2019–20 San Antonio Spurs season
The 2019–20 San Antonio Spurs season was the 53rd season of the franchise, its 44th in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 47th in the San Antonio area. For the first time since the 1996–97 season, the Spurs failed to qualify for the postseason when the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on August 13, 2020, snapping their 22-year consecutive playoff streak and finishing with a losing record. This was only the second time under Gregg Popovich's tenure that the Spurs failed to make the playoffs. After their 22-year playoff streak  was snapped, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League now own the longest active playoff streak in any major North American sports league making the playoffs every year since 2006–07. The Houston Rockets held the longest active playoff streak in the NBA, making the playoffs every year from 2012–13 to 2020–21. The season was suspended by the league officials following the games of March 11 after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. On June 4, the Spurs were one of 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble. Season synopsis. Before the season, Ettore Messina left  the Spurs' coaching staff. The staff was joined by onetime Spurs superstar Tim Duncan. The Spurs retired the number nine jersey of onetime Spurs point guard Tony Parker at the AT&T Center on November 10, 2019 prior to a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies. From November 9–20, 2019, the Spurs suffered their first seven-game losing streak since 1996–97. (The 1996–97 season was Gregg Popovich's first year as Spurs head coach, is the most recent season in which the Spurs finished with a losing record, and is the most recent season in which the Spurs failed to make  the NBA playoffs.) Draft. The Spurs held two first-round draft picks in the 2019 draft, including the 29th pick they obtained from Toronto in the Kawhi Leonard-DeMar DeRozan trade in 2018. They also held a second-round draft pick. Game log. Preseason. The entire preseason schedule was released on July 22, 2019.