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I love this part!!!
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/p...ng-decade-best
1. Which is the franchise of the decade?
• Los Angeles Lakers
• San Antonio Spurs
It's not an easy trick to pick the Spurs here after they lost four of their five playoff showdowns with the Lakers in the 2000s … but we're doing it anyway.
Beyond the three Tim Duncan-led championships (2003, 2005 and 2007) that stand as the league's loudest counter to any conspiracy theorist, or its 10-for-10 run of 50-win seasons, San Antonio is the franchise so many other franchises want to emulate philosophically.
Want proof?
You'll note that four Gregg Popovich/R.C. Buford disciples (Cleveland's Danny Ferry, Phoenix's Steve Kerr, Oklahoma City's Sam Presti and Portland's Kevin Pritchard) are running front offices in other cities. And that three of the decade's younger coach of the year winners (Orlando's Doc Rivers in 2000, Dallas' Avery Johnson in 2006 and Cleveland's Mike Brown in 2009) were also Pop-trained.
A small-market team's keeping pace with the Lakers, without the blessing of a Pau Gasol donation, is a trick that can't be ignored.
I love this part!!!
I've always been a fan of Marc Stein. He's always respected the Spurs and in some ways, marveled the Spurs. So, it's really cool that he picked the Spurs as the team of the decade
Pau Gasol donation comment made my day
Other Spurs stuff.
5. Which is the playoff game of the decade?
• '00 West Finals Game 7, Lakers vs. Trail Blazers (Lakers won 89-84, series 4-3)
• '02 West Finals Game 7, Lakers vs. Kings OT (Lakers won 112-106, series 4-3)
• '08 First Round, Game 1, Spurs vs. Suns (Spurs won 117-115 2OT, series 4-1)
• '08 East Semis, Game 7, Cavs vs. Celtics (Celtics won 97-92, series 4-3)
• '09 First Round, Game 6, Celtics vs. Bulls 3 OT (Bulls won 128-127, lost series 4-3)
How do you top a Game 7 that goes to OT?
How do you top a Game 7 in the West finals between the two best teams in the league that goes to OT … and goes to the road team?
I would argue that Phoenix and San Antonio did just that in Game 1 of the first round in the 2008 playoffs.
The Lakers manufactured amazing late resurrections in both of the first two games offered up in this category. Chicago's forcing a Game 7 against Boston just last spring certainly wasn't bad, either.
But the sight of Duncan squaring up and draining a right-wing triple to force a second overtime -- with just his fourth postseason 3-pointer ever -- was as wild as anything I've seen in person. Mike D'Antoni's Seven Seconds Or Less Suns and the famously conventional Spurs routinely combined to deliver the best ball we saw late in the decade … and this was as good as it got.
The Spurs ultimately claimed a 117-115 victory in double OT and Phoenix never recovered, losing that series in five games, seeing Mike D'Antoni abruptly resign days later to coach the New York Knicks and falling all the way out of the playoffs last season in the wake of D'Antoni's departure.
Which is why, as they used to say in Basketball Digest, it's a game I'll never forget.
6. Which is the NBA Finals performance of the decade?
• 2000 Shaquille O'Neal (38.0 ppg, 16.7 rpg, 2.7 bpg and 2.3 apg)
• 2001 Shaquille O'Neal (33.0 ppg, 15.6 rpg, 3.4 bpg and 4.8 apg)
• 2003 Tim Duncan (24.2 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 5.3 bpg, and 5.3 apg)
• 2006 Dwyane Wade (34.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.8 apg and 2.7 spg)
Shaq absolutely pulverized the Pacers and Nets in 2000 and 2001. Dwyane Wade's relentless will -- and frequent trips to the free throw line -- inflicted psychological wounds in Dallas that took years to heal.
Neither, though, can top what Duncan did to the Nets in 2003.
Take another look at those numbers: 24.2 points, 17.0 boards, 5.3 blocks and 5.3 assists.
There were loud calls in 2005 claiming that Duncan's NBA Finals trophy should have gone instead to Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili, but 2003 was Duncan at his most dominant.
San Antonio's clinching triumph in Game 6 was David Robinson's farewell game and featured a fitting signoff of 13 points and 17 boards from The Admiral. Yet it was still Duncan's day with a ridiculous 21 points, 20 boards, 10 assists and eight blocks to finally turn the Nets away in a series that was probably closer than you remember.
"A small-market team's keeping pace with the Lakers, without the blessing of a Pau Gasol donation, is a trick that can't be ignored"
Let's not pretend that has nothing to do with some lucky lottery balls.
The grizzlies are gift bearers of the decade.
Let's not pretend that has nothing to do with some lucky lottery balls.
Point taken! The difference is that the Spurs got lucky and the fakers pulled a fast one!
Wow....I'm in shock.
Suck it Lakers fan.
i guess being a small market team was his deciding factor cause head to head and les belong to the lakers. meh
It's been one of a run, but I'm not ready for it to end. I also don't think the Spurs are either.
Doc Rivers was Pop-trained? I didn't think he was ever a coach with Pop or even played for him.
As for the Lakers, they were a lottery team at one point in the decade so give me a break. You can't even make the the playoffs and you want to be know as the franchise of the decade?
yeah, the last laker championship* isn't under consideration because of said gasol donation. Dumb laker fan
played for pop
One would think that the market size is a small factor.
But with the teams close in virtually every category, several facts weigh pretty significantly in the Spurs' favor, including that they: (1) never missed the playoffs; (2) never failed to win at least 53 games; and (3) reached at least the 2nd round in 8 of the decade's 10 years.
Add to it that they didn't have 2 of the 15 greatest players in the history of the game playing together in their primes during that time (i.e., David Robinson doesn't count, since his prime was in the 90's), and the Spurs' accomplishments are particularly noteworthy.
I am sure the Spurs would have loved to play LA in 2005 and 2007. Sadly, LA never made it far enough to play us either of those years.
Pop started coaching the team in 96-97. Doc left after 1995-96 season.
Or because of the lakers bad years, of which the spurs had none. Lakers started the decade hot, fell out, then needed Gasol donation to get back on track. Spurs were on top the entire way.
Love it! GO SPURS GO!
Correct.
you make a solid point. but ill take 4 yrs as champions and 6 finals apperances to 10 yrs of consistency of 3 les
Correct me if I am wrong but didnt he stay around the following year as a local TV broadcaster? I believe this is when Pop "mentored" him.
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