<P> Playing a shortened 50 - game season, the Spurs earned an NBA - best 37--13 record (. 740 win percentage, and only season since Duncan was drafted the Spurs did not win at least 50 games in a season as of 2016). The team was just as dominant in the playoffs, rolling through the Western Conference with a record of 11--1 . In the NBA Finals, they faced the New York Knicks, who had made history by becoming the first eighth seed to ever make the NBA Finals . The Spurs won the series and the franchise's first NBA Championship in Game 5 at the Knicks' home arena, Madison Square Garden . Duncan was named the NBA Finals MVP . The Spurs became the first former ABA team to reach and to win the NBA Finals . They also won the 1999 McDonald's Championship in the off - season and were the last champions of that tournament as it was disbanded right after . </P> <P> Coming off their first NBA Championship, the Spurs were still among the best teams in the West and battling for first place in the Midwest Division during the 1999--2000 season . On March 14, the Spurs playoff spirits got a lift when Sean Elliott, who received a kidney transplant from his brother prior to the season, returned and played in the last 19 games . As the season wound down, Duncan suffered a knee injury and the Spurs finished in second place with a 53--29 record . Without Duncan, the Spurs were knocked out of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in four games . </P> <P> The long - term viability of the Spurs franchise in San Antonio was, however, achieved during the 1999--2000 season, as Bexar County voters approved increases in car rental and hotel taxes which would allow for the construction of a new arena next to the Freeman Coliseum . The Spurs finished with 58--24 records for both the 2000--01 and 2001--02 seasons but found themselves suffering playoff ousters in both seasons from the eventual NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, getting swept from the 2001 Conference Finals and losing in five games during the second round in 2002 . </P> <P> Entering the 2002--03 season, the team knew it would be memorable for at least two reasons, as David Robinson announced that it would be his last in the NBA and the Spurs would begin play at their new arena, the SBC Center, named after telecommunications giant SBC, whose corporate headquarters were located in San Antonio (SBC became AT&T after its acquisition of its former parent company). To mark this occasion, the Spurs revamped their "Fiesta Colors" logo and reverted to the familiar silver and black motif (though, during the time of the Fiesta logo, the uniform remained silver and black). This version of the Spurs was very different from the team that had won the title a few years earlier . Second - year French star Tony Parker, drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft, was now the starting point guard for the Spurs . The squad featured a variety of newly acquired three - point shooters, including Stephen Jackson, Danny Ferry, Bruce Bowen, Steve Kerr, Steve Smith and Argentine product Manu Ginóbili, a 1999 second - round draft choice playing in his first NBA season . </P>

When was the last time the spurs were swept