[1] During the off-season, the Spurs signed free agents Derek Anderson,[2][3][4] and Danny Ferry.
[6][7][8][9][10] The team got off to a 13–9 start,[11] then won ten of their next twelve games, and held a 31–16 record at the All-Star break.
[25][26][23][24] In the Western Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Spurs would easily defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves in four games.
[27][28][29][30] In the Western Conference Semi-finals, they beat the 5th-seeded Dallas Mavericks in five games to advance to the Western Conference finals,[31][32][33][34] where they were swept in four straight games by the 2nd-seeded defending, and eventual back-to-back NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
[39][40][41][42][43] Following the season, Anderson was traded along with Steve Kerr to the Portland Trail Blazers,[44][45][46][47] while Johnson re-signed as a free agent with the Denver Nuggets,[48] Samaki Walker signed with the Los Angeles Lakers,[49] and Elliott retired after twelve seasons in the NBA, eleven in which he spent playing with the Spurs.