Thorn: "We Should've Been Champions in 2003"

[Danny.Zhu]

Rod Thorn is with the Sixers now, his "retirement" lasting a matter of weeks. For 46 years, he's been part of the NBA, but he tells Shaun Powell that one of his biggest disappointments was the Nets loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 Finals.

"We were tied 2-2, and in Game 5 we throw the ball away in the last few minutes of a close game. We then go to San Antonio for Game 6 and have a double-digit lead and blow it", recalled Thorn. "We should've been champions; I'll always believe that."

Thorn also talks about the moment he knew Michael Jordan was going to be special and his special relationship with Detroit's "Bad Boys."

http://www.netsdaily.com/

[Austin_Toros]

The fact of the matter is that the Nets LOST. TD was unstopable that finals series.

[Obstructed_View]

Whatever helps him sleep. There wasn't really any doubt about the outcome of that series. Jason Kidd was amazingly great and the 2003 Spurs coasted through a large portion of games, which made that series look a lot closer than it actually ever was.

[benefactor]

Whatever helps him sleep. There wasn't really any doubt about the outcome of that series. Jason Kidd was amazingly great and the 2003 Spurs coasted through a large portion of games, which made that series look a lot closer than it actually ever was.
Exactly. Them building that double digit lead had more to do with the Spurs being complacent than it did with the Nets being better.

[Mel_13]

Lame.

There's no "should have" in sports, only the results that go in the books.

[will_spurs]

Lame.

There's no "should have" in sports, only the results that go in the books.

It doesn't matter, really. Anybody who watched that series knows that the Nets would have needed a miracle to win.

[texbound]

No team with Kenyon Martin will ever win a championship. Even when a team is doing good, he will find a way to screw it up. I remember thinking those games that I hope Kidd gets the ball to Kenyon often.

[ChuckD]

"We were tied 2-2, and in Game 5 we throw the ball away in the last few minutes of a close game. We then go to San Antonio for Game 6 and have a double-digit lead and blow it", recalled Thorn. "We should've been champions; I'll always believe that."
http://www.netsdaily.com/

Pssst...Rod? Teams that do those thing in the Finals generally AREN'T champions. Could've? Maybe, if your team didn't melt down in the clutch. Should've? No fucking way.

[fantasyfootball]

Classic loser talk. I'd give him more of a break but the Nets weren't even close to winning. I can see if you had someone miss a crucial free throw for the series or the refs were handing over the series like they did for the Heat vs Mavs but the Spurs were vastly superior to the Nets.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

That game 6 implosion was epic--champions don't do that in the clutch, I'm sorry.

[benefactor]

If Tim Duncan were not the greatest power forward of all time the 2003 Spurs don't get out of the second round.
Same could be said about many teams with dominant bigs throughout history(early 2000's Lakers, 90's Rockets, etc.).

[Solid D]

I can relate to what Rod is saying. San Antonio Spurs fans have had a few of those missed opportunities.

[Dex]

I can relate to what Rod is saying. San Antonio Spurs fans have had a few of those missed opportunities.

Exactly. Many Spurs fans are convinced that if it weren't for .4 or Manu's Foul, then the Spurs would have two more trophies. The fact of the matter is, nobody knows if the Spurs would've gone on to finish off the Lakers, and nobody knows if the Spurs would've been able to beat Minnesota, Detroit, Phoenix, or Miami. Like Chief said, all that matters is what's in the books.

The world of if's and could'ves is a vast expanse indeed, especially in sports.

[scottspurs]

Spurs won, nets lost bottom line. Thorn is an idiot.

[SenorSpur]

Really Rod Thorn? Really?

In the immortal words of John McEnroe, "you CANNOT be SERIOUS."

[ChuckD]

I can relate to what Rod is saying. San Antonio Spurs fans have had a few of those missed opportunities.

I think it's the wording of his statement. Should've implies entitlement or an imperative, like there was some sort of screwjob, or that they were upset by a lesser team. Neither of those was the case. I'll go along with the fact that they could've won, but didn't. Could've implies only that there was a chance for them to do so.

[TD 21]

Exactly. Many Spurs fans are convinced that if it weren't for .4 or Manu's Foul, then the Spurs would have two more trophies. The fact of the matter is, nobody knows if the Spurs would've gone on to finish off the Lakers, and nobody knows if the Spurs would've been able to beat Minnesota, Detroit, Phoenix, or Miami. Like Chief said, all that matters is what's in the books.

The world of if's and could'ves is a vast expanse indeed, especially in sports.

The difference is, I don't think any objective person can say that the Nets should have won that series. Sure, they had their opportunities, as teams so often do, but they were not the better team.

'04 I think is more debatable, but it's difficult to make an argument for the Spurs not winning in '06 if not for Ginobili's foul. The same Suns team who they had crushed a year before in the Conference Finals were standing between them and a trip to the Finals, only this time, the Suns didn't have Stoudemire. In fact, they were playing without a traditional big man altogether (though Thomas would have obviously played a lot more had they faced the Spurs). Awaiting them in the Finals would have been the Heat, who were a clearly inferior team that relied too heavily on one player to beat the Spurs. I not only think the Spurs win in '06 if not for Ginobili's foul, I think they win relatively easily.

[ChumpDumper]

Eh, he didn't blame the refs or a conspiracy. Nothing wrong in thinking your team should have won were it not for your team's mistakes. I don't necessarily agree with him in this case.

[Mark in Austin]

It was the Net's best chance to win, I'll give Thorn that. And like others have already said, there's nothing wrong with thinking your team should have won as long as you're not blaming the refs or Stern, etc - just your own mistakes. But with Duncan at his apex and another legit post defender in Robinson, it just wasn't going to happen. Add to that what in retrospect is a pretty damn impressive lineup of young AND veteran shooters to surround them with and it's lucky it went six games. (Jack, Manu, Kerr, Ferry, Steve Smith, Bowen).

Still my favorite Spurs team. :tu

[Juanobili]

So... they should've been champions... if they hadn't lost.... yeahhhh lol

[TimmehC]

Yeah, and we "should have" had a 5-peat from 2003-2007.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Spurs would've gone on to finish off the Lakers, and nobody knows if the Spurs would've been able to beat Minnesota


that wolves team was overrated as hell, i dont care if they finish with the best record in the league and mvp that year for garnett, but the spurs were only a few games away from the best record and duncan missed a few games that year. It didnt matter who faced the lakers first or second, no team was gettin pass that lakers team what stern has already planned for that season.

seriously i think we wouldve steam rolled the wolves that year if spurs meet them in the wcf due to there injuries or in any round....

[admiralsnackbar]

By Thorn's goalposts, every team in the NBA deserved to beat us. That season's Spurs were notorious for sleeping through the third Q and fighting back in the fourth.

[FkLA]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/438616706_5eddea2d24.jpg?v=0

[EVAY]

Actually, I remember thinking at the time of those playoffs that if the Nets idiot-coach had let Motumbo play more minutes than he did, the Nets might have had a decent chance. Motumbo was well past his prime, but he had some effective moments against our bigs.

But their coach didn't...and we won!

Wasn't Thorn their GM ( and hence in the position of hiring that coach and their players) at the time?

[Silver&Black]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/438616706_5eddea2d24.jpg?v=0


:nope on Mutombo

[Juanobili]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/438616706_5eddea2d24.jpg?v=0

haha /thread

[mystargtr34]

Yea that series was never really in doubt IMO...it probly should have been 4-1 or a sweep... the real Finals were against the Lakers

[Sean Cagney]

It was the Net's best chance to win, I'll give Thorn that. And like others have already said, there's nothing wrong with thinking your team should have won as long as you're not blaming the refs or Stern, etc - just your own mistakes. But with Duncan at his apex and another legit post defender in Robinson, it just wasn't going to happen. Add to that what in retrospect is a pretty damn impressive lineup of young AND veteran shooters to surround them with and it's lucky it went six games. (Jack, Manu, Kerr, Ferry, Steve Smith, Bowen).

Still my favorite Spurs team. :tu

My fave Spurs team as well, I just loved the HELL out of that team and it wasa special year for me! I literally loved that run the most, the most enjoyable IMO!

Nets could have won if a break or two went there way, but you can say that Boston this year and so many other teams (Hell Boston had a 13 pt lead in game 7!). Things happen and the other team executes well down the stretch while the other chokes and that shows who really should have won it IMO! In a 7 game series there is a few plays that decide it alot of times, period (Deal with it Thorn).


Pistons feel they let one slip away in 05 as well with a big lead in game 7, so goes life at times :king
Yea that series was never really in doubt IMO...it probly should have been 4-1 or a sweep... the real Finals were against the Lakers

I always said after we beat LA no matter what other idiots fans said (Mavs if they had Dirk :lol or NJ fans) that was IT and the Spurs were the best team in the league! When we beat LA I knew it was a wrap deep in my heart, by far.

[Manufan909]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/438616706_5eddea2d24.jpg?v=0

Slam it down, Malik! -Bill Walton

[Sean Cagney]

Slam it down, Malik! -Bill Walton

It's really THROW IT DOWNNNNNNNNNNNN BIG FELLA THROW IT DOWWWWWWWWWWWWWN, now that was a throw down! I miss those days when he would say that there.

[m33p0]

Nope. No way they could beat the Spurs that year. Or in any other year for that matter. No matter how well they could/should have played. Nah-uh. Not with Tim in his prime with near quadruple-doubles. Nosirree.

[spursfan1000]

haha /thread


A quick glance at that, it looked like it was Blair that was dunking...I was like wtf? lol

[howbouthemspurs]

Keep dreaming douche bag!

[tmtcsc]

:lmao:rollin

I always thought the 2003 Championship team gave me more heartburn than any of our others. They constantly got out to big leads only to blow them.

Every playoff series took 6 games to win, they split the first two games (Lost homecourt) against Phoenix, Dallas and the Nets. Needed a miracle miss by Horry after blowing a 20 something point lead against the Lakers and needed a crazy flurry of 3 pointers by Jackson and Kerr to swarm the Mavs without Dirk.

For Thorn to even think that our issues with the Nets had anything to do with them is silly. Rod, we were the better team. Your team came from a horribly weak conference and the outcome was a matter of When, not If.

Give me a break.

[Supergirl]

How many teams have had double digit leads against Kobe's teams in the first three quarters of playoff games, only to go on to lose to Kobe almost singlehandedly?

NBA games are 4 quarters, pacing and having a good closer is part of the game.