A FRANCHISE TO REMEMBER SPANISH PRIESTS BUILT MISSIONS SUCH AS THE ALAMO TO SPREAD CATHOLICISM 8 A FRANCHISE TO REMEMBER
GEORGE GERVIN In the city of San Antonio Texas tourists make sure to visit a nearly 300-year-old building called the Alamo The small mission was the site of one of the most famous battles in Texas history During the Texas Revolution a small group of fighters including frontiersmen Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett occupied the mission as it was attacked by approximately 5,000 Mexican troops They held the Alamo for 13 days before finally being overwhelmed Although they were defeated their no-surrender attitude became an inspiration Years later Remember the Alamo became a popular battle cry of United States soldiers Since 1973 the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association NBA have given fans something to remember The Spurs were named after the metal disks that cowboys attach to their boots to help guide their horses As the sole major professional sports franchise operating in 9
GUARD JAMES SILAS AVERAGED 23 8 POINTS PER GAME DURING HIS BEST PRO SEASON 1975 76 San Antonio the team captures the full attention of its home city and its fans prove their loyalty every home game by packing the AT T Center and shaking the rafters with cheers San Antonio however was not the club’s first home The story of the Spurs began in Dallas 275 miles northeast of San Antonio In 1967 the American Basketball Association ABA was launched as a rival to the NBA and one of the original ABA teams was a squad called the Dallas Chaparrals The Chaparrals affectionately known to their fans as the Chaps took their name from the thorny bushes common across much of Texas The first Chaps lineup was an eccentric group The team was led by player coach Cliff Hagan a physical swingman known for his deadly hook shot Most of the Chaps scoring came from center John Beasley and forward Cincinnatus Cincy Powell In the backcourt Maurice Toothpick McHartley the club’s top shooting guard was famous for playing entire games with a toothpick in his mouth Although the Chaps put together three winning seasons in their first five years they won only a single series in the ABA playoffs Despite the efforts of the players the franchise’s owners spent little money trying 10
COURTSIDE STORIES The Iceman Cometh The Spurs needed a ruling from a federal court and a lot of patience to bring George Gervin The Iceman to San Antonio In the early 1970s Virginia Squires owner Earl Foreman was deep in debt To keep his ABA franchise afloat Foreman began selling off his best players In late 1973 he sold Gervin to the Spurs for 225,000 but getting the highflying forward to San Antonio wasn’t easy ABA commissioner Mike Storen opposed the deal Without good players Storen knew the Squires were headed for disaster so he told Foreman to give back the money and keep Gervin But the Spurs didn’t want the money they wanted the Iceman and they filed a lawsuit against Foreman and Storen to complete the deal A federal judge immediately granted the Spurs a 10-day injunction an order to do or refrain from doing a certain act until a final ruling is made The Iceman finally arrived and to avoid any tricks from Storen or Foreman the Spurs hid Gervin in a San Antonio hotel until the courts at last ruled in the Spurs favor 11 The Iceman Cometh
