If you could change one shot that affected your team in the last 15 years

[Lakers_55]

the lakeshow was defined by magic, hence it's the magic era aka the lakeshow. no magic, no lakeshow.

Props to a Spurs fan for defining a Laker era!

[IronMexican]

Definitely game 5, 2003 WCSF. That one hurt. LA already had the 4-peat shirts on and everything.

[Findog]

Every shot Baron Davis took in the first round.

Gary Payton's shot at the end of G3.

[monosylab1k]

Interesting how people are responding.....First off, suppose Horry's shot 2003 did go in. There was time on the clock for the Spurs to still win it. they may have. Also, it only makes the series 3-2 Lakers, SA still could have came back, no guarantee for the Lakers. The irony was Fisher's legal 0.4 (should have been 0.8) shot in 2004 happened one year to the day after Horry's miss. Same scenario applies in 2004, Lakers could have still come back. We had solved the SA game plan by collapsing on Duncan and Parker. We just gave our huge lead away in game 5 and let the drama unfold. Funny how so many games with the Lakers in San Antonio come down to the last and crazy play.

As far as the Spurs debated dynasty le goes, I can tell you this as I lived through it, in 1987, the Lakers had 4 les in 8 years and no one would give us dynasty status, we had to have a repeat championship to secure it, which we did in 1988. 3 les in 5 years isn't enough, and the Spurs 4 in 9 claim fails because a Laker dynasty lies within. I have said this here before. Want an NBA dynasty? Win a back to back le and prevent the controversy that will arise. Last year was a great shot for the Spurs to finally get the dynasty le, wins againt the Lakers and Celtics would have done the trick. So, there remain but 5 dynastys in NBA history, Lakers have three, Celtics and Bulls, one each.

However...

No team would have beaten Detroit in 2004, no team. It was Piston destiny to win in 2004, just the same as it was the Spur's in 2003, 2005, and 2007. It was also the Celtic's last year, and the Heat in 2006. The team that wins the finals beats the best the other conference had to offer. It isn't their fault they don't play a different team. Since their destiny is to win it all and they do so by beating the best the other conference offered, it makes sense they would have beaten any other team from the conference. Remember it's destiny to be champion. Accept that when your team doesn't win it all. Cheering your team on next season will be a lot easier as a result.

I can't think of a shot I would change. I like how things have worked out.

I would just like to point out that your sig is freakin re ed, especially considering the Lakers pulled one of the most egregious tankjobs ever when they lost to the Rockets in 1986 to purposely avoid getting absolutely curbstomped by the Celtics in the Finals.

[monosylab1k]

Dirk's missed FT at the end of Game 3.

[hater]

obvious answer is .4

then the foul called vs. nowitzki

spurs could easily have 6 championship if not for those 2 single plays

[Obstructed_View]

Timmy's dunk on Scot Pollard.

[Bob Lanier]

Rip Hamilton's brick when isolated against Tony Parker at the end of Game 5 of the '05 Finals.

[peskypesky]

.4

[peskypesky]

obvious answer is .4

then the foul called vs. nowitzki

spurs could easily have 6 championship if not for those 2 single plays

right you are.

and if fisher's foul on barry had been called last year, who knows? maybe a 7th Championship?

[monosylab1k]

Are you upset that there are no shots that you could change that would have put your team in contention for a le?

It doesn't take a college graduate to remember that the Mavs were in the Finals with a 2-0 lead once, so no, I'm not upset that my team never had those shots, because they did.

[monosylab1k]

right you are.

and if fisher's foul on barry had been called last year, who knows? maybe a 7th Championship?

and if the Lakers never traded for the rights to Kobe, and Hakeem Olajuwon died in a car accident in the 80's, and Jordan never came back from retirement, it might be a 15-peat for the Spurs

[z0sa]

and if the Lakers never traded for the rights to Kobe, and Hakeem Olajuwon died in a car accident in the 80's, and Jordan never came back from retirement, it might be a 15-peat for the Spurs

FIFTEEN RINGS

[J.T.]

Definitely Ben Roethlisberger's bull shoestring tackle of Nick Harper during the 2005 Divisional playoffs. That was some voodoo , would have won the game for the Colts if Harper didn't stumble and would've won the Super Bowl with Denver (the team that is Peyton Manning's personal ) and Seattle as the two remaining teams.

Kind of like how if Manu doesn't foul Dirk, Spurs win it all in 2006 with the ty Suns and Heat left to go.

[resistanze]

Only shot worth mentioning in Raptors' history was Game 7 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Philly.

If VC makes that shot on the last play, I believe the Raps beat the Bucks in the ECF, and get the honor of being curbstomped in 4 games by the Lakers. What could've been...

[IronMexican]

Definitely Ben Roethlisberger's bull shoestring tackle of Nick Harper during the 2005 Divisional playoffs. That was some voodoo , would have won the game for the Colts if Harper didn't stumble and would've won the Super Bowl with Denver (the team that is Peyton Manning's personal ) and Seattle as the two remaining teams.

Kind of like how if Manu doesn't foul Dirk, Spurs win it all in 2006 with the ty Suns and Heat left to go.

The tuck play. I don't care if I am arguing this 50 years from now, it was a fumble and Oakland got robbed. Man, this really pisses me off. Oakland would have beat Pitt and STL.

[JamStone]

1. Bill Laimbeer gets a phantom foul call on a Kareem sky hook in game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals (seriously, how do you foul a guy shooting a sky hook?). The Bad Boy Pistons three-peat.

2. The missed cover by Rasheed Wallace on Robert Horry in game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals. The Pistons repeat.

side note: Can't say there's no way it happens, but seriously doubt the Spurs beat the Pistons in 2004. Not because the Spurs weren't a better team, but there was just something that felt like destiny with that 2004 Pistons team. But who knows. Interesting to hypothesize in retrospect.

[balli]

[stretch]

its not a shot, but Wade punching Dirk in the stomach and Dirk getting whistled.

[Lakers_55]

I would just like to point out that your sig is freakin re ed, especially considering the Lakers pulled one of the most egregious tankjobs ever when they lost to the Rockets in 1986 to purposely avoid getting absolutely curbstomped by the Celtics in the Finals.

First off, someone else has Spurs/Celtics 2009 finals signature, why can't I have a Lakers/Celtics 2009 finals one?

I wouldn't call the Laker loss to Houston in 1986 on purpose, but my signature brings a few things to attention. The main one is, that Boston wasn't the best team in the east 7 times in the ECF in seasons where we went on to win the finals. Their perceived greatness is debunked if all of the evidence is looked at closely. Their huge series edge is only because they got to finals 9 times when they were the better team and didn't an additional 7 times when the matchups favored us. I have already dealt with 1986 in the proof I mention, and is available on request. Oh, my signature says that too.

[Kai]

[Texas_Ranger]

0.4

[m33p0]

Rip Hamilton's brick when isolated against Tony Parker at the end of Game 5 of the '05 Finals.

that play is etched forever in my memory... or until i get alzheimer's.

[dirk4mvp]

Are you upset that there are no shots that you could change that would have put your team in contention for a le?

I see 2 mentioned on this page. Can you read?

[dirk4mvp]

its not a shot, but Wade punching Dirk in the stomach and Dirk getting whistled.

Or Dirk getting bowed in the face by Shaq and forgetting how to attack the rim the rest of the series.