20-Second Timeout

Spurs Finding France
On a rainy Sunday morning at a large gymnasium called the Halle Vivier Merle, the San Antonio Spurs began the long and winding road that is an NBA season.

The Spurs will go through two-a-days until Thursday, when they open up their preseason schedule with Adecco Asvel of the French A league.

There are twenty players in camp, with several newcomers hoping to make an impact, including forward Matt Bonner and centers Francisco Elson and Jackie Butler.

Backup point guard Beno Udrih has been held out of contact work due to a sore hamstring, and forward Robert Horry has been limited due to a sore shoulder and achilles. Head coach Gregg Popovich says both players may be held out of the two games in France.

Shape It Up
Le Halle Vivier Merle is a spacious multi-purpose gym and Spurs head coach Greg Popovich says it's an excellent facility for a training camp. With eight baskets at their disposal, the coaching staff can put several groups through various shooting and defensive drills at the same time.

Strength coach Mike Brungardt, now in his 12th year with the team, has room to set up stations around the gym for flexibility, agility and balance. Many of the Spurs have returned to work in tip-top shape, and that includes team leader Tim Duncan. Coach Pop says Duncan has reported in the best shape since his early days with the Spurs.

Guard Michael Finley, getting set for his 12th year in the NBA, says he put in a lot of extra work this past summer, motivated by the disappointing finish in the playoffs last May.

The Spurs will open up their preseason on Thursday against Adecco Asvel of the French "A" league. You can catch the game on Spursradio 1200 WOAI with gameday starting at 1:30 pm.

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Parker In Demand

by Bill Schoening | October 6, 2006

The Spurs are certainly doing their share to spread international goodwill during their weeklong stay in France. Point guard Tony Parker, of course, is the main attraction. The native of Paris has been friendly and accommodating with media and fans, and has made a plethora of personal appearances.

Even during Thursday’s 115-90 win over Adecco ASVEL at Astroballe in Lyon-Villeurbanne, the fans wanted even more of Tony. With the Spurs up by 25 and the starters long since out of the game, the 5,000 fans began pleading with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to put Parker back in the game, with chants of “Tony! Tony! Tony!”. After a playful moment or two with the fans, Pop finally relented and the fans roared their approval as Tony stepped back on the floor.

Earlier in the game, Parker had dazzled the sellout crowd scoring a game-high 26 points with quick darts to the basket and his ever-improving mid-range jumper.

The Spurs Coyote was also a hit, entertaining the crowd with his variety of funny antics. He also helped unveil and welcome a brand-new mascot for Adecco ASVEL. The Spurs will take a day off on Friday to rest and sight-see in Paris before taking on Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv on Sunday at Bercy Arena.

You can hear that game beginning at 8:30 AM Central time on Spurs Radio 1200 WOAI. So have a croissant and join us. .

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