50-50 chance at being right
True. I watched him play the Lakers on TV.
They did? I must be slipping.
How could you forget UConn after all the joy that Connecticut has brought to Spurs' fandom over the years?
Ghostal Writer?
You got it right...I know because he told me that in an argument once. I applaud him for not answering a question he and unfair advantage to answer.True. I watched him play the Lakers on TV.
SPARKY recalls...
Beach Dawg...played by Jud Buechler
Big Dawg.......played by Mr. Carr
Who is the co-holder of the NCAA division 1 record for most assists in a game, and holds the records for assists per game and for a college career?
Dawg Bone.....played by Willie Anderson
Dawg Biscuit...played by Chuck Person
Snoop Dawg...played by Sleepy Floyd
Well done, I was hoping to catch you off guard on that one.
Ain't happenin'. Just another reason his jersey should be retired.
Who did AJ get in a fight with that led to the famous line "I WILL NOT BE MIS-HANDLED"?
I agree couthatsouthernucough
First off, SPARKY must apologize for the moniker Mr. Carr used for the Spurs' bench was "The Canine Club", though he did also refer to it as the "Dawg Pound" as well...
Secondly, here some's background (courtesy of the $4.95 SPARKY just dropped on one day's access to the Express-News' online archives...
More trips down memory lane...San Antonio Express-News
Page 17C
SPURS.SPOTLIGHT CANINE CONTACT Chest bump has become instant tradition among Spurs reserves Spurs Spotlight
Tom Orsborn Express-News Staff Writer
Publication Date : November 17, 1991
Spurs radio announcer Jay Howard has seen athletes express joy in a lot of different ways during his years as a play-by-play man.
But until the Spurs began the 1991-92 season on the night of Nov. 1, he had never seen the now-famous (at least in San Antonio) "chest bump."
"No, I have not seen anything like that," Howard said. "I've seen everything else. I've seen high fives, low fives, head butts, touching wrists, touching forearms. I've even seen two college guys push their butts together in the end zone after a touchdown. I guess that's called a butt bump.
"But, no, I've never seen a chest bump."
Enter Antoine Labotte Carr and his pack of pooches, a.k.a The Canine Club.
For those of you who have been out of town since the season started, the Canine Club is what Carr has dubbed the team's scrappy reserves.
"The chest bump is part of the Canine Club," Carr said. "You ever see two dogs out in the yard when they are kind of going after it? Well, they get up on their haunches and wrestle with each other and bump chests.
"We're big dawgs, so we do that, too."
Coach Larry Brown, who did many a forearm bump with former Spur Frank Brickowski, says he doesn't mind the chest bump, although he would rather not have the 6-foot-9, 265-pound, muscle-bound Carr slamming into 6-9, 215-pound Sean Higgins.
"We aren't physical enough to hurt anybody," Brown joked when asked whether he worries about the chest bump hurting anybody.
"It reminds me of a blooper film in the NFL," the coach said. Seconds later he added, "We've got to have good matchups when we do it."
Carr, the founder of the Canine Club, said the bump might not be as dangerous as his dawg's bite.
"The only thing I worry about is that we might bite somebody without our shots," Carr said with a laugh. "I'm still worried about rabies. We've already had to clip their tails and toenails and we had everyone de-wormed."
And what do you feed the dawgs, Antoine?
"We eat nothing but the best," he said. "Steaks and opponents."
The chest bump and other Canine Club antics aren't just limited to the players. Members of the Spurs front office, including Executive Vice President Russ Bookbinder, were seen slamming chests after Wednesday's 103-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Spurs owner Red McCombs has also thrown out his chest a few times.
"You should see him after the games," one Spurs employee said. "He goes down there and shakes hands with the players and bumps a few chests. He really gets into it."
Carr said McCombs even did a few growls and barks with the players before one recent home game.
"He came up and barked at me and I didn't know what he was doing," Carr said. "It cracked me up."
A fun-loving sort, Carr is playing his Big Dawg alter ego for all it's worth.
After seeing a picture in Thursday's Express-News of him diving for a loose ball, Carr nodded and said, "Looks just like a canine going for its bone."
Make that a chest-bumping canine.
And more. SPARKY heard that KO'K lives and works in Austin as a Domino's delivery guy. SPARKY wants to call him up and ask him if he still thinks Bob Hill was a better coach.Page 1B
CARR Pro Basketball Streamlined Carr ready to roll again for Spurs
David Flores Express-News Deputy Sports Editor
Publication Date : September 21, 1992
After an off-season of TV commercials, travel and fun in the sun, Spurs forward Antoine Carr says he is looking forward to his second season in San Antonio.
Carr's top priority with training camp less than three weeks away is to get his weight down, as instructed by new coach Jerry Tarkanian.
Weighing "around 280-something" at the end of last season, Carr said he has trimmed down to 272 pounds and hopes to be in the 260-265 range by early November.
"I'm still going down," Carr said over the weekend while he signed autographs at a car dealership. "I've been working out and getting ready. I've been running quite a bit."
Carr, 6-foot-9, even made time to work out during a recent 10-day vacation in Minnesota.
"I took my Lifecycle and stair-climber with me," he said with a smile. "I got some work in. It was nice up there, but a little bit too cool for me."
Carr, 31, said he plans to start more intense workouts Monday at Incarnate Word College, where some Spurs have been practicing on their own since last week.
The Spurs open training camp Oct. 9 and start the NBA regular season Nov. 6 in Sacramento.
With Terry mings recuperating from knee surgery, Carr is expected to move into the starting lineup at power forward. Carr was the Spurs' best player off the bench last season, energizing the team with his intense play and pleasing crowds at the Arena with his enthusiasm.
The Spurs traded center Dwayne Schintzius and a second-round draft pick in 1994 to Sacramento last Sept. 23 for Carr, a Wichita State alum.
Carr started at center the last 14 games of the regular season, after David Robinson was sidelined with a thumb injury. Carr averaged 17.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.21 blocked shots in 36.6 minutes per game during that span.
He played even better in the playoffs, averaging 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. The Phoenix Suns swept the Spurs in the best-of-five first-round series.
Preparing for his ninth NBA season, Carr said one of his primary goals will be to improve his rebounding. He averaged 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.19 blocked shots for the '91-92 season.
"I'd like to get up to eight to 10 rebounds a game and, ultimately, I'd like to average 12.5 a game," he said. "If I can get that for Coach Tarkanian, I'll do a good job."
One of the Spurs' more animated players, Carr doesn't expect to feel any extra pressure if he starts full time.
"It's really not that different from coming off the bench," he said. "You just have to start off earlier, be ready to go. I'll rely on the fans, the Canine Club, to hype me up. The fans are what keep me up."
Carr, known as "Big Dawg" by Spurs loyalists, started the Canine fan club shortly after his arrival in San Antonio.
mings is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee July 6.
"Any time a guy like Terry goes down, the team has to come together," Carr said. "It just won't be me replacing Terry. Other people will have to step in and help take up the slack."
Carr said he is "definitely excited" about playing for Tarkanian.
"We've talked a few times this summer," Carr said. "He told me he wanted me to get my weight down and come in ready to play."
Forward Sean Elliott and All-NBA center Robinson are the only full-time starters from the Spurs' 1991-92 team expected to be ready for training camp.
Guard/forward Willie Anderson is recovering from stress fractures in both legs and point guard Rod Strickland signed with Portland in July.
Carr, guard Greg Sutton and forward Sidney Green are the other holdovers from the '91-92 squad.
and morePage 3C
OKEEFFE.COLUMN Spurs relieved 'Big Dawg' not big Dwayne in big
Publication Date : July 12, 1992
OKEEFFE.COLUMN Spurs relieved 'Big Dawg' not big Dwayne in big picture Kevin O'Keeffe
As Spurs fans still try to recover from the shock of the probable season-ending injury to power forward Terry mings, they should be grateful for one thing: That Dwayne Schintzius went to Sacramento for Antoine Labotte Carr last September.
While not suggesting that Carr is the equal of mings, Antoine is a legitimate, big-time player. That's something Schintzius never will be.
"Antoine is a tough player," mings said. "He's got a hard body and he's really helped us."
Can you imagine the Spurs looking at the 1992-93 season without mings . . . and Carr?
"We're fortunate to have someone as good as Antoine," said Spurs vice president Bob Bass, who may begin having people taste his food and start his car given the current run of bad luck with the club.
It was Bass who first began to pursue Carr, recalling a night during the 1990-91 season when Carr was tearing up the Spurs for 23 points in the first half of a game in Sacramento. Seems Carr was having his way with mings and Sidney Green that night.
Carr averaged a career-best 20.1 points per game that sea son, leading the Kings in that category.
"Antoine was having contract problems with Sacramento," Bass said of the situation last off- season. "It seemed like a really good time to go in. Besides, the Kings had a surplus of forwards and were going with younger guys than Antoine (30 at the time).
"And Motta (then Kings coach) ran a high-post offense and that was best for Dwayne, facing the basket."
Hmmmm.
It seemed what was best for Dwayne was facing a buffet line.
The out-of-shape, excuse-ridden No. 1-draft-choice mistake of the Spurs in 1990 appeared disinterested of ever improving in S.A. Oh, Dwayne said all the right things. He just never translated his words into actions. Major-league theft
While Bass refuses to discuss the particulars of the deal in which Dwayne and a second-round pick in 1994 went to the Kings for Carr, suffice it to say Bass was shocked to be able to get a talent like Carr.
At least in that Bass did not have to resort to blackmail on Motta or others in the Kings' organization to make the swap.
Can you say S-T-E-A-L?
Especially so now, in light of the knee injury suffered by mings in a pickup basketball game last Monday. mings tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments of his right knee.
"It made sense for the Kings to take a reasonable risk in trading for Dwayne," Bass said, being overly generous to his foil.
But Carr's unhappiness with his contract extended to San Antonio, too, and on Oct. 11 last year, Carr's agent Eric Fleisher said he saw little hope for resolving things in S.A.
Fifteen days later, Carr got incentives added and reportedly received a $100,000 loan that pacified him. He did not receive an extension to the contract that runs through the 1993-94 season, though.
Carr, at 6-foot-9, 265 pounds, had the unenviable task of starting at center for then-interim coach Bass, when David Robinson injured his thumb toward the end of last season.
Despite being undersized in the middle, Carr averaged 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.21 blocked shots in Robinson's absence.
Even more than his contribution on the floor, Carr captured the heart of the fans with his Canine Club the nickname for the guys on the bench. Carr, of course, was the "Big Dawg."
Carr also became involved in various youth activities in the city. He's been busy with a motivational camp for youngsters this summer.
Also, "Big Dawg" can't be missed on TV commercials for a local water park.
And lest we forget Carr's chest-bumping routine with his teammates as they came off the floor during timeouts last year.
"I had no idea Antoine was that kind of an emotional guy," Bass said.
"Antoine is up on the bench all during a game and he really helped get our crowd into games last year. He's good to have on this team because of his emotion. He lets you know he's there and is excited about playing."
Bass said Carr will relish the chance of playing more minutes this year he reportedly gets a $50,000 bonus for 2,527 minutes although Bass said Carr obviously doesn't want the time at the expense of mings' health.
"But the minutes are really important to him and he'll jump at it," Bass said.
Bass admitted he also didn't realize what a quick jumper Carr was for his size.
"And those power dunks of his are another thing which really get the fans going," Bass said.
Perhaps the only potentially touchy area comes with Carr's contract.
Might Fleisher take this opportunity to try for an extension since his client will be a starter this season?
Might not this be the ideal time for a power play, since the Spurs are incredibly vulnerable with no one behind Carr and no money to grab even somebody like Larry Smith, free agent of the Houston Rockets?
Bass doubts such a thing, noting that the relationship between the club, Fleisher and Carr is very good. Everyone was pleased after the settlement last October.
And given the way Carr has immersed himself in the community, more contract discord would seem doubtful.
Spurs fans hope so.
As does Bass.
Pro Basketball Lucas wants more aggression from Spurs
Tom Orsborn Express-News Staff Writer
Publication Date : March 15, 1993
Spurs coach John Lucas isn't the type to keep his feelings hidden.
If his team is doing well during a game, he'll jump, punch the air, and slap hands with his players in what seems like one motion.
The only problem is Lucas would like to do his dance of joy in the first period, rather than in the middle quarters like he did Saturday in San Antonio's 108-99 victory over Portland.
Lucas, however, knows that his outbursts won't come without his starters playing the aggressive defense preached by the team's coaching staff.
"We really have been concentrating on not coming out sluggish defensively," Lucas said Sunday after an hour-long practice at the Arena. "We want to get our defensive intensity up at the very beginning of the game. We have to come out aggressive early because that really helps us.
"We want the starters (David Robinson, J.R. Reid, Sean Elliott, Dale Ellis and Avery Johnson) to set the tone for the course of the game."
The Spurs' next chance to get their coach up in the air early will come at 7 p.m. Monday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers at the Arena. The season series between the teams is tied at 1-1, with two games left.
"Oh, yes, defense is the key," said Johnson, who pleased Lucas and Assistant Coach Rex Hughes with his defensive effort Saturday against Portland's Rod Strickland.
"We were down 9-2 Saturday and then we picked it up with aggressive defense," Johnson continued. "David Robinson blocked some shots, we got some steals and we played good containment defense. Defense keys a lot of things for us. It gets us going."
It also helps them win. San Antonio is 27-3, including 16-1 at home, when it holds foes under 100 points.
"Defense is so important," Johnson said. "That is why the New York Knicks and Phoenix are doing so well. They play good defense."
Johnson, who is 23-8 as the starting point guard, said the Spurs' defense has improved gradually this season.
"Rex Hughes has done a great job helping us play better defense," Johnson said. "He is an excellent defensive coach. That's why I think he will make a great head coach someday. Then we've got John Lucas, who has more playoff experience than Rex and has added some things to help us.
"With those two guys working together, we've got a pretty good defensive plan."
Hughes said the Spurs' work in practice has helped them improve their transition game, which, in turn, improves their defense.
"The transition game is the key in this league, getting from offense to defense and getting matched up," Hughes said. "We've spent time working on that in practice and it's helped. But one thing I think we lack is intensity at the start of the game. You get off to a good start when you play good defense."
Poor starts doomed the Spurs to a 2-5 record during its last road trip. An aggressive start against Dallas on March 9 produced a 35-point victory and a somewhat aggressive beginning Saturday doomed Portland to its fifth-straight loss at the Arena.
Saturday's slow start, however, was countered by Antoine Carr's 13 second-period points. The Big Dawg turned in a superb game off the bench, finishing with a season-high 27 points.
"I just tried to do my normal work," said Carr, who came off the bench for Reid. "I'm back in the Dawg Pound again, so I went to get them (the reserves) going."
Carr said he does not mind coming off the bench.
"I don't mind J.R. starting and he doesn't mind me starting," Carr said. "We are good friends and we love each other. We want to see each other prosper."
"Antoine was exceptional tonight," Reid said after the game. "We kept going to him. When someone is hitting 12 for 17, you've got to stick with him."
With Carr ruling the low post, Reid played only 17 minutes against the Blazers.
"It was Antoine's night," Reid said. "We go with whoever is playing well. He did exactly what he was supposed to do when you come off the bench, and that is produce. We finished with him tonight and that's all right with me. When I'm hot, I play. When he is hot, he plays. That's the way it should be."
Reid has started the last seven games. Lucas said he will continue to bring Carr off the bench.
"If he (Carr) can come in and play against second teamers like he did last night, it makes a difference," Lucas said. "We've got Antoine and Willie Anderson coming off the bench and that makes for a solid top seven."Pro Basketball Big Dawg growls his loudest of year
Tom Orsborn Express-News Staff Writer
Publication Date : March 14, 1993
The frisbee-catching duo of Whizard and Magic weren't the only canines enjoying big outings at the Arena on Saturday.
Although Whizard and Magic received heavy applause when they performed at halftime, it wasn't anything compared to the cheers for the Spurs' Big Dawg power forward Antoine Carr.
In 30 minutes of reserve play, Carr tallied a season-high 27 points in leading the Spurs to a 108-99 victory over Portland. He hit 12 of 17 shots from the field and was 3 for 4 from the free-throw line.
"Man, we need more of that from Antoine," said Spurs point guard Avery Johnson, who dished out a team-high 14 assists. "Antoine was steaming tonight. We can't afford to have both him and (starting forward) J.R. Reid with so-called off nights. We need them to be on. When Antoine is on like he was tonight, we need to get him the ball."
Spending most of his time near the basket, Carr collected only seven points on outside jump shots. The right stuff
"My jump hook was going tonight and I tried to use it often," Carr said. "Avery and the guys were looking for me and I got the ball in good position, which was the key for me tonight."
Carr's biggest crowd-pleasing play came when he converted a fast-break pass from Johnson into a three-point play with 4:14 left in the third period. After sinking the layup and collecting the foul from Blazers guard Terry Porter, Carr ran to the bench for a brief celebration with rookie Sam Mack.
The two began by knocking heads and bumping chests. With that out of the way, they began kicking at each other.
"We put a little something together," Mack said of the kicks. "We didn't want to do the same old thing. We are getting ready for a long stretch and we wanted to do something different.
"We want to get the enthusiasm back that we had when Luke (Coach John Lucas) first got here. We want to take it (enthusiasm) to another level."
"That (the kicks with Mack) was just a little thing from the Dawg Pound (Carr's nickname for the Spurs' bench)," Carr said. "We wanted to let everyone know that the Dawg Pound is still alive. What I did with Sam was just a little leg shake. Call it Dawgs in the Hood."
The other Carr plays that pumped up the sellout crowd of 16,057 came in the final three minutes of play.
With 2:28 left, Carr went to the floor to grab a loose ball and force a jump ball with Portland forward Buck Williams. Carr tapped the ball to Johnson and the possession ended with Dale Ellis sinking a three-point shot with 2:10 left. Blaming the refs
Blazers coach Rick Adelman said a poor toss by an official was the reason why Carr won the tap on the jump ball with Williams.
"I don't understand why the league doesn't eliminate jump balls," Adelman said. "That ball was so far left there was no way Buck could get it. The referee could have retossed it. Every other league has eliminated the jump ball. The league could eliminate it, too.
"When you get to the fourth quarter you need to make sure the toss is good. They got it, executed, and made the three-pointer."
Carr added to Adelman's blues when he sank a turnaround bank shot over Williams with 1:28 remaining to give San Antonio a 102-93 lead.
"I just tried to do my normal work," said Carr, who came off the bench for Reid. "I'm back in the Dawg Pound again, so I went to get them (the reserves) going."
Carr said he does not mind coming off the bench.
"I don't mind J.R. starting and he doesn't mind me starting," Carr said. "We are good friends and we love each other. We want to see each other prosper." Trail Blazers San Antonio
Steve Nash
The will make you feel old question: How many players are still active from the 89-90 Spurs and the team that eliminated them that year from the post season(they didn't have to be on the playoff roster, just a member of the team, although it's a moot point on this question anyway)
No googling on this one!
That was a nice trip down memory lane, SPARKY. Those were the days.
Nobody.
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