Bold claim: this Spurs season could mark one of the most historic turnarounds in franchise lore. And yes, it might be even more remarkable than you think. Victor Wembanyama and a rising supporting cast aren’t just winning—they’re rewriting expectations, with a pace that could add roughly 24 more victories than last year. If that trajectory holds, where would this season rank among San Antonio’s greatest as the team pivots from rebuilding to contention?
SAN ANTONIO — The current Spurs story is hard to miss. Many observers would call it an overachievement, a team punching above its weight, driven by a blend of young talent and smart development. The national spotlight has followed, with an expanding television schedule and a surprising five players invited to NBA All-Star Weekend. That count even excludes Mitch Johnson, the head coach, who earned All-Star Game coaching rights in his very first full season at the helm.
Heading into the All-Star break, San Antonio sat as the No. 2 seed in a grueling Western Conference. The gap to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder was tighter than the distance to the third-seeded Denver Nuggets, illustrating how quickly the trajectory has shifted. At 38-16, the Spurs have already surpassed their win total from any full season this decade by four victories. If they keep this pace, they would finish around 58-24. It’s important to note that this projection doesn’t account for strength of schedule or potential injuries, both of which can alter outcomes.
A 58-win finish would represent a 24-win leap from last season, a jaw-dropping turnaround that would place this group among the franchise’s most transformative campaigns. Wembanyama would ascend further into the NBA’s elite, Stephon Castle would continue to emerge as an All-Star-caliber talent, and young contributors such as Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant would flaunt growing confidence on the court.
A look back at Spurs history shows that the franchise’s biggest turnarounds share a common thread: dramatic player impact, timely returns from key figures, and a team-wide acceleration that coincides with a shift in franchise dynamics. Here are the standout seasons that embodied those themes and reshaped the Spurs’ trajectory.
1997-1998: 56-26, 36-win improvement
The biggest year-to-year leap in Spurs history came with the return of a future Hall of Famer and the full return of a star who’d missed most of the previous season. David Robinson, already cemented as one of the NBA’s top players after the 1995 MVP season, played only a handful of games in 1996-97 as San Antonio endured a tough 20-62 record. The 1997 Draft brought Tim Duncan, an exceptionally touted prospect, and the rest is history: Robinson’s return paired with Duncan’s emergence helped the Spurs surge to a 56-26 mark and clinch a first-round playoff victory over Phoenix. Though they fell in the conference semifinals to the eventual Finals participant Utah Jazz, that season set the stage for a dynasty era to come.
1989-1990: 56-26, 35-win improvement
San Antonio endured a brutal 21-win season in 1988-89, one of the West’s worst records. Then came David Robinson, who had been drafted No. 1 overall in 1987 and waited through naval service before joining the court. The payoff showed in a strong start and finish: a 32-14 run to end the season, culminating in a 56-26 record. Robinson posted stellar averages (roughly 24.3 points, 12 rebounds, 3.9 blocks per game) and helped inaugurate a pattern where No. 1 overall picks translated into immediate impact for the Spurs. They also drafted Sean Elliott, a future franchise great, with the 3rd pick, who began his career with solid numbers as a rookie.
With Robinson, Elliott, Willie Anderson, and Terry Cummings anchoring the lineup, San Antonio captured its first playoff series win in seven years by sweeping the Nuggets in the opening round. They pushed the Trail Blazers to seven games in the conference semifinals, ultimately losing Game 7 in overtime as Portland’s Terry Porter delivered a 36-point performance. Those moments signaled the franchise’s arrival on the championship stage.
1999-2000: 53-29, 16-win improvement*
Note the asterisk: the previous season (1998-99) was shortened by a lockout, so while the Spurs improved by 16 wins the following year, their winning percentage rose from .646 to .740 rather than reflecting a straight 16-win increase in the same games count. The Spurs faced Phoenix in the playoffs again, a familiar postseason opponent from the late 1990s. This time, Phoenix delivered a swift first-round exit for San Antonio.
2015-2016: 67-15, 12-win improvement
That era’s Spurs already boasted an elite backbone: the Big Three—Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili, and Tony Parker—along with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green emerging as critical contributors. After a 55-27 season that included Leonard earning Defensive Player of the Year, San Antonio built on that groundwork by adding LaMarcus Aldridge and David West in the off-season. The team then delivered a franchise-best 67 wins, including an extraordinary 40-1 home record in San Antonio. The season was capped by a collision with the league’s other powerhouse—the Warriors’ historic 73-9 run—yet the Spurs stumbled in the second round against Kevin Durant and the Thunder, losing the series 4-2. Since then, the franchise has faced postseason challenges, but the 2015-2016 campaign remains a high-water mark for sustained excellence.
Notes: The comparison highlights that the Spurs’ biggest turnarounds are driven by a blend of spectacular comebacks, strategic acquisitions, and moments of breakthrough from new talents. If this year’s squad sustains its momentum, it could very well be placed among those defining seasons in Spurs lore, provided durability and continued growth from the young core hold steady.
