25 Years Ago Today

[ace3g]

https://x.com/spurs/status/1663228711037026327

[TDomination]

Crazy, 25 years.

Ill never get tired of that moment

[GAustex]

Later when they beat the Knicks for the chip
I cried

[Ice009]

Man, that's still awesome.

Also, not sure if it's been bought up a lot back then, but Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey I believe turned the tide and helped toughen up the Spurs. It really sucks that Jerome isn't here anymore :(. Those guys were a big part of shedding a label the Spurs were given back then in prior years (I don't necessarily agree with the label anymore at all as I felt the Spurs were devoid of talent, not soft like the Spurs were being called, but being a kid, I sort of bought into it a little back then).

[Obstructed_View]

Man, that's still awesome.

Also, not sure if it's been bought up a lot back then, but Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey I believe turned the tide and helped toughen up the Spurs. It really sucks that Jerome isn't here anymore :(. Those guys were a big part of shedding a label the Spurs were given back then in prior years (I don't necessarily agree with the label anyone at all as I felt were were devoid of talent, not soft like the Spurs were being called, but being a kid, I sort of bought into it a little back then).
The Robinson-led Spurs were upset by a lower-seeded team in the playoffs every year until Timmy arrived. The only exception was the year Barkley hit the jumper over Dave to close it out.

I don't disagree that the Spurs were lacking in the right kind of talent, because Robinson was easier to swarm without anyone to help him, but like you said, the biggest problem was veteran leadership with playoff experience.

Kersey, Elie, Smitty, Willis, Ferry and guys like that were all invaluable at teaching the Spurs how to get over the hump. I hope the team brings in the same sort of players for this team sooner rather than later.

[south side spur]

Missed the Phoenix exception.

[Ice009]

The Robinson-led Spurs were upset by a lower-seeded team in the playoffs every year until Timmy arrived. The only exception was the year Barkley hit the jumper over Dave to close it out.

I don't disagree that the Spurs were lacking in the right kind of talent, because Robinson was easier to swarm without anyone to help him, but like you said, the biggest problem was veteran leadership with playoff experience.

Kersey, Elie, Smitty, Willis, Ferry and guys like that were all invaluable at teaching the Spurs how to get over the hump. I hope the team brings in the same sort of players for this team sooner rather than later.

Yeah, I do remember the Spurs having higher seeds, but David dragged those guys to those higher seeds as he was able to mask their weaknesses in the regular season IMO.

I should have also thrown Steve Kerr into the 1999 mix, but forgot about him as I mostly remember Mario and Jerome's physical toughness more than Steve bringing championship level experience and professionalism which Mario also brought. I guess Steve also didn't play as much as Mario, so I forgot he was on the 1999 team (I remember him a lot more on the 2003 team).

Great point about Steve Smith, Kevin Willis and Danny Ferry. Those guys really helped a young Spurs team out immensely, and you are 100% right, the current team needs those type of guys sooner rather than later. The sooner the young guys learn to develop good habits, professionalism and what it takes to win, the better off they'll be.

[Extra Stout]

Robinson was derided as soft because he was a nerdy choir boy with interests outside basketball. In retrospect, he dragged lineups that were flawed at best and laughable at worst to respectability.

[Obstructed_View]

Robinson was derided as soft because he was a nerdy choir boy with interests outside basketball. In retrospect, he dragged lineups that were flawed at best and laughable at worst to respectability.
Agree. Robinson had almost no help. I love Sean Elliott but he was not an aggressive player*. Alonzo Mourning said in an interview that David Robinson shied away from contact, which is hilarious because David routinely was at or near the top in free throw attempts.

*MDM

[Extra Stout]

It’s funny to watch that Game 2… in his shots before the MDM, Elliott was often left totally uncovered, just standing behind the 3-point line waiting for a pass. I don’t know why the Blazers let him get into a rhythm like that. Stupidity? They had a big lead and figured whatever they were doing was working? Maybe they knew something was up with him health-wise?

[tonight...you]

Agree. Robinson had almost no help. I love Sean Elliott but he was not an aggressive player*. Alonzo Mourning said in an interview that David Robinson shied away from contact, which is hilarious because David routinely was at or near the top in free throw attempts.

*MDM
Remember his 72 point game to close out the season and block Shaq from being the leading scorer in the NBA that year?
Glorious.
People were crying that the Clippers let him score at will yet pics of his arms and shoulders showed bruises and deep scratches from them trying to defend him.
Dude was incredible before the back went out.

[Tyronn Lue]

David was a physical specimen. It's easy to think he was just cut because of his height, but because of this height that muscle mass was immense. Dude was pure Chad.

[exstatic]

It’s funny to watch that Game 2… in his shots before the MDM, Elliott was often left totally uncovered, just standing behind the 3-point line waiting for a pass. I don’t know why the Blazers let him get into a rhythm like that. Stupidity? They had a big lead and figured whatever they were doing was working? Maybe they knew something was up with him health-wise?

He was terrible in the first half. I’m not sure he scored. I’d have probably left him uncovered, too.

[Extra Stout]

He was terrible in the first half. I’m not sure he scored. I’d have probably left him uncovered, too.
I think he had two threes and a runner in the first half, but showed a lack of stamina (unsurprisingly).

[R. DeMurre]

Robinson getting injured was the greatest stroke of luck a franchise could run into, not to mention how much it did for Robinson's own legacy. If he doesn't get injured, the Spurs don't land Duncan, and Robinson almost certainly retires with zero rings. In this scenario, the soft label becomes amplified in all comparisons involving centers and stars of the 90s, true or not. It kinda shows how one arbitrary occurrence can forever change people's perceptions of a player. Robinson's the same exact guy and player in either scenario-- a great player-- but his legacy changes dramatically based on one twist of fate.

[ambchang]

Agree. Robinson had almost no help. I love Sean Elliott but he was not an aggressive player*. Alonzo Mourning said in an interview that David Robinson shied away from contact, which is hilarious because David routinely was at or near the top in free throw attempts.

*MDM

:lol fake tough guy mourning. If robinson is so soft how did he manage to score 52 points in that overrated DPoY’s ass? Really? You let a soft marshmallow ring 52 on you? What does that make you?

Soft is when you refuse to play for a team because you are not surrounded by talent and had to play in a foreign country, then force a $10M buyout. Or have your feelings hurt because you don’t want to share the spot light with a more talented teammate on an up and coming talented team, subsequently causing the team to implode.

Go drag van gundy around some more. He immediately “calmed down” once Oakley got involved. Wonder why.

[BatManu20]

Robinson getting injured was the greatest stroke of luck a franchise could run into, not to mention how much it did for Robinson's own legacy. If he doesn't get injured, the Spurs don't land Duncan, and Robinson almost certainly retires with zero rings. In this scenario, the soft label becomes amplified in all comparisons involving centers and stars of the 90s, true or not. It kinda shows how one arbitrary occurrence can forever change people's perceptions of a player. Robinson's the same exact guy and player in either scenario-- a great player-- but his legacy changes dramatically based on one twist of fate.

The Butterfly Effect is real tbh. No doubt Robinson's injury changed the course of this franchise forever. Spurs may not even be in San Antonio without it. Pretty wild.

[baseline bum]

It’s funny to watch that Game 2… in his shots before the MDM, Elliott was often left totally uncovered, just standing behind the 3-point line waiting for a pass. I don’t know why the Blazers let him get into a rhythm like that. Stupidity? They had a big lead and figured whatever they were doing was working? Maybe they knew something was up with him health-wise?

I remember Sean coming out and hitting two quick threes to begin the game and thinking the Spurs are gonna blow these motherfuckers out. :lol

[baseline bum]

My biggest memory of the MDM was how ridiculously loud the Dome got when Stoudamire was at the FT line right before Sean's game winner. The Alamodome had these blue hollow plastic seats and everyone was paddling on the seat in front of them making this crazy echo, and literally sounded like a train coming by. The TV broadcast didn't really pick it up but it's the loudest I ever heard a Spurs game and I remember what Hemisfair was like. And Stoudamire blew the first FT which kept Portland from being able to go up 3. Still remember my friends, my brother, and I just jumping up and hugging people we didn't know in the section when Sean hit that three and then again when David dribbled out that Walt Williams miss to finish the game after blocking Jim Jackon's shot. Still can't believe I got lower level tickets to those WCF for like $16.50 per game or something crazy like that.

[TheChillFactor]

i was at the alamodome that day. when we were down 20 in the first half, it felt like "the same old Spurs" who had gotten spanked by utah, houston, phoenix, hell even the sorry ass golden state warriors in 1991.

i have never been so happy as when he hit that shot. pure joy.

as they walked off the court, there was a palpable feeling of, "we are going to win the fucking title this year"

that was the big bang event of the spurs as we know them.

[Obstructed_View]

It’s funny to watch that Game 2… in his shots before the MDM, Elliott was often left totally uncovered, just standing behind the 3-point line waiting for a pass. I don’t know why the Blazers let him get into a rhythm like that. Stupidity? They had a big lead and figured whatever they were doing was working? Maybe they knew something was up with him health-wise?

To that point, the way to beat Robinson in the playoffs was to swarm him and let his teammates fail to help him.

[ambchang]

Like I always say, the admirals best PG was somehow who got cut by the rockets as a third strong PG, twice.

[Obstructed_View]

Like I always say, the admirals best PG was somehow who got cut by the rockets as a third strong PG, twice.
My first NBA game was Spurs Rockets at Hemisfair. Avery was everywhere for Houston. I think the spurs signed and cut him at least once before he stuck.

[exstatic]

My first NBA game was Spurs Rockets at Hemisfair. Avery was everywhere for Houston. I think the spurs signed and cut him at least once before he stuck.

I think he was cut multiple times by the Spurs, including once on Christmas Eve to avoid a guarantee back when the cut date was in December.