| San Antonio Spurs News: |
| SAN ANTONIO -- A lone spotlight beamed down on the center of the court at the AT&T Center on Tuesday, highlighting in all its golden glory the San Antonio Spurs' latest championship trophy.
"San Antonio: Where dynasties happen," NBA commissioner David Stern said. And with that the Spurs held the final celebration of their fourth title in nine seasons before getting started on defending it in the season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers. Demonstrating the team-first attitude Stern said the Spurs embody, the team's rings -- 14-karat gold and bearing almost 4.5 carats of diamonds -- were handed out first to the coaches, then to players in alphabetical order. "You know better than I do that your Spurs play with a team-first and a community-first attitude," Stern said. "That has made them the apple of your eye and has also make them four-time NBA champions." The Spurs swept LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games for the title. The celebration in San Antonio lasted several days, culminating with a parade along the city's famed River Walk and a party at the Alamodome. The handmade rings -- with diamonds in round, princess and baguette shapes -- say "NBA Champions" on the face and show the team's spur logo. In all, 21 rings were doled out in the pregame ceremony Tuesday. Eleven players from last year's team are returning this season. "It's beautiful. It's a very nice ring, one of our best," Tim Duncan said after the Spurs beat Portland 106-97. On one side of the ring is the Spurs' playoff record of 16-4, the NBA logo and the player's number and name. On the other side is the year, 2007, and a hammer splitting a rock. "You are truly the best fans in the NBA," Duncan told the cheering crowd during the ceremony. |
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| The San Antonio Spurs try to put the brakes on a two-game losing streak, as they welcome the New Orleans Hornets on Monday to the SBC Center.
It will be the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two clubs. The Spurs won the three previous contests, as they picked up a pair of wins at New Orleans Arena and defeated the Hornets, 93-83, in front of their home crowd on January 29th. Overall, the Spurs have won six of seven and eight of the last 10 contests in this series. The Hornets have lost two of three and four of their last six at San Antonio. The Spurs are expected to have All-Star Tim Duncan back in the lineup against New Orleans. Duncan has missed San Antonio's last two games with a sprained right ankle. San Antonio plays the second of a four-game homestand Monday. On Saturday, Kenyon Martin scored 23 points and Carmelo Anthony added 21 as the Denver Nuggets won their eighth straight, edging the Spurs, 90-87, at the SBC Center. Tony Parker led the way for a depleted Spurs team with 25 points. All-Stars Manu Ginobili (groin) and Duncan both sat out for San Antonio, Tony Massenburg ended with 16 points, while Devin Brown added 15 off the bench in the losing effort. Parker has a thigh injury that he suffered in the loss to Denver and is considered questionable for Monday's contest, while Ginobili, who has missed San Antonio's last two games, is doubtful. The Spurs are an impressive 28-3 as the host this season. Parker has scored in double-digits in 20 straight games. He is averaging 18.8 points and six assists in his last 10 contests. San Antonio will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday and the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday in the finale of the stand. After Friday's game, the Spurs will embark on a three-game road trip that will consist of stops in Detroit, New York and Indiana. |