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Rare Sean Elliott Pistons Highlights vs. Spurs (20 Points - 1994)

4,363 views · Published 6 March 2018 · 3:14 · Indexed 23 September 2026

Channel: Ryan Van Dusen · 2018 · Sports

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February 17, 1994 - After being swapped for Dennis Rodman in 1993, Sean Elliott played just one disappointing season for the Detroit Pistons before being traded back to the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 1994. In Detroit, Elliott saw his scoring average drop by over five points for an aging, post-Bad Boys Pistons team that won just 20 games during the 1993-94 season. 

Twelve days prior to playing against his former team in San Antonio, Elliott was set to be traded once again, this time to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Robert Horry, Matt Bullard, and two second-round draft choices. However, Elliott failed his physical and was sent back to Detroit. At the time, news outlets reported that Elliott had been dealing with a case of pneumonia, which was the supposed reason he'd missed over two weeks of action for the Pistons in February. 

Years later, it was revealed that Elliott had been suffering from the onset of a kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, which ultimately required a kidney transplant from his brother, Noel, following the Spurs’ championship run in 1999. 

After returning to the Spurs in '95, Elliott returned to form, averaging a career-high 20 points per game in 1996 and earning the second and final All-Star nod of his career. 

As for the game shown above, the Pistons trailed by just three at the half before the Spurs eventually pulled away for a comfortable 115-96 win. This contest is best known for David Robinson's 34-point, 10-rebound, 10-block, 10-assist quadruple-double performance. 

Commentators: George Blaha & Kelly Tripucka

Box Score: https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199402170SAS.html

Sean Elliott-Robert Horry Trade Story: http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-05/sports/sp-19299_1_matt-bullard

Sean Elliott Trade Failure Story: http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-07/sports/sp-20042_1_physical-elliott

Story on Sean Elliott's Kidney Prognosis: http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/22/sports/pro-basketball-kidney-failure-imperils-career-of-spurs-elliott.html

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