[1] This season is most memorable when the Spurs selected Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest University with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft.
[2][3][4][5][6] After finishing with the third-worst record in 1996–97, the Spurs won the 1997 NBA Draft Lottery, dubbed as the "Tim Duncan Sweepstakes".
[7][8] During the off-season, the team signed free agents, three-point specialist Jaren Jackson, and second-year forward Malik Rose.
[10] Despite losing Sean Elliott for the remainder of the season to a knee injury after 36 games,[11][12] the Spurs finished in second place in the Midwest Division with a 56–26 record, and returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence.
Roster The Spurs were coming off a poor 1996–97 NBA season; in which their best player, David Robinson—himself a number one draft pick in 1987—was sidelined for most of the year with an injury.
Duncan and Robinson became known as the "Twin Towers", having earned a reputation for their exceptional defense close to the basket, forcing opponents to take lower percentage shots from outside.