1998–99 San Antonio Spurs season

The 1998–99 NBA season was the 23rd season for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association, and their 32nd season as a franchise. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.

During the off-season, the Spurs acquired second-year guard Antonio Daniels from the Vancouver Grizzlies, acquired three-point specialist Steve Kerr from the Chicago Bulls, and signed free agents Mario Elie, and Jerome Kersey. After a promising rookie season from second-year star Tim Duncan, the Spurs got off to a slow start posting a 6–8 record in February. However, in March and April, the team won 31 of their final 36 games of the regular season, finishing in first place in the Midwest Division with a league-best 37–13 record, which was roughly equivalent to 61–21 in a full season, and earning the #1 seed in the Western Conference.

Duncan averaged 21.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while David Robinson averaged 15.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. In addition, Sean Elliott provided the team with 11.2 points per game, and Elie and Avery Johnson both contributed 9.7 points per game each, while Johnson led the team with 7.4 assists per game. Duncan also finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting behind Karl Malone and Alonzo Mourning, and Robinson finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Duncan finished tied in fifth place.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, the Spurs defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves three games to one. In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the Spurs' "Twin Towers" of Duncan and Robinson outplayed Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, as they swept the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games. In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers. After taking Game 1 with an 80–76 home win, the Spurs trailed by 17 points in Game 2; however, the Spurs made a fourth-quarter run that culminated with a game-winning three-pointer from Elliott, which was dubbed as the "Memorial Day Miracle" as they defeated the Trail Blazers, 86–85. The Spurs went on to sweep the Trail Blazers in four straight games, becoming the first former ABA team to play in the NBA Finals.

In the 1999 NBA Finals, the Spurs defeated the 8th-seeded New York Knicks in five games. In Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, Johnson hit the title-winning shot with 47 seconds left to win the game, 78–77, as the Spurs won their first NBA championship in franchise history; Duncan was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Kerr, who previously won three straight championships with the Chicago Bulls, won his fourth consecutive title. Following the season, Will Perdue re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Chicago Bulls.

In 2024, HoopsHype would list this Spurs squad as the team with the 24th easiest route to an NBA Finals championship, due to the opponents they faced in the first round, and the Finals in particular.