The 1988–89 NBA season was the Spurs' 13th season in the NBA and 22nd season as a franchise. The Spurs had the tenth pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected Willie Anderson from the University of Georgia. The team also acquired rookie guard Vernon Maxwell from the Denver Nuggets, and hired Larry Brown as their new head coach. The Spurs struggled all season long, posting an 8-game losing streak in December, a 7-game losing streak in January, a 13-game losing streak between February and March, and a 9-game losing streak to end their season, finishing fifth in the Midwest Division with an awful 21–61 record, missing the playoffs.