San Antonio Spurs: The greatest Olympic performances in team history

MELBOURNE, AUS - AUGUST 24: Patty Mills #5 of the Australia Boomers walks out to the court before the game against USA on August 24, 2019 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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The San Antonio Spurs have made a staple out of finding the best international talent in the league. Which players step up the most in Olympic play?

Since establishing themselves in 1964, the San Antonio Spurs have staked their claim as one of the most successful franchises in all of professional sports.

To transition from semi-successful contender to full-on dynastic powerhouse, the Spurs followed through on a philosophy to search far and wide, gathering up some of the game’s most talented International stars.

Last season was the fifth year in a row in which the NBA had at least 100 International players on an opening day roster, and unsurprisingly, the Spurs ranked tied for third in the league with five different overseas talents.

Because of this, it’s never out of the ordinary to see numerous Spurs playing deep into the summer, be it the FIBA World Cup, or the actual Olympics. During last year’s run, 46 different NBA players suited up across multiple countries, and the Spurs led the NBA with five different players.

Through those players, have come some of the greatest individual performances in all of basketball.

With that in mind, there are a few ground rules for how these performances were selected:

• The player had to have been a member of the Spurs at the time of the performance. Otherwise, we’re counting off a half-dozen Pau Gasol games during his time spent elsewhere, or Leon Wood’s 12-point, 12-assist, 4-rebound masterpiece during Team USA’s 1984 rout.

• Because Olympic numbers and footage are more readily available, this will only be taking into account performances in the Summer Olympics.

Since 1964, the San Antonio Spurs have had 15 different players, both current and past, to represent the team in the games. Here are the five greatest performances from those who’ve played for San Antonio.