13 people who turned their backs on the San Antonio Spurs

Revisiting the history of the San Antonio Spurs' long line of people who disrespected or turned their back on the franchise.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard / Ezra Shaw/GettyImages
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12. Derek Anderson

Derek Anderson was only a member of the San Antonio Spurs for one season. He averaged 15 ppg and shot 40% from three that season. Shooting that well from distance in the year 2000 was a highly impactful weapon on the basketball court. The game was still being dominated by big men, and with Tim Duncan and David "The Admiral" Robinson on the roster, having an outlet that dangerous to make defenses pay for double teams was priceless.

Naturally, the Spurs would want to bring a player like that back, as he was on an expiring deal, but an agreement never came to pass. Anderson was not a fan of the deal offered despite San Antonio's best efforts, since they asked David Robinson to take a pay cut to accommodate Derek. To no avail. He was eventually moved in a sign-and-trade to Portland for Steve Smith.

This can be the price of doing business, as there are two sides to a negotiation, and in good faith transactions, both parties give something to get something. Anderson was under no obligation to like the deal but he made things public when he complained about how the offer was made, painting the Spurs front office in a negative light. As discussed earlier, that is a no no.

11. Jason Terry

Spurs fans will remember Jason "The Jet" Terry. An undersized shooting guard from the Dallas Mavericks who spent time cosplaying as an airplane when games were live. Silly celebrations aside, Terry was a big-time shotmaker for the Mavs and won a championship with the legendary big man from Germany, Dirk Nowitzki.

Terry's situation is less about turning his back and more about outright disrespect. During game one of the 2013 NBA Finals, the air conditioning went out at the AT&T Center. It was an unfortunate circumstance both teams had to deal with, but Jason Terry publicly accused San Antonio of foul play. The ridiculous insinuation that an organization as buttoned-up as the Spurs would engage in cheating is outrageous and inflammatory, earning him a spot on this list.