It was on this day in 1999 that the San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks in Game 5 to win the NBA championship.  The Spurs won the game 78-77 to capture the franchise’s first championship, and their first of four titles over an incredible nine-year span.

The Spurs finished the regular season tied with the Utah Jazz for the best record in the NBA, at 37-13.  Due to a lockout, all 29 teams would play a 50-game regular season schedule, followed by a full post-season schedule.  The Knicks, who finished the year at 27-23, became the first #8 seed in NBA history to make it all the way to the finals.  However, they had no answer for the Twin Towers, David Robinson and Tim Duncan, who dominated the paint throughout the series.

The San Antonio Spurs (4) and the Los Angeles Lakers (5) have won a combined 9 of the last 14 NBA championships.  And although the Spurs have not been the most successful team in the last decade or so, their fans are not complaining about their four Larry O’Brien trophies in 14 years.

Here are the top 10 plays of the 1999 NBA finals

Notable Birthdays

Doug Gilmour, NHL – Born June 25th 1963 (age 49) in Kingston, Ontario

Dikembe Mutombo, NBA – Born June 25th 1966 (age 46) in Kinshasa, Congo

Carlos Delgado, MLB – Born June 25th 1972 (age 40) in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico