Category: San Antonio Spurs Blog

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that forward Jeff Pendergraph has formally changed his last name to Ayres.

Ayres is the family name of his biological father, James. It replaces the surname of Jeff’s former stepfather.

According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News, “I didn’t know who my dad was until I was a senior in high school,” Jeff Ayres said Wednesday, during a break from pickup games at the Spurs’ practice gym. He was born Jeff Orcutt, using his mother LaDona’s maiden name, and became Pendergraph in elementary school when she married. Growing up in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 45 miles east of Los Angeles, the future Jeff Ayres dreamed his biological father was someone famous, such as Denzel Washington or Shaquille O’Neal. A doctor. A musician. Somebody who was somebody. “It turns out it was a mechanic named James,” Ayres said.”

The San Antonio Spurs today announced they have re-signed Tiago Splitter.

Last season, he posted career-bests, appearing in 81 games and averaging 10.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.7 minutes, while shooting .560 (315-563) from the field and .730 (208-285) from the free throw line.

Splitter was selected by the Spurs with the 28th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and was signed by the team on July 12, 2010. In 200 career games with the Silver and Black, Splitter has averaged 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.3 minutes. He has appeared in 19 games in the playoffs, averaging 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.3 minutes.

“Tiago is a great fit in our system and we are delighted that he has elected to sign a long-term contract to remain with the Spurs,” said Spurs general manager R.C. Buford. “Thanks to his work ethic and basketball IQ we have seen him improve each season in San Antonio. He was a key reason for our success during the 2012-13 season and we look forward to his future contributions.”

Prior to joining the Spurs, the 6-11, 235-pound center played for Caja Laboral Vitoria in the ACB League from 2003-10. Splitter helped lead Caja Laboral to four Spanish League regular season titles (2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2008-09) and two Spanish League championships (2007-08 and 2009-10). In seven Spanish League seasons with the team, Splitter averaged 11.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 233 games while shooting .616 (969-1,573) from the floor.

During the 2009-10 ACB season Splitter was named the Spanish League regular season MVP and the Spanish League Finals MVP. He earned All-Euroleague honors three straight seasons from 2007-10, including First Team in 2008 and Second Team in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Originally signed by Caja Laboral in April of 2000 at the age of 15, Splitter played on loan with Araba Gorago Alava in 2000-01, Basket Bilbao Berri in 2001-02 and 2002-03 before joining Caja Laboral for the 2003-04 season.

Born and raised in Brazil, Splitter has played for the Brazilian National Team since 2002. In international play, Splitter helped lead Brazil to gold medals at the 2003 South American Championship, the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2005 Americas Championship and the 2009 Americas Championship. Splitter also represented Brazil at the 2012 Olympics in London.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed forward/center Jeff Pendergraph. He is generally considered backup support off the bench.

Pendergraph, 6-9/250, spent the past two seasons playing for the Indiana Pacers. In 2012-13, he appeared in 37 games, averaging 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes while shooting .484 (61-126) from the field and .913 (21-23) from the free throw line.

Prior to Indiana, Pendergraph played for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009-10 where he appeared in 39 games and averaged 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.4 minutes. In 96 career games in the NBA, the Ontario, Calif., native holds averages of 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.2 minutes.

Pendergraph, who was selected in the second round (31st overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, played collegiately at Arizona State University. An All Pac-10 First Team selection in 2009, he appeared in 126 career games for the Sun Devils, averaging 12.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in 30.2 minutes.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Marco Belinelli.

Belinelli, 6-5/195, has played professionally since 2002. Last season, the Italian guard played for the Chicago Bulls where he appeared in 73 games, averaging 9.6 points, 2.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 25.8 minutes.

Selected with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft, Belinelli has also played for the New Orleans Hornets (2010-11), Toronto Raptors (2009-10) and the Golden State Warriors (2007-09). In 360 career NBA games, he holds averages of 9.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.4 minutes while shooting .418 (1,159-2,776) from the floor, .387 (448-1,159) from the three-point range and .808 (488-604) from the free throw line.

Prior to the NBA, he played professionally in Italy for Fortitudo Bologna from 2004-07 and Virtus Bologna from 2002-04. In 2005 at the age of 19, Belinelli was named the Italian Supercup MVP after leading his team to the league title and the Italian Cup. He has also played on the Italian National Team and competed at the 2006 FIBA World Championships.

Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford will be available to the media today, July 11, at 3:15 p.m. at the Spurs practice facility to discuss free agent signings.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have re-signed guard Manu Ginobili. We’ll post contract details here later today. It is likely just a two-year deal.

The 6-6 Ginobili was selected by San Antonio with the 57th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. In his 11 seasons, Ginobili has helped guide the Spurs to seven division titles and the playoffs every year, including three NBA Championships. Over the 11-year span San Antonio has posted a 626-260 regular season record, giving the team a winning percentage of .707, the highest winning percentage of any NBA team during that 11-year span.

“Manu has been an integral part of the Spurs family and the San Antonio community for the past decade and we are thrilled that he’ll spend his entire career as a San Antonio Spur,” said Spurs general manager RC Buford. “His accomplishments on the international stage and in the NBA are extraordinary and his competitiveness and willingness to do whatever it takes to help his team win are unrivaled.”

The 35-year-old Ginobili was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2008 and 2011. The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2008, Ginobili became the first South American – and first sixth man – to earn All-NBA honors. A two-time NBA All-Star (2005 and 2011), he is one of only two players, along with Bill Bradley, to win an Olympic gold medal, an NBA Championship and a Euroleague Championship.

In 727 regular season games Ginobili has averaged 14.9 points, 4.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.46 steals in 27.5 minutes. He is the Spurs franchise leader in three-pointers made (1,093) and attempted (2,941), is third all-time in steals (1,064) and fifth in points (10,819) and assists (2,892). Ginobili has appeared in 157 playoff games and averaged 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.41 steals in 30.4 minutes. In postseason action, he is the Silver and Black’s all-time leader in steals (221), three-pointers made (251) and attempted (699) and ranks third in games played (157), points (2,450), rebounds (694) and assists (620). Among active NBA players in playoff action Ginobili ranks fifth in steals (221) and three-pointers made (251), seventh in games played (157) and is eighth in free throws made (675).

A member of the Argentinean National Team since 1998, Ginobili led Argentina to the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics after averaging 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.38 steals in 29.9 minutes in eight games earning him tournament MVP honors. During the 2000-01 season he was named the MVP of both the Italian League and the Euroleague Finals as Virtus Bologna captured the title in both the Italian and Euroleague Championships.