2005 San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio added Brent Barry and Nazr Mohammed to a core of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili that had matured into the league's steadiest contender. The team won 59 games and ranked first in defensive rating.

The playoff road went through the West's best. The Spurs handled Denver and Seattle, then upset the 62-win Suns of MVP Steve Nash in five to reach the Finals against Detroit.

The series was a defensive grind. Detroit pushed it to a seventh game after Game 5 swung on Horry's 21-point fourth quarter and overtime, including a 25-foot three with 5.8 seconds left. San Antonio closed Game 7 at home, 81-74, behind Duncan's 25 points and 11 rebounds and 23 from Ginobili off the bench.

Duncan won Finals MVP for the third time. Horry, picking up a sixth ring, became the second player after John Salley to win titles with three different franchises.

The starting five was Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, and Nazr Mohammed. Gregg Popovich coached the group with Brent Barry as the primary bench scorer.

This was title number 3 in a San Antonio Spurs run that stretched across consecutive or near-consecutive seasons. Repeat winners carried continuity from one year to the next.

The full roster ran deeper than the headline names. Role players who mattered included Robert Horry (Game 5 overtime three; sixth career ring).

The 2005 champion had to survive four playoff rounds in a 30-team league. Depth and matchups mattered as much as star power, especially on the road in the conference finals.

The San Antonio Spurs share a lineage with other banners from 1999, 2003, 2007, 2014. Compare those seasons on the franchise hub to see how the roster and style changed between title runs.

Looking back, the 2004-05 Spurs went 59-23 and beat the defending-champion Pistons in a seven-game Finals for their third title. Tim Duncan took his third Finals MVP. The series turned on Robert Horry, who scored 21 in Game 5, including the overtime-winning three, after being scoreless into the fourth quarter.

For the full roster beyond the featured starters, see the table on this page. For other San Antonio Spurs titles, use the franchise hub linked below.