NBA champion and author of the Memorial Day Miracle — the most celebrated shot in San Antonio Spurs history.
Sean Michael Elliott was born in Tucson, Arizona in 1968 and attended the University of Arizona. San Antonio Spurs selected him third overall in the 1989 NBA Draft. His 12-season career produced 14.9 points per game and one All-Star appearance. He won the NBA championship with San Antonio in 1999. His most celebrated moment came on May 31, 1999 — the Memorial Day Miracle — when he received an inbound pass near the corner, stepped outside the three-point line while barely keeping his left foot inbounds and made a three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to beat the Portland Trail Blazers, who were leading the series. The shot kept San Antonio alive in the series and they went on to win his first championship. He underwent a kidney transplant from his brother Noel in 1999 — months before returning to play professional basketball. He played for two more seasons after the transplant. He is one of a tiny number of professional athletes to compete at an elite level after a major organ transplant. He was inducted into the San Antonio Spurs Ring of Honor and remains one of the franchise's most beloved figures.
Memorial Day Miracle shot in 1999 NBA Finals
How They Played
Smooth shooting forward with excellent mid-range game
Lasting Impact
Versatile forward who overcame kidney transplant to win NBA title
NBA Champion (1999)
Career Honours
- NBA Champion (1999)
- All-Star 1x
- NCAA All-American