Home Sweet Home — Part 3

In the final installment of the “Home Sweet Home” series, we look back at the memories the Spurs have given their fans in the AT&T Center.

AT&T Center (2002-present)

After leaving the cavernous Alamodome, the Spurs moved into the AT&T Center, formerly the SBC Center.  The Spurs lobbied the City of San Antonio to help build a new arena and left it up to the citizens of San Antonio to vote on a referendum to help with costs of construction.  If it didn’t pass, the Spurs were likely to move.  The referendum did pass and construction began in 2000.  The original plan was to open a new arena next to the Alamodome but a last minute deal between the Spurs organization and Bexar County, the new arena was to be built on the city’s east side.

Once construction was complete, the Spurs broke in the new arena with style.  Just in it’s first season, the Spurs would win the 2003 NBA Championship against the New Jersey Nets, bringing them their second NBA title.  And of that wasn’t memorable, perhaps the bigger memory was David Robinson would retire as a champion.  A fitting way for this Spurs legend to end his career.

The AT&T Center would be home to memories that will live with Spurs fans forever.  In the 2003, Tim Duncan would come close to a quadruple-double and dominate the Nets in the 2003 NBA Finals.  In the second season, the Spurs would host the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 Western Conference Semi-Finals and give Spurs fans the worst memory possible.  Simply known as “.4.”

The memories do not stop there.  Who can forget the thrilling 7 game series against the Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals giving the team its third NBA title, the constant beatdowns on the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, the Tim Duncan “3” in OT versus the Suns in the 2008 NBA playoffs and the rise of the Tony Parker era.  It also brought us Roger Mason’s clutch shooting, David Robinson’s jersey retirement night, heartache against the Mavericks in the 2006 NBA playoffs, the “no-call” foul on Brent Barry by Derek Fisher against the Lakers, Horry’s hip-check on Steve Nash, the fourth NBA title against the Cavs in the 2007 NBA Finals and the prime years of Tim Duncan.

The AT&T Center is home to the biggest wealth of memories the Spurs have given their fans.  I am sure the memories will continue to mount up as we will see the final years of Tim Duncan, Coach Pop, and the end of the “Big 3.”  But with the Spurs retooled bringing in Richard Jefferson and drafting DeJuan Blair, Spurs fans are sure to see more exciting times in the AT&T Center.

Top 5 Memories in the AT&T Center:
5.  “.4”
4.  The “Big 3” era
3.  Duncan’s “3” against the Suns in the 2008 NBA Playoffs
2.  Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals vs. the Pistons and TD’s near quad-double
1.  David Robinson retiring a champion in the 2003 NBA Finals & his jersey retirement night

Please tell us your memories of the AT&T Center and we leave you with the following.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
PNTE_1rXvy0[/youtube]