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by Samr<br>
<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>SpursCentral.com</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>
March 3, 2005<br>
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Second in playoff game appearances. First in three-pointers made. Third in games played. Fourth in points. Sixth in rebounds. Seventh in assists. Eighth in steals. Ninth in blocked shots. The only player to rank in the top 10 in all of these. Sitting at his courtside seat on press row, announcing the game like he has been at it for his entire career, Sean Elliot would be quick to shift the praise. He’d thank his teammates for getting the team into the post-season, and for finding him open at the 3-point line and cutting to the hole. He’d thank God for his health to play in all 669 regular season games as a Spur. He’d thank the other team for missing so he could get rebounds and turning the ball over so he could get steals. He’d thank Tim and David for scoring so he could get assists and the short, opposing point guards for his blocks. And then he’d thank the fans, for giving him the courage to do it all.<br>
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Sean played the game like he was happy to be part of a team. He didn’t care about maximum salaries, his knee braces, or the fact that he was always second tier to The Admiral. He played it with a certain love, a comfort, and a warming smile that made you want to get out on the court and run with him. Some fans will remember Sean for his grace as he flew down along the baseline, rising over a defender and throwing down a one-handed jam. They’ll remember how he would setup at the 3-point line on the next possession and swish a trey. They’ll remember when he had legs, when he could fly. They’ll remember a scrawny kid who so awkwardly filled out his shoes. But everyone will remember May 30, 1999.<br>
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Memorial Day. A day on which the entire country pauses to pay respects to fallen veterans. A day when flags are raised and trumpets are played. It was a fitting day for the Spurs. Heading into game two of the Western Conference Semifinals against Portland, they had the chance to send the Trail Blazers back to Portland with some significant ground to make up. What a fitting day to pay respects to their own veteran who, unknown to all but a very select few, was also falling. 12 seconds left. Spurs ball. Sean Elliott, coming off a screen down low, pops out to the right wing. He reels in the pass, and manages to avoid a charging Portland defender. Barely inside the out of bounds line, Elliot precariously perches on his toes. Though no one is sure if it was out of luck, or out of instinct, Sean managed not to put his heels down- a maneuver which would have landed him out of bounds, and Portland ball. He bends his knees, cocks his wrist, and lets fly. The ball swishes through the net, leaving no indication of the difficulty with which such an action was made possible. The Spurs jumped, the Blazers lowered their heads. The Alamodome shook and the fans cried. It was Miracle. In more ways that one.<br>
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The Spurs went on to sweep the Blazers, as well as the Lakers. It took them five games to fight off the Knicks, ultimately bringing the city its first NBA Championship. The players got off their charter jet to a throng of fans anxious to welcome their favorite brothers back to the city that loved them so much. Avery got off the plane first, punctuating the Spurs’ return with his best rendition of the word “y’all” and his Louisiana grin. David, the leader, The Admiral, was the unofficial emecee for a rather unconventional celebration. On the runway at the San Antonio airport, the city celebrated. Then the river walk again exploded with the same Spurs chants and cheers which so eagerly adorned the players a few days earlier. Caught up in the mix was Sean Elliot, and his medical history.<br>
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<!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.geocities.com/amensoccer/spurs/seanlg.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br>
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>Sean Elliot waves to the fans during the Spurs’ river parade in ‘99</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br>
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Typical for Sean, he put the team before himself. After calling a press conference once the celebration had died down, and the city was no longer in “invincible” mode, Elliot announced that he had a kidney disease. Not just any kidney disease, mind you, a life-threatening kidney disease. A career-ending kidney disease. He went the entire season, the entire playoffs, without anyone except Steve Kerr (his buddy since their Arizona days) aware of his health conditions. Over the course of the next week, it was decided that Sean would undergo a kidney transplant. The search ended with his older brother, Noel, giving Sean the most valuable assist of his life.<br>
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With his sights set on playing again, Sean began the strenuous and time-consuming process of rehabilitation. Upon being asked why he didn’t simply retire after the championship, Sean said, “I could give up this game tomorrow if I had to. It's just something I have to prove to myself and hopefully help some people along the way.” With the city of San Antonio behind him, Sean pushed and pulled his way to a return to the court: a feat no professional athlete had yet to accomplish after major organ surgery. His goal was materialized in a home game against the Atlanta Hawks. He scored only two points, but they were two of the most meaningful in his life. He drove down the center of the lane, took a solid jump, and slammed it down. The Alamodome erupted, the fans cried. Kind of like on Memorial Day.<br>
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Sean’s legacy is not one of a single shot, team records, or an impossible feat. Sean Elliott created his legacy by playing the game with heart, with passion, and with a desire to please and serve which blended perfectly with that of fellow running mates Avery Johnson, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Mario Ellie, Jarren Jackson, Jerome Kersey, Malik Rose, Antonio Daniels, and others. He gave to the team, he gave to the city, and ultimately, he gave back to his family. Noel, while never the athletic one, finally became an NBA player. Or at least part of him did, anyway.<br>
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When the Spurs retire Sean Elliot’s number 32 on Sunday, they will be hanging in the rafters the reputation of a man who truly belongs among the likes of David Robinson, George Gervin, Paul Silas, and Johnny Moore. There will never be another player with so much passion, so much heart, so much love, and so much determination. There won’t be a replacement for the energy and the solidity Sean brought to the franchise. But for now, there will still be an announcer.<br>
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Malik Rose: '97-'05 -Once a Spur, always a San Antonian. You will be missed</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p204.ezboard.com/bsanantoniospurs62937.showUserPublicProfile?gid=blondie4spurs>Blondie4Spurs</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://homepage.eircom.net/~bray/em/orose.gif" BORDER=0> at: 3/5/05 7:44 pm<br></i>
2003 
