“Anthony Goldwire.”
That would likely be a correct answer in a San Antonio Spurs edition of Trivial Pursuit about a former PLAYER who did not earn a ring as part of the 2002-03 team.
But aside from Spurs historians and stat geeks, not many would remember Goldwire as a Spur.
Goldwire is the epitome of a journeyman, whose basketball career has taken him on stops all over the NBA (nine teams), the CBA and overseas.
Currently an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, Goldwire was recently back in San Antonio and spoke to Spurs.com about his time in the Alamo City.
The University of Houston alumnus spent just 10 games with the Spurs during their championship run in 2002-03. Goldwire came to the Spurs that season to fill in while other players were injured, but although his Spurs stint only lasted 10 games, it was obviously enough to make a Texas-sized impact.
“It was a great experience. I’ll never forget it. I was here with some great guys and four of them are still here; Tim, Tony, Manu and Stephen Jackson. There was Steve Smith, Danny Ferry was my guy and Steve Kerr. All of those guys. They won the title, but I wasn’t a part of it. They blessed me in other ways. I was very fortunate to be part of something special like that. It was a great time for me.”
Goldwire said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich likened him to Avery Johnson, someone who took care of business on and off the court and did so in a professional manner.
With the Spurs trading of Antonio Daniels in the 2002 offseason and with key injuries to Steve Smith and Speedy Claxton, the Spurs needed some help in their guard corps. and while Goldwire played sparingly, he became a dependable, savvy point guard the Spurs could go to when Tony Parker went to the bench.
Goldwire was no stranger to San Antonio having attended college just 200 miles up I-10 from here, and with a family in tow, he said he enjoyed the amusement parks in San Antonio.
Having played in several cities not just across the United States, but across the globe, Goldwire showed appreciation for what most outside of San Antonio call a “one-horse town.”
“This is a pro teams’ town. If you are a San Antonio Spur, the whole city knows about you wherever you go. They really appreciate the brand of basketball you play. It starts with Coach Pop. This is a blue collar city. The Spurs have hard working guys who love to work, appreciate of their jobs and the things around them. They pay attention to the details, working together to become something great. It shows by the titles they have.”
Not surprisingly, that’s something several former players have echoed, and it’s an experience many do not get a chance to replicate outside of this area code.
