Previously, the Spurs played at the Alamodome, a multi-purpose facility with a configuration that allowed half the floor space to be used for basketball.

The Alamodome's seating capacity could be expanded to 35,000 for popular regular-season opponents, and attracted nearly 40,000 for a 1999 NBA Finals game.

Being primarily a football stadium differentiated the Alamodome from most other NBA facilities, including the Spurs' previous home, HemisFair Arena.

Additionally, since the Alamodome opened, there had been an uptick of new arena construction including facilities such as Conseco Fieldhouse (now Gainbridge Fieldhouse), which, in addition to offering an intimate atmosphere, offered teams several new revenue generating opportunities, including suites located on the lower levels and large club level seating areas.

As a part of the agreement, the facility would be home to the Spurs, a new ice hockey team (what became the Rampage), and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo event.

The facility would be funded through an increase of hotel and car rental taxes, and Bexar County voters approved the plan in November 1999.

A nationally recognized, local architecture firm, Lake/Flato, was teamed with Ellerbe Becket to work on the design of the structure.

Ellerbe Becket was responsible for designing the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. On December 9, 2014, the Bexar County Commissioners Court gave Spurs Sports and Entertainment permission to begin up to $101.5 million in renovations to the AT&T Center.

They included a new scoreboard, updated televisions inside and outside of the arena, a new state-of-the-art sound system, and improved Wi-Fi that covers about 90% of the venue.

[citation needed] Since May 2013, the venue has also hosted the annual Bud Light River City Rockfest.

On April 10, 2019, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks played his final NBA game at the arena in a 94–105 loss to the Spurs.

A tribute video on behalf of the Spurs was shown and Nowitzki was moved to tears as the sold-out crowd congratulated him.