<P> 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 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 . </P> <P> Lucas was replaced by former Pacers coach Bob Hill for the 1994--95 season . Elliott returned to the team after an uneventful season with the Pistons, and the team finished with the NBA's best record at 62--20, cracking the 60 - win mark for the first time in franchise history . Robinson 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 . </P> <P> 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 a broken foot sidelined him for the rest of the season . Elliott also missed more than half the season due to 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 ppg . The Spurs ended the season with a 20--62 record, the worst in franchise history--and to date, the last time they have missed the playoffs . 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 . </P> <P> As disastrous as the 1996--97 season was for the Spurs, the offseason proved to be the opposite . With the third - worst record in the league, the Spurs won the NBA's 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 . </P>

When was the last time the spurs didn't make the playoffs