[OC] How the Spanish monarchy controlled the San Antonio Spurs dynasty
The Spurs joined the NBA in 1976.
One year earlier, Juan Carlos I became King of Spain.
This turned out to be extremely important.
Under Juan Carlos, the Spurs went 1,884–1,184 (.614), made the playoffs in 34 of 38 seasons, reached six Finals and won all five of their championships.
Then, on June 2, 2014, Juan Carlos announced he was abdicating.
Three days later, the NBA Finals started.
The Spurs apparently realized they were running out of time and obliterated Miami, winning the series 4–1.
The timeline:
June 2: Juan Carlos announces abdication
June 5: Finals begin
June 15: Spurs win championship
June 18: Abdication becomes official
June 19: Felipe VI becomes king
The Spurs won their last ring four days before Felipe took the throne.
Since then:
King
Spurs record
Playoff record
Finals
Titles
Juan Carlos I
1,884–1,184 (.614)
201–157
6
5
Felipe VI
517–446 (.537)
34–34
1
0
And the decline started basically immediately.
In Juan Carlos’s final season: 62–20, NBA champions.
First season under Felipe: 55–27, first-round exit with the CP3 buzzer beater
After that we had:
67 wins, lost to OKC
61 wins-Zaza kills Kawhi
Kawhi leaves
Five straight seasons without making the playoffs
Two 22–60 seasons
Before Felipe, the Spurs had never missed the playoffs in consecutive NBA seasons.
There is also the significant matter of San Antonio literally originating as a Spanish settlement. In 1731, settlers recruited under King Philip V established San Fernando de Béxar.
The Spurs’ first championship under Juan Carlos was:
1999 Spurs 4–1 Knicks
Their first Finals under Felipe was:
2026 Knicks 4–1 Spurs
The exact opposite result…
So after 50 years of Spurs history, I think the evidence is pretty clear.
The spurs dynasty wasn’t created by RC Buford, Tim Duncan, or Pop.
It was Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias.
The sub needs a source so source for Juan Carlos’s abdication: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/02/spains-king-juan-carlos-to-abdicate