The San Antonio Spurs suffered a major setback Monday night as All-Star guard Manu Ginobli broke a bone in his right hand and is expected to be out for four to six weeks. It happened midway through the second quarter and was the turning point in the game, as the Spurs lost their defensive focus and ultimately could not keep up with Minnesota’s hot shooting, losing the game 106-96.

The loss of Ginobli is a huge blow to the Spurs who had centered their entire offense around the multi-talented Argentinian this year. The Spurs medical staff reported he had broken the fifth metatarsal bone on his shooting hand and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.

His absence obviously means more minutes for younger players like James Anderson and TJ Ford, but also means a major revamping of the offensive scheme. No Ginobli also throws a monkey-wrench in Coach Pop’s long-tern plan to keep down the playing time of his veteran players like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, who are now almost certainly going to have to log more minutes in order for the Spurs to stay competitive.

Beating San Antonio the night after they broke their 18-game losing streak is a major accomplishment for the Timberwolves. That kind of emotional resilience demonstrates that the Rick Adelman system is already taking hold in Minnesota and augurs well for the talented young team.

The Timberwolves started off hot and dominated the first quarter 35-25. The Spurs responded to the loss of Ginobli in the second, and cut it to a seven point lead at half. But the Timberwolves shooting remained hot, and eventually proved too much for the Spurs as they coasted to a 10 point win with both teams looking tired in the fourth.

The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan and Richard Jefferson with 16 each. Tony Parker with 11 and Tiago Splitter with 12 points were the only other Spurs in double figures. Minnesota Forward Kevin love continued his breakout year, with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Luke Ridenour also chipped in 19 points and 9 assists. Ricky Rubio had an off night with just six points and three assists.

San Antonio moves to 3-2 on the season with the loss. The Spurs have Tuesday off and then travel to California to play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

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The 2012 San Antonio Spurs schedule continues into January when the team plays 18 games in a 29-day span. The Spurs open the month on Monday, Jan. 2, against the Minnesota Timberwolves before coming home for a nice three-game stand. Some of the more notable games include a Jan. 8 match-up against the Oklahoma City Thunder and then a game against the Miami heat on Jan. 17. The team went 3-1 in December games and looks to continue doing well in the Southwest division standings as the only team above .500 so far.

January 2012 San Antonio Spurs Schedule

Monday, Jan. 2

San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves, 7 p.m. CT

Wednesday, Jan. 4

Golden State Warriors at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. CT

Thursday, Jan. 5

Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, Jan. 7

Denver Nuggets at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. CT

Sunday, Jan. 8

San Antonio at Oklahoma City Thunder, 6 p.m. CT

Tuesday, Jan. 10

San Antonio at Milwaukee Bucks, 7 p.m. CT

Wednesday, Jan. 11

Houston Rockets at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. CT

Friday, Jan. 13

Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. CT

Sunday, Jan. 15

Phoenix Suns at San Antonio, 8 p.m. CT

Tuesday, Jan. 17

San Antonio at Miami Heat, 6:30 p.m. CT

Wednesday, Jan. 18

San Antonio at Orlando Magic, 6 p.m. CT

Friday, Jan. 20

Sacramento Kings at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, Jan. 21

San Antonio at Houston, 7 p.m. CT

Monday, Jan. 23

San Antonio at New Orleans Hornets, 7 p.m. CT

Wednesday, Jan. 25

Atlanta Hawks at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m. CT

Friday, Jan. 27

San Antonio at Minnesota, 7 p.m. CT

Sunday, Jan. 29

San Antonio at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. CT

Monday, Jan. 30

San Antonio at Memphis Grizzlies, 7 p.m. CT

Source:

Spurs Main Site

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The AT&T Center was rocking for the San Antonio Spurs NBA season-opener Monday night. It was a sell out crowd, including Spurs owner Peter Holt, actor Tommy Lee Jones and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin of Baylor, and the home team did not disappoint pulling away for a 95-82 win over Memphis. The crowd was very much into the game, as fans all across Texas (including myself) were happy that the delayed NBA season was finally underway.

The victory was sweet revenge for San Antonio, as they were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round last year by the Grizzlies. It should also be noted that the Grizzlies are at full strength now with Rudy Gay back from injury, and everyone on the roster relatively healthy at this point.

The first half of the game was a back and forth affair, with the Spurs getting off to a slow start in the first quarter but coming on in the second. Memphis scored 22 points in both quarters of the first half to take a one point lead into the locker room.

Coach Popovich must have given the Spurs a rousing halftime speech as the came out breathing fire on defense in the third quarter, holding the Grizzlies to just 15 points while putting up 29. Memphis could not play enough defense to slow the Spurs down and San Antonio ended up with a 13 point margin of victory.

It took the Spurs a few minutes to get into form, but overall it was the Grizzlies who seemed rusty on the court. Memphis coach Lionel Hollins summed up his team’s performance succinctly, “We didn’t play well at all.”

Manu Ginobli was the leading scorer for the Spurs and in the game with 24 points. Second year center Tiago Splitter also turned in a solid performance with 5 points and 8 rebounds. Rudy Gay led Memphis with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Spurs went back to the old-style in your face defense that has been their trademark to notch this win, and coach Pop wisely limited Tim Duncan to just 22 minutes in the game. The Spurs face another talented young team in the up-and-coming Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday December 28 in LA.

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As we near the end of the year, remembering great moments for basketball fans of the San Antonio Spurs can bring a smile. Although these moments were still selected for their flash, they were also selected for the bigger picture they created. Here are 5 great moments for the Spurs from 2011.

Gary Neal 3-Pointer: As a rookie, your impact is not always as visible and as momentous; not so of this great play. Gary Neal’s Play of the Day had all the suspense of a buzzer shot and all the added joy of overtime potential, which the Spurs were able to turn their way into an OT victory. Winning game 5 of the first round of the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 27, 2011 kept the Spurs alive in the series.

Block, Pass, Dunk: Tim Duncan gets the ball away and then Manu Ginobili scores at the other end of the court in this great moment, Duncan Blocks and Ginobili Jams. Highlights for the Spurs were plentiful this day including great teamwork, blocks, fast breaks and slams. This basketball game, played on April 6, 2011 at home in the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas opposing the Sacramento Kings, produced San Antonio’s 60th win during the season, securing them as the first seed in the Western Conference and entertaining the Spurs’ fans.

Parker to the Bucket: Tony Parker’s highlighted shot this game was just part of his overall 33 points, with Manu Ginobili adding 25 points and Tim Duncan adding 22 points. The Spurs gained the win against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. Beating a Southwest Division rival, especially one of the Mavericks caliber and on the Mavericks home court at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas was a top moment for the San Antonio Spurs in 2011.

All-Star Head Coach: The January 24, 2011 win against the Golden State Warriors along with other San Antonio Spurs’ wins led to Gregg Popovich, Coach Pop, being named the coach for the Western Conference all-stars. A winning coach is an important ingredient in San Antonio’s success so this distinction was a great moment for the Spurs.

Draft Night 2011: Another important element of success for a team is building a future. The Spurs gained Kawhi Leonard from the San Diego State Aztecs and Cory Joseph from the University of Texas Longhorns, Leonard and Joseph Introduction, as draft picks for 2011. Hopefully this 2011 draft moment will bring great future moments too.

Jade Harris first became a fan of the San Antonio Spurs during the David Robinson and Tim Duncan era. Since then there have plenty of moments in which to cheer for the Spurs and their great style of basketball.

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Now that a deal has been made to end the NBA lockout, the San Antonio Spurs have some issues to work out before heading out on the court. A year ago, the Spurs walked away with 61 wins by simply switching things up a little but where does that leave them now? With two of their players, Tim Duncan(notes) and Manu Ginobili(notes) now in their 30s, the question has come up as to whether or not they are too old to play.

Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
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Tim Duncan has had a successful career throughout the years but last season he didn’t appear to be on top of things and he seemed to have slowed down a bit. Fans still support Duncan and hope to see a slimmer, more dominate player this season but will it happen? At this time, many fans don’t feel like it’s possible. Age does seem to be catching up with him. I think he’s still good for a couple more seasons, regardless of what critics say.

Manu Ginobili scored 17.4 points last season, which is the second highest score of his career but he also suffered injuries during the playoffs. This could be viewed as a sign of aging and fans have to wonder if these injuries are going to be a factor in the way he plays this season. A shortened season might be just what Ginobili needed this year and I expect to see success with him if he can prevent injury once games pick back up again at Christmas.

However, age is not the only thing to take into consideration this year. Due to the lockout, this is going to be a shorted season, which means there will be many back-to-back games. The schedule will be very compressed and physically exhausting for all players, much less the ones who have a lot of years behind them. It’s going to be tough to keep up with the demanding schedule ahead for the NBA but I think the Spurs are set to do it.

Even with all the obstacles they face, the Spurs have a bright season ahead of them. No one knows at this time how these two veteran players will do this season until they get out on the court. The last time the NBA had a shortened season, the Spurs were the ones who walked away with a title. Can they do it again this year? Will Duncan and Ginobili prove they’re not too old to play?

Lisa is a youth basketball coach, resident of Texas and long-time fan of the San Antonio Spurs and Silver Stars.

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Some people just don’t let things go. Phil Jackson might be one of those people as he continues to talk about the San Antonio Spurs’ “asterisks” title, even in retirement. With talks of the NBA lockout and when it will end, many are comparing it to the last lockout of 1999. For San Antonio fans, that season didn’t end up so bad after all.

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The ’99 lockout ended in a shortened season that worked to the advantage of the Spurs. They earned their first NBA title when they beat the New York Knicks in five games. It was a great win for San Antonio but former NBA coach Phil Jackson labeled this first title with one word – “asterisk.”

The story behind the asterisk: Jackson had previously commented that the Spurs championship in 1999 should come with an asterisk. The three-time defending champion Bulls team (which Jackson coached) did not get the opportunity to defend its title due to a lockout-shortened season which he blames as the only reason the Spurs had their shot against the Knicks.

To this day, it still drives some Spurs’ fans batty. Even mere discussions of the event or the drop of the name of Phil Jackson will set some fans into an uproar. So you can imagine how they felt when he decided to continue to joke 12 years later in an interview with ESPN Chicago (via sportsradiointerviews.com).

In this interview, Jackson talked about the current lockout and how the lockout of 1999 resolved. Then he went and brought up the asterisk comment again. Really Jackson, you’re going to go there again? Even in retirement it seems he just cannot let it go.

Then again, this is typical of the Jackson we know from his days in the league, especially when the heavy Spurs-Lakers rivalry was going on so what else would we expect from him?

Jackson said, “I always kind of term that as an asterisk season out of this fun at poking fun at San Antonio.”

However, he did admit that the up-and-coming San Antonio team was “quite a great team” so that’s something, right? Maybe he’s getting softer with age.

In all honesty, it seemed his comments were made all in good fun and that is definitely something we can all use a little more of when talking about the NBA right now. This lockout has stress levels high and I’m glad Jackson could bring some humor back to the discussions, even if it was by ripping on my team.

Lisa is a youth basketball coach, resident of Texas and long-time fan of the San Antonio Spurs and Silver Stars.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

San Antonio Silver Stars dollar nights and theme nights

Top five reasons the Spurs had a great season: Fan’s view

NBA lockout won’t speed Tim Duncan’s retirement: Fan’s take

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Tony Parker(notes) has decided to play during the NBA’s lockout for a basketball club in France that he holds a 20 percent stake in. No shocker there, as Parker has hinted at this possibility for months. What’s surprising, though, is the San Antonio Spurs All-Star’s monthly salary. The 2007 NBA Finals MVP wants to play for just under $2,000 a month, which might make him the worst paid NBA transplant out there.

From the Associated Press:

“[Parker] will play with a French team during the NBA lockout, earning a mere $1,995 per month despite his star power on and off the basketball court.

ASVEL, which is based in Villeurbanne, near Lyon in southeast France, announced on Wednesday that Parker will play for them.

Parker told the sports daily L’Equipe that the decision is “logical.” He is vice president of the club and wants to help it advance.

The Frenchman says, “I’ll be playing nearly for free … If I play the entire season, we’ll go for the title.”

This is a pretty hefty “love of the game”-situation, and insurance issues (what if Tony has a bad fall? The Spurs could void his contract) aside, it makes perfect sense. Even if Parker was set to make $12.5 million this year with the Spurs.

These players are going to be working out during the lockout, even if the NBA decides to pass on having a season during 2011-12. At some point, tossing around the medicine ball and jumping rope (this is how NBA players work out, right?) just won’t suffice, and guys are bound to get together for a five-on-five game. And you might as well amp up the level of competition — say, to the arc of a professional league. And you might as well get paid, right? Two grand is too much? OK, call it $1,995.

Parker also holds the title of “vice president of basketball operations” for the club, but he apparently has no say in personnel matters. Though we suspect that ASVEL has no qualms with Parker signing himself to his own team.

We’ll let you add your own bon mot in the comments section.

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Related: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs, NBA lockout, International hoops

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Press Release
Source: Texas Diversity Council

On Tuesday September 20, 2011, 6:05 pm EDT

SAN ANTONIO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Greater San Antonio Advisory Board, a member of the Texas Diversity
Council (TXDC), will host their “8^th Annual DiversityFIRST^TM
Awards Luncheon” on Wednesday, October 19, 2011, which will feature
distinguished Keynote Speaker Dr. Ricardo Romo, President of The
University of Texas at San Antonio. This year’s theme is “Embracing
Inclusion: Education in a World of Differences“. The event will
be held at The Club at Sonterra, 901 Sonterra Blvd., San Antonio, TX
78258. “On behalf of our CEO and Founder Dennis Kennedy, we ask that you
join us as we recognize and honor these organizations and individuals
for their leadership and unwavering commitment to diversity and
inclusion,” said Angeles Valenciano, VP of Business Development for the
TXDC.

The luncheon will include recognition of Corporate and Individual
DiversityFIRST™ Award Winners for their commitment to diversity and
inclusion in the workplace and in the business community.
Congratulations to the following well-deserving awardees:

The Greater San Antonio Advisory Board (GSAAB), a non-profit
organization, is committed to fostering a learning environment for
organizations to grow in their knowledge of diversity and inclusion, and
is an opportunity for organizations to learn from top corporate leaders
in the areas of both. GSAAB is a member of the Texas Diversity Council.
More information about the Texas Diversity Council is available at www.texasdiversitycouncil.org.

For additional information regarding the event, please contact: Mae
Marshall at 214.690.0541

Thanks for reading! .

Updated Sep 3, 2011 2:58 AM ET

The agent for DeJuan Blair says the San Antonio Spurs forward has signed to play in Russia during the lockout.

Happy Walters wrote on his Twitter page Friday night that Blair would play “against some great teams and will use the extra minutes to get ready for the season, stay in shape and work on new areas of his game.”

Yahoo Sports! reported the deal was with Krasnye Krylya Samara and contained an opt-out clause allowing Blair to return to the NBA when the lockout ends.

Blair averaged 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in his second NBA season, helping the Spurs win 61 games.

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