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San Antonio Spurs team physician Dr. David Schmidt has been named 2004 "Physician of the Year" by the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association. The NBATA is made up of athletic trainers from all 30 NBA franchises.

"It is humbling to be honored by the members of the NBATA," said Schmidt. "They are a great group of professionals and it is tremendously rewarding to get to work with them."

Along with the honor of being named "Physician of the Year", Dr. Schmidt will also have $1,000 donated by the NBATA to a charity of his choosing. This season NBATA made it's donation to the Teresa and David R. Schmidt Scholarship Fund. The fund provides a $4,000 scholarship to kids interested in medicine and athletic training who live in rural counties surrounding San Antonio.

"It feels great to be able to give back to the rural communities like the one I grew up in," said Schmidt, who hails from Fredericksburg. "The kids that we are helping today are the ones who will eventually be the next line of doctors and trainers."

Dr. Schmidt, who has been with the Spurs for 12 seasons, is no stranger to San Antonio sports. When he is not working for the Spurs, he also serves as the Team Physician for the San Antonio Missions and Trinity University as well as several local high schools. A founding Board Member and past Chairman of the San Antonio Sports Foundation, Dr. Schmidt also served on the medical staffs of the 1996 Olympic Games and the 1995 World University Games.

"Dr. Schmidt is a valued asset to our training staff," said Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford. "His passion and dedication makes him the perfect recipient for this award. The value of Dr. Schmidt's hard work to the San Antonio Spurs is immeasurable."