I don't always post

[ElNono]

For the past three years, there have been great teams, good teams, and teams with a chance. Great stories, great moments, and triumphs worthy of mention. And far too often, those have all been overlooked by a media hell bent on covering one team and one man upon whom they have placed so many marketing chips. Money is riding on the one they've dubbed "the king" even though he has just one title. If he loses, it's because he didn't step up. If he wins, it's because he's the greatest since Jordan. The NFL doesn't do this. Neither does the MLB or the NHL. But the NBA does, and ESPN does, and everyone else does. A team sport becomes all about one guy, all about one team, all in this orchestrated malarkey... this kabuki theater in which one team has been put together on TV, claimed they would get multiple titles on TV, been commercialized more than a spare piece of plastic in a Chinese Christmas assembly line... on TV. So the other teams, the teams with markets and fans that can benefit from being analyzed and given some spotlight, they get looked over. And the result is that the kids out there, they buy the shoes, they buy the jerseys, but the one thing they don't buy, the thing they don't buy is basketball. Oh, they buy the balls, they buy the Gatorade, but they don't buy the sport - not the real sport.

It's all about image. It's all about how this can be spun into synthetic legend for the masses to buy up the tchotchkes. Gotta sell more articles after all - gotta get the advertisers, and the way you sell the articles, the way you get people to tune in, it's through celebrity. Sure, in the NFL they discuss in the in's and the out's... they dissect the plays. But in the NBA, the helmets are off, and the king's celebrity makes the money. The league knows it, the advertisers know it, the broadcasters know it, we know it. It's a choice they made, not a necessity. And that's why they need him to win. That's why they built this pedestal for him straight out of the gate. Sure, he came into the league as the greatest prospect since Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. But they needed a new Jordan, and this is the horse they rode in on.

The Spurs meanwhile are ignored. They're ignored until the league and the media have to watch them because they're in the national spotlight. When they commentate on them, you can tell they haven't watched... they're boring because team basketball is boring, because team basketball isn't the thing they decided to market. They market a few faces. They market "the king." But there are the Spurs, right? There they are doing it the way every red-blooded American and lover of basketball/football/baseball/soccer/shuffle board says it should be done. No drama, just business. Leave it all on the floor. Play smarter, not harder. Pass to your teammates. There's no I in team. Sure, they're made up of individuals from all around the globe - but that just adds to the Americanism of it all. Just like America is everybody globally brought together under one ideal of freedom and liberty (realities notwithstanding), the Spurs were brought together under one ideal of playing a true system of great basketball. They should be revered, instead there's the obligatory one-off annual article asking why we don't revere them with the scapegoat of blandness leveled.

That's why the Spurs need to win Game Seven. When you're in the backyard as a kid, you don't dream of hitting the fifteenth shot in the game, you dream of hitting the game winner. And when you dream big, you dream of nothing but net for a championship with time running out. Game Seven is that. It's the superbowl of basketball, it's the biggest game and it doesn't come around every year. And right there, on that Olympic-sized, once in a blue moon superbowl, there it is: The King, ordained by the media with pomp no matter the circumstance, versus the guys who are continually ignored for doing it the right way. That's why this Game Seven matters. It's vindication to everybody who loves real basketball, played really the right way. If the Spurs win, it takes every bit of the wind out of the sails for this mid-song crescendo about the Heat and Lebron James. You want to beat him in the worst way possible? Beat him in Game Seven on his own court, right after he heroically brings his team back in Game Six and the media pronounce the Spurs dead on arrival. Do what they say can't be done. You want to dethrone Stern's way of running this NBA into a style over substance league? Dethrone his king in the biggest game the NBA has. You want the nation watching the low-rated-in-the-finals Spurs? You've got it now, and it's the best chance in the world to put the Spurs in the pantheons of greatest teams ever... and maybe even change the way basketball is marketed and perceived.

The Spurs stole Game One - you know it and I know it. The Heat stole Game Six - you know it and I know it. In between we've had counterpunch after counterpunch after counterpunch, leading to blowouts from great strategy. It's 50/50 right now and nothing is certain. Game Seven? Game Seven can't be predicted. But what can be predicted is that if the Spurs win, they will have dethroned not only Lebron, but David Stern's philosophy, the philosophy of ESPN, and made basketball much better for it.

Pound the Rock. There may be other big adventures in the saga of these Spurs next season, but even a repeat could not top Thursday night. This is the biggest game Tim Duncan and every other player on the team has ever played, sans Ginobili winning against the US in the Olympics. He's going to have to grab onto that game and pull something like that out again. So is everyone else on the team. The Spurs can do this. The Spurs may not. But they can. This is a message game to the league, to the country, to the kids out there buying into the arrogant hero ball mentality that dooms all but the one or two best players in the country.

[irishock]

:cry

[Thread]

The Spurs got away with one here. The worst that could happen happened and everybody turned the other way like they didn't even see it. If the Lakers a pulled a stunt in Game 6 like the Spurs did Media would beat their asses like 2 Jap flags...forever. It's laughable, but, at the same time satisfying....Media ain't no better than the next guy in the line. Their dispensing of the Sports news is centralized just like real news.

The Spurs didn't lose...Miami just won. It's American BS of the last quarter century. "My Child..." bumper stickers malarky.

[Rogue]

cut&paste stuffs are lame in general, unless it is done by a legend like ElNono. any chance he does me a favor by cutting & posting my Scarlett story somewhere, preferably somewhere where my goddess can see it? :cry

[irishock]

Good read. I too like to romanticize what the NBA has become vs. what the old guard want it to be. The storylines don't always play out the best, most memorable ending, but the Spurs have a chance to do a really great thing. They can go into Game 7, knowing that history frowns upon their circumstances, that the Heat are salivating at the chance to take what they realistically haven't earned this series, and they can slay Goliath in his own home. It would be a poetic ending, and just loaded with delicious justice for an organization that prides itself on consistency, team effort, humility, and fundamentals. It would be the team that everybody hates to love finally triumphing over the team that everybody loves to hate one last time.

History says that this Game 7 is a coronation for a champion that merely had to get here in order to be crowned. Statistics indicate that the Spurs, despite everything else that they've done this series, have reached a point where road teams in a 3-3 series go to die. We'll be told and we'll believe that the emotion will carry the Heat at home, and that the league would prefer to crown a marketable champion rather than an aging titan. We'll believe that the Spurs will show up and fight, but critical calls will go in favor of the Heat late and the Spurs' final efforts will come up short. And why shouldn't we? That's how it's gone for every team to play in a road Game 7 since the 70s, and for every team since the 2-3-2 format was introduced.

All that matters, then, is the chance. That's as good as optimism gets for Spurs fans. The heartbreaking loss in Game 6 is now history, and thankfully it did not result in the conclusion of the series. The Spurs have been granted one final shot at redemption. My gut tells me that the Spurs will fall in line with the 2010 Celtics, a team that seemed poised to triumph but couldn't close late. My heart tells me that the script being written is too good not to believe it can't happen, that these resurgent Spurs can't be the ones to finally win that elusive Game 7 on the road.

[William Hung]

It's easy to be down this place, but it ws OK value considering I stayed there in high ski season. Bad Gastein itself is beautiful and well worth visiting. The ski resort is fantasic and Penion Laura (not prefixed with 'Sport' any longer) was a useful base.

Laura is a bit out of town, which provided for lovely views going to and fro, but could be a pain if carrying ski gear. I kept mine in the rental place in town, but would have had to use the bus each time if wanted to store my skis in the hotel. Bad Gastein is built around a valley, which contributes to its beauty, but means a lot of hill walking to get anywhere. If you're daunted by hills or have mobility problems you might want to stay in the centre of town.

I'm generally not fussy about where I stay, so long as the place is clean and the staff are friendly and helpful. Pension Laura is mixed. I can imagine many people thinking the place is rundown, but this didn't bother me greatly. It was clean, for the most part, but the kitchen is located right by the entrance and at the bottom of the main stairs. The staff leave the door open and are generally cooking fried food - the smell of which drifts around the whole place and gets into your clothes. I had a pizza in their restaurant, which was tasty, but had to change and shower again before going out as I smelled like a greasy-spoon cafe.

The proprietors do not speak English well, so you're on to a loser if the conversation becomes any more complicated than asking for food or fresh towels. They advertise that guests have use of the hotel's sauna and thermal bath, but they would not let me use the sauna unless I could recruit 2 other people to join me as they did not want to turn it on for less than 3 people.

[jeebus]

It is with great sadness and hurt in my heart this to you my fellow spurs fans. Never in my life have I ever felt as much sadness as I do now. There are no words to describe the pain that permeates my soul and my spirit. Throughout my life I have grossly underachieved. I don't know what happened, but through it all I had my Spurs. It was as if there was a greater consciousness out there that gave them to me and brought comfort when all seemed dark. It was as if this presence out there was using the Spurs to tell me "It's going to be ok". I had youth on my side, and it seemed as if, like the Spurs, through my illegitimate existence, through relentless pursuit, that I would climb the mountain and crash the party of prosperity and happiness. Through the Spurs, it felt like I was that stubborn remainder that could not be rectified. I was the shadow in the corner of one's eye. If felt as if no matter what reckless and youthful stumble, that I would usurp the order and construct of the cosmos that had so opposed and oppressed me. Through my entire life I have felt this parallel between myself and this great franchise. When we lost to Portland in 1990, I wasn't watching basketball yet and I had no idea who David Robinson was. In a strange twisted way, it's almost as if that series had no relevance on the future. We were on a scale of infinite time. When we lost to Golden State in 1991, I had just started to pick up a baskEteball at recess,... nothing more. I was still interested in dodgeball, cartoons, Nintendo and M.C. Hammer. It was 1992 when I first noticed the NBA. All of my friends at recess were talking about the Dream Team, and were saying "I'm Pippen..., I'm Jordan..., I'm Barkley..., and so forth. I didn't quite grasp the spectacle they were describing until I saw a tape of one of the olympic games that my extended day teacher had brought in. I saw the greatness that was on the court, and dreamed of emulating their skills. They had this comic book aura about them, and still did not know that David Robinson was on a team called the "San Antonio Spurs". It was one NBA on NBC Saturday afternoon that I finally found out who David Robinson truly was and more importantly... that the great city of San Antonio, where I had been been born, had a team and they played in this place called the "Hemisphere Arena". If you lived in Southern CA in the early 1990's it was entirely conceivable that you would not know about the San Antonio Spurs if you did not have cable or were a basketball fan. It was from this point forward, that a young Hispanic boy without a father at home, began to develop his identity and a positive self-concept by way of David Robinson and the San Antonio Spurs.

The colors of Silver and Black were trendy in the early 1990's. It was a profound sense of intimate and personal pride that the city I was born in, had a basketball team with "Raider's colors". As I transcended into adolescence, I began to become more informed about the Spurs and their unlikely origin. Like myself, the San Antonio Spurs were an anomaly in their realm. They were never supposed to have survived and definately not supposed to win a championship. it was then that I began to feel a true bond between myself and them. Like the Raiders, and the AFL, the Spurs thrived when no one else gave them a chance. It was as if their existence in and of itself was a beacon of defiance to the establishment. It was as if it was by design.

We can basically surmise what took place next. I floundered collegiately, and the Spurs win 4 championships, after leaving the city of San Bernardino where I was raised, and subsequently the Inland Empire (San Bernardino-Riverside-Ontario-Fontana area of SoCal) I have successfully relocated to Indianapolis were I have much more probability for economic stability. I work for a local school district and am doing reasonably ok for my circumstances. I have not had kids out of wedlock like so many other urban ethnics do and I have a new horizon to see.

I know this has been wordy and overly personal, but I feel the occasion is appropriate. If there is nothing else that the Spurs taught me, it was how to compete, how to lose, and how to move on and prosper. After all the disappointments of the 90's, after 95, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, and now 2013, it was that we took those losses on the chin, and yet after everyone has written us off, we are still here. It's who we are . It's what we do. I have to go to work now, but in the words of Bill Clinton and the 1992 Democratic Campaign,... DON'T STOP THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW. WE ARE NOT DONE. WE ARE NOT FINISHED. THERE IS MUCH MORE LIFE LEFT TO LIVE. GO SPURS GO.

[Venti Quattro]

Make no mistake about it, getting to the NBA Finals is an incredible grind. After all, it took the Spurs six long years to get back. It's not that easy and some teams never get there. We can't assume that the Spurs are earmarked for a return trip next year because they got there this year.

Having Kawhi and Danny are superb building blocks. They are emerging players at their positions and Kawhi is quite possibly a star on rise. As good as this tandem is, the Spurs need more of that. The Spurs one or two more contributing role players, who can begin to integrate themselves and possibly emerge into the team's next set of stars. If they can make the right moves in the offseason, they can continue stocking the cupboard with via the draft and low-cost free agent signings.

As for Manu, I do believe it's time for him to ride off into the sunset. His body has already started breaking down on him, and his skills are in significant decline. His turnovers have become more frequent and it's killing this team. He continues trying to make the great play or great pass, when a good play or good pass would suffice. Despite all that his competitive fire burns bright. He only knows one way to play and unfortunately he's not going to change is style. I just think it's time for the Spurs to move on from him, but I know Pop will not. I expect him back wreaking havoc on the Spurs turnover rate.

Splitter is a huge enigma. I believe the wants to be back and I believe the Spurs want him back. He's never going to be an aggressive difference-maker in the paint. Isn't it curious that Kawhi is by far a better rebounder, at this stage, than Splitter is. That tell you all you need to know about Splitter. He'll be a good utility player, but not one to help offset the Duncan difference.

Speaking of bigs, Tim is stilll a very effective big - the best on the team and still one of the best in the NBA. Can we really expect him to continue motoring through another 2 seasons, at this pace and productivity level. He desparately needs some help. Time to move on from Bonner and Blair. Diaw is effective, but seriously flawed. Time to give Baynes a shot. It's also time for the Spurs to draft a young, athletic big. A youngster, who can block shots, rebound, defend the post and can score around the basket. The kid, whoever it is, could very well be a year or two away from playing - but with some good old Spurs seasoning, he could be ready in a year or so. However, it's important that the Spurs get this young, unknown big into the pipeline now - even if it means moving up in the draft to get one. Besides, he'll always have Duncan as a mentor, role model and on-court tutor.

As for backup PG, I'm comfortable with Joseph. I just think Pop and staff need to entrust him to run the offense totally, instead of deferring to Manu to do so. Manu's presence with the second unit is stunting his development. And he all know that Manu no longer needs to be the secondary ball-handler.

Internal growth worked last offseason, but the Spurs need to focus on continuous roster ugrades to fill necessary holes. After all, two of their Big Three are getting older and declining. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference is always getting better, which means the Spurs must strive to get better too.

[jeebus]

At the beginning of the season, nobody expected the Spurs to be on top of the Western Conference. Analysts were all over the Lakers and Thunder to face the Heat in the Finals. Yet, nobody is talking about the season the Spurs put together to get to the NBA Finals.

Sure, we can talk about missed Free Throws and how Duncan wasn't in the game to grab a rebound, but at the end of the day every Spurs fans needs to lift up their head and be proud as fuck. Nobody gave this old, boring, led by a 37 year old team to make it this far. And Spurs exceeded expectations.

I go to college in Iowa and we don't have any media coverage of the Spurs. Since November, I have streamed every game that wasn't on National TV this season and witnessed a truly amazing season. This recap is all by memory, so please forgive me if I get some stats wrong.

With a clean slate in 2012, the Spurs faced two tough opponents in the first two days. A back-to-back against the Hornets and Thunder. Back then, "analysts" believed the Hornets could give the Spurs a run for their money in the Southwest division. They finished last. Nevertheless, the Spurs won in a close game in New Orleans. The very next day, they were back in San Antonio to face the defending Western Conference champs, the Thunder. With a Tony Parker buzzer beater, the Spurs celebrated the revenge they were seeking. It was at this point, I believed the Spurs had a tank to take it far.

There were ups and downs, just like every season. The Austin Toros almost beat the Miami Heat, and it was a $250,000 celebration on Spurstalk.If the Toros were just one Ray Allen three point miss away from winning, then the Spurs could have a chance later on. Neverless, the downs come, too. The Spurs finished below .500 in the month of April. Jackson was cut. Spurstalk was nervous that the Lakers could beat them in the first round. The Spurs put all doubt aside for a sweep.

Golden State was a threat. Taking two resounding leads in Game 1 and 2, the Spurs managed to split the series thanks to a Manu tres, and ultimately beat the team that was "guided by God's hands." Sweeping the Grizzlies gave the forum a lot of confidence. Sadly, the Spurs couldn't finish off an extraordinary season.

The Tim Duncan postgame interview should give everyone here something to think about. The Spurs wanted to win. They are devastated, as we are, about Game 6 & 7. Even multimillionaires, with their paychecks, are down about missed opportunities. As much as I thought the performance tonight was no where near the Spurs' potential, I rest easy that the good guys gave it their all. You should too. It's entertainment after all. I was entertained this whole damn season, from start to finish, that's all I can ask for.

Remember the season as a reminder, not about choking, but about how a team full of aging stars and no name players came together. Remember the Parker shot against OKC in the second game of the season. Remember the comeback against Golden State in Game 1. Remember the Duncan laugh against Howard in Game Three. Remember that contracts are up for many players the Spurstalk community wants out of here. And remember that next November, every team from the Bulls to the Bobcats will be 0-0. Don't be sad that it's over, be happy that it happened. That there was a Game 7. That the Spurs overcame the media's negativity. That they Believed.

[Vash StampedE]

Great read!

I really think that our team will be back in there and have another chance to not only defeat Miami but also, as what you've said, to ridicule the way Stern and media has transformed basketball today. Believe!!!

[Venti Quattro]

Great read!

I really think that our team will be back in there and have another chance to not only defeat Miami but also, as what you've said, to ridicule the way Stern and media has transformed basketball today. Believe!!!

First off, fuck whoever banned me for 3 days so I couldn't get on Spurs Talk and post during the finale.

I see a lot of posts of people talking shit about Ginobili and his performance in game seven of the finals. Personally, I think it's pretty funny that Manu gets the blame considering he was the person keeping us in the game (alongside Duncan and Leonard). Ginobili tallied 18 points and 5 assists, while having 3 turnovers in the final quarter.

I thought Manu looked great out there last night. His eurostep/hopstep was on point and his shooting was actually well. The problem I have with the forum on this issue is that they consider the blame to be on "Turnobili". Consider the following:

- The "leader" of our team went 3/12 and at times completely went in hero mode. That man is Tony Parker. I like Parker when he gets into hero mode, but he obviously didn't look for the pass much at all last night. We knew he had to step up in game seven for us to win. I understand he's injured, but I think that plays more of a roll than Ginobili.

- Danny Green and Gary Neal's horrific shooting. Neal not as much (2 for 8), but Green going 1 for 12 is horrible. Especially considering he was making such bonehead mistakes (the turnover on the fast break). In the games at home, we was moving around lots. However, in this game, he seemed content just staying in a corner. I understand the D is guarding you tight, but damn.. the only shot you could make was wide open? He had to play better to win.

- Before someone brings up the "record breaking shooting spree" as an excuse to his poor play, also remember that Ginobili dished out 24 and 10 in game five.

Ginobili played like vintage Manu the other night, but people's blind hatred gets in the way of it. The sad reality is he is a scapegoat for Spurs fans and they fail to realize that he's always played like that, he's always had his "turnover" days, and he's been injured. ?

I read earlier someone claim that he's cost the Spurs "two titles". No, poor perimeter shooting, not executing when we had a chance, and the heartbreaking game six loss all played more of a roll than Manu.

A lot of you guys say "vet minimum or let him walk". I guarantee you guys wouldn't be thinking that if you thought Ginobili wouldn't retire if he wasn't a Spur. Remember, Ginobili doesn't want to retire just yet. How would you feel if he was on the Clippers? Heat? Lakers? Mavericks? I bet all of your attitudes would change.

So in conclusion, those who feel it's Manu's fault... are stupid as fuck. It was a team effort and despite two turnovers at the end... Leonard, Duncan and Green all messed up towards the end too. Missed opportunities.