The 1997–98 NBA season was the Spurs' 22nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season as a franchise. After finishing with the third-worst record in 1996–97, the Spurs won the 1997 NBA Draft Lottery, dubbed as the "Tim Duncan sweepstakes." During the offseason, the team signed free agents Jaren Jackson and Malik Rose. The Spurs finished second in the Midwest Division with a 56–26 record, and returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. Duncan was named Rookie of The Year, and was selected to the 1998 NBA All-Star Game along with David Robinson. In the playoffs, the Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns 3–1 in the Western Conference First Round, but lost 4–1 to the Utah Jazz in the semifinals. Following the season, Vinny Del Negro signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks, three-point specialist Chuck Person signed with the Charlotte Hornets, and Monty Williams was released.

The team's season roster is featured in the video games NBA 2K16 and NBA 2K17.

The Spurs were coming off a poor 1996–97 NBA season; in which their best player, David Robinson—himself a number one draft pick in 1987—was sidelined for most of the year with an injury. The Spurs had finished with a 20–62 win-loss record. However, as the 1997–98 NBA season approached, the Spurs were considered a notable threat in the NBA. With both an experienced center in Robinson and the number one pick in Duncan, the Spurs featured one of the best frontcourts in the NBA. Duncan and Robinson became known as the "Twin Towers", having earned a reputation for their exceptional defense close to the basket, forcing opponents to take lower percentage shots from outside. From the beginning, Duncan established himself as a quality player: in his second-ever road game, he grabbed 22 rebounds against opposing Chicago Bulls power forward Dennis Rodman, a multiple rebounding champion and NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

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