All data below was compiled from this website (a page for each season): http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1977.html. In Excel, I've maintained the running history of regular season standings and playoff results, beginning with San Antonio's first season with the NBA, 1976-77.

Before Tim Duncan was drafted: 1977-1997
Regular season record: 934-788 (.542) - tied 7th in NBA (Lakers .656, Celtics .592, Blazers .585, Suns .576, Sonics .574, Bulls .562, Sixers .542)
Conference 1 seed: 1
Division titles: 9 (Lakers 11. Celtics 8)
San Antonio missed the playoffs 4 times, trailing the Lakers and Blazers (1 each), and tied with the Suns.

Playoffs: 52-67 (.437)
For all of the regular season success (SA often had a 1st round bye), the Spurs only once earned a Conference 1 seed, and generally flopped in the playoffs. SA, who began in the East, made 4 conference Finals and lost all of them. The most heartbreaking was losing game 7 of the ECF at the Washington Bullets in 1979. The George Gervin-led Spurs also lost in the WCF twice (1982, 1983) to the Lakers. David Robinson's 1995 Conf 1 seed lost to the Rockets.

After Tim Duncan was drafted: 1998-2014
Regular season record: 950-396 (.706). Best in NBA. (2nd = Lakers at .631. 3rd = Mavs .613)
11 Division titles. Best in NBA. (2nd = Heat 9. 3rd = Lakers at 8. Celtics, Pistons, Sonics/Thunder 6)
7 Conference 1 seeds. Best in NBA (2nd = Lakers at 5. Pacer and Pistons 4)
Missed playoffs = 0. Best in NBA (2nd = Lakers ar 2)

Postseason: 149-90 (.623) Best in NBA (2nd = Lakers and Heat at .599)
NBA Championships = 5. Tied for Best in NBA (with Lakers, next best is Heat with 3)
Conference Championships = 6. 2nd in NBA (Lakers 7, 3rd place is Heat with 5)

San Antonio is arguably the best NBA franchise over the past 17 years. It's either the Spurs or Lakers.

Combined, 1977-2014
Regular season record: 1884-1184 (.614). 2nd in NBA (Lakers .645, 3rd is Suns .576)
20 Division titles: Best in NBA (Lakers 19, Celtics 14, Heat and Sonics/Thunder 10)
Conference 1 seed: 8 - tied for 2nd in NBA (Lakers 17, Celtics 8, Bulls 7, Pistons 6)
Missed playoffs: 4 - 2nd in NBA (Lakers 3, Blazers 8, Heat 8 [but they started in 1989], no other non-expansion teams < 11)

Playoffs: 201-157 (.561) - 5th best in NBA (Lakers .606, Bulls .587, Pistons .568, Heat .566. Celtics are 6th at .554)
NBA Championships: 5 - 3rd in NBA (Lakers 10, Bulls 6. Celtics have 4, Heat and Pistons have 3)
Conference Championships: 6 - tied for 3rd in NBA (Lakers 16, Celtics 7, Bulls 6. Heat and Pistons and Sixers 5.)

As a fan, you obviously value postseason far above the regular season, but if you factor in the regular season at all, you can make an argument for the Spurs trailing only the Lakers as a franchise over the timespan 1977-2014. The Spurs have rewarded their ticket-buying fans by taking a true professional approach to the regular season. Yes, they manage minutes for key players, but their bench very often picks up the slack and is prepared to step up in the playoffs.

Yes, the Bulls have won 1 more Title. But their fans had to endure 13 seasons without making the playoffs at all, a lot of really horrible basketball.

[This message has been edited by Adam87inSA (edited 6/16/2014 8:05a).]

[This message has been edited by Adam87inSA (edited 6/16/2014 8:10a).]

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San Antonio is arguably the best NBA franchise over the past 17 years. It's either the Spurs or Lakers.

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Not arguable, imo.

awesome. Thanks for posting this

Truly incredible.

Given the types of markets they are in the company of as elite in every category, I'm not sure there is any franchise of any sport that compares to the story of the Spurs.

The icing on the cake for all of the players that have ever worn a Spurs uniform. Pretty sure San Antonio is the cheapest pro sports city to live in.

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San Antonio is arguably the best NBA franchise over the past 17 years. It's either the Spurs or Lakers.

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Not arguable, imo.

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This.

The only way that you can give the Lakers the nod for 1998-2014 is to put full weight on championships, go to conference championships as a tiebreaker, and ignore everything else.

I'd like to see a ranking of missed playoffs since 1998. I only counted the Mavs as having missed them 4 times since then. I wonder where that ranks?

Spurs have made all playoffs. Lakers have missed 2 and Mavs have missed 3. Those are your top 3 teams in the west in the past 16 years.

I think Denver and Utah are tied at 4. Have to double check. I think they both have 10 appearances in the last 16 years.

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I'd like to see a ranking of missed playoffs since 1998. I only counted the Mavs as having missed them 4 times since then. I wonder where that ranks?

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Will do tonight. I'll provide the top to bottom list.

Here you go. 1998-2014: how many times each NBA franchise missed the playoffs during that 17 season span. It's pretty stunning to see how few franchises have made the playoffs > 2/3 of the time.

0 - Spurs
2 - Lakers
3 - Heat
4 - Mavs, Pacers
6 - Jazz
7 - Blazers, Bulls, Celtics, Magic, Nuggets, Pistons, Suns
8 - Bobcats, Hawks, Hornets/Pelicans, Nets, Rockets, Sonics/Thunder
9 - Bucks, Kings, Knicks
10 - Grizz, T'Wolves
11 - Cavs, Raptors
12 - Bullets (I refuse to call them their PC name)
13 - Clips

http://gamedayr.com/lifestyle/random/tim-duncan-stat-50-win-seasons-103120/

If anyone ever deserved the nickname "The Franchise", it's Duncan.