2006-07 Spurs: The place are they now?

We’re persevering with our collection of wanting on the 5 Spurs championship squads and what these gamers are to this point. We already regarded on the 1999, 2003 and 2005 squads (so in the event you missed them, you’ll want to test them out), and at the moment we’re shifting on with the 2006-07 group, which formally established the Large Three as a dynasty, and it was the primary time somebody apart from Tim Duncan was Finals MVP, with Tony Parker incomes the honors this time. It was additionally the final time a group swept an NBA Finals collection.

As a reminder, gamers who appeared on a couple of championship group will solely be listed of their first look to keep away from repetition, so for Tim Duncan, refer again to 1999; for Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, refer again to 2003; and for Brent Barry, Robert Horry, and Beno Udrih, refer again to 2005. With out additional ado, listed below are the remainder of the 2006-07 Spurs!

Matt Bonner (#15) — Bonner is a Spur who has by no means really left the group whereas remaining entrance and heart. After retiring in 2016, he instantly joined the Spurs broadcast crew as a studio analyst and cohost of their pre- and postgame exhibits, in addition to filling in for Sean Elliott as coloration commentator on his off days (normally once they journey to chilly locations). He additionally runs a nonprofit along with his brother Luke known as Rock On Basis, which helps neighborhood involvement within the arts and athletics.

Jackie Butler (#45) — A promising highschool prospect who’s NBA profession by no means actually bought off the bottom, he solely appeared in 69 complete video games throughout three seasons, 11 of which got here with the Spurs in 2006-07. After that, he was a part of the notorious commerce of Luis Scola’s rights to the Rockets however was waived by Houston within the preseason, and that was the top of his NBA profession. There actually isn’t the rest on the market about him, so that you if you understand something about Butler’s endeavors since 2007, be at liberty to tell us.

Francisco Elson (#16) — Picked within the second spherical by the Nuggets out of the Netherlands in 1999, Elson joined the Spurs for 2 season from 2006-2008. After that he was a journeyman within the NBA, particularly after lacking all however one sport of the 2009-10 season on account of hernia surgical procedure. He retired from the NBA in 2012 earlier than enjoying one season with Mahram Tehran within the Iranian Tremendous League earlier than retiring from basketball for good in 2014. Not a lot else is on the market about his post-playing profession apart from he resides in Rotterdam, Netherlands and appears to be a preferred persona there. (Right here he’s speaking about Victor Wembanyama again in Could, tough translation being that it is going to be very onerous for him to dwell as much as the large expectations he’s going through — one thing we in all probability all agree with.)

Melvin Ely (#2) — One other NBA journeyman whose profession spotlight was a hoop with the Spurs, Ely jumped round between the NBA, G-League, Puerto Rick and Japan earlier than retiring in 2015. He was an assistant coach for the Canton Cost (the Cleveland Cavs’ G League affiliate) from 2016-2019, and in 2021, he was considered one of 18 gamers indicted in a scheme to defraud the NBA Gamers’ Well being and Welfare Profit Plan by “submitting fraudulent claims for reimbursement of medical and dental companies” that by no means truly occurred. (Coincidently, the scheme’s organizer, Terrance Williams, was simply sentenced for his function yesterday, ordered to pay $2.5 million and serve 10 years in jail.)

Michael Finley (#4) — Maybe essentially the most satisfying story of the 2007 championship group, Finley joined the Spurs from their archrival of the time, the Dallas Mavericks, in 2005 seeking his first championship ring (and clearly bought it, however not with out some drama in 2006 towards none apart from his former group). After practically successful one other ring with the Celtics in 2010, he retired and at the moment is again with the Mavs as their vp of basketball operations. He’s additionally had a little bit of a profession within the movie business, being one of many producers for Lee Daniels’ The Butler and The Start of a Nation.

Fabricio Oberto (#7) — A part of Argentina’s Golden Era together with Manu, Oberto is likely one of the extra beloved former Spurs and stays a part of the group. He solely performed two extra seasons after spending 4 with the Spurs, sadly having to retire in 2010 after he started experiencing palpitations associated to a earlier coronary heart situation. He was cleared by docs to make a comeback, enjoying for the Argentinian nationwide group within the FIBA Individuals championship in 2011 and his previous membership, Atenas de Córdoba in Argentina, in 2013 earlier than retiring for good. In 2021, he turned a coloration analysts for the Austin Spurs, and final season he teamed up with the Spurs and Univision in broadcasting Spurs video games in Spanish alongside Paul Castro, turning into the one group within the NBA to have a devoted Spanish-language tv broadcast associate.

Jacque Vaughan (#11) — The busiest participant of this group since retiring from enjoying, Vaughan joined Gregg Popovich and the Spurs as an assistant coach from 2010-2012 earlier than turning into the pinnacle coach of the Orlando Magic till his firing in 2015. He then returned to the Spurs as a scout for the 2015-16 season earlier than becoming a member of Kenny Atkinson and the Brooklyn Nets as prime assistant in 2016. He was interim head coach starting in March 2020 when Atkinson left earlier than returning to prime assistant when Steve Nash was employed in September that very same 12 months. Lastly, when Nash retired originally of final season, Vaughan was named head coach for good, and he signed a contract extension in February.

James White (#33) — Drafted within the second spherical in 2006, traded, waived within the preseason and signing with the Spurs was all a part of White’s profession earlier than even enjoying in a daily season NBA sport. He spent his rookie season with the Spurs and Austin Torros, successful a championship, however apart from a quick stint with the Rockets in 2009 and spending the 2012-13 season with the Knicks, the vast majority of his profession was spent abroad. In 2017, he joined the Trilogy of the 3-on-3 league BIG3, the place he nonetheless performs at the moment as a three-time champion. He’s additionally an assistant coach for the Sugarland Imperials of the TBL.

2007 was fairly the eclectic mixture of foundational stars and function gamers with future aspirations in media and training. Keep in mind to go take a look at 1999, 2003 and 2005 in the event you missed them, and keep tuned for the collection finale of 2014, the place there the place for the primary time we are going to nonetheless have some energetic NBA gamers! (It wasn’t that way back, in any case.)