What started the Spurs/Mavs rivalry?

[FromWayDowntown]

this

The only thing about that is that the Spurs didn't steal the division on the last day of the season. The Mavs had a 2 game lead entering April of 2003, but by April 11, the Spurs had made up those 2 games and were up 2 games in the loss column. The Spurs clinched a tie with the Mavs by winning Game 81 at Utah, and had clinched the tiebreaker with that win.

The last game of that regular season was between the Spurs and the Mavs in San Antonio, but it meant so little to the Spurs that Mengke Bateer played 11 minutes.

The big controversy in that game, as I recall, was Cuban's complaining about the tiebreakers; at the time, the second tiebreaker (even between teams in the same division) was conference record. At the time, the Mavs had a better record in the division by 1 game, but the Spurs had a better record in the conference by 2 games and thus, owned the tiebreaker.

[Killakobe81]

One of those cheap shots came courtesy of Eduardo Najera.....ever since that cheap shot, I have called him a dirty Mexican...and dont you dare call me racist, cause he is from Mexico....then again, he has been cheating since his days at Cornerstone here in SA, when he broke rules to play for them.

I was very disappointed with the cheap shot by Howard. I had a lot of respect for him as a player, but then he went out and did that...oh and followed it up with several more later in his career, a few of those against the Spurs. Howard went from overpaid, overhyped, but classy....to overpaid, overhyped, and classless.

Jason Terry is a punk too. Punching players in the nuts, tripping players intentionally, grabbing their feet so they can't get up, etc.

But that's ok, I am sure they have their issues with Bruce....still, Bruce never did anything that malicious to the Mavs players...nothing like what I have listed above.

Yes, the Mavs have gotten the best of the Spurs on a few occasions, and that made it a rivalry. It is not a rivalry if one team dominates the battles. Still, even though the Mavs have won a few battles, they have nothing in their trophy case to show for it.

I promise you this.....The Mavs hate the Spurs a lot more passionately than the Spurs hate the Mavs. Just like the Spurs hate the Lakers a lot more than the Lakers hate the Spurs.

This. Good post. Sums up "rivalries" perfectly!!!
When i used to ravel on business I would be surprised at the bile spewn by fans in Saramento (even before the rivalry the early part of last decade), houston, etc. because in L.A. we only truly hate the celts. Dont get me wrong at times we have disliked the Spurs, Kings, Jazz, the old Sonics, and suns ... and their fans ...but for the most part only Boston really gets the blood boiling ... because even before I was born the celts used to beat us.

the hatred gets passed down from generation to generation by listening to the o.g. fans seeing the venom in the old players eyes when they talk about the losses inthe finals THAT is why i have the celts. Then i saw them beat our ass in 1984 ... that is what it's about.

Spur fans hate the Lakers but the Spurs havent done enough damage to get anywhere near the celtics on the hate-meter. Yes they closed the forum down and ended the last 3peat ...and if they beat us in the WCF this year it will suck ...but that is 3 significant losses after so many years of domination ...hard to get too upset about it. Plus the Celts beat us when we were in our "prime" in 1984 ... if we lose to the spurs ...(not to to take anything away form a top notch organization like the Spurs) it's time to re-tool anyway. whe the Spurs closed out the Forum we were too young and know we appear too old. And at the end of the 3peat if it wasnt the spurs someone was gonna beat us regardless. The Celts took away les in 1984 and 2008. The celts are the target ...forever and always ...we chasing 17 ...

[Giuseppe]

... but, the breakthru in '85 in MA., tempered the hatred quite a bit, at least for me. It's a different set now. [Then] not only were the fans lit, the players hated each other just as vehemently. [Now] it pales in comparison. The players are almost in a stage play, acting their parts. There was no blood feud in '08 on our part, or, in '10 on their part. It's a money thing. Stern steered it that way. Steered it away from the acrimony & danger,,,,toward contentment for all/winners & losers alike. It's America, at the turn of the century.

[Rummpd]

There is no real rivalry!

Spurs and Lakers as mulitiple champions within a decage can and do have a real rivalry but wannabees please do not apply.

[Killakobe81]

As far as "modern day" rivalries (back to OP ?) I must say after living in SA for 3 years and in Dallas the last two ...it is a prety good rivalry relatively speaking for 2 reasons:

1. Cuban keeps fanning the flames
2. terry is the most hated player on either side now that Bowen is gone ...ans as long as he does that jet plabe stuff and talks this rivalry will contunue 'cuz mark wont shut his yap ....

[TDMVPDPOY]

was never a rivalry

we let them beat us in 06 to have the chance at the limelight and what happen? they fail

then we beasted their asses in the first round to tell them, NO means NO.

[Venti Quattro]

2. terry is the most hated player on either side now that Bowen is gone

Even Dallas fans hate him

[Killakobe81]

Even Dallas fans hate him

Kind of like Sasha , LOL who strabgely enough is contributing (to losses) with avery ...

[Roddy Beaubois]

There is no real rivalry!

Thats why theres a thousand spurfans with names like CubanSucks! and LOLMAVS!.

tbh a great number of spurfans have something to do with Dallas in their avatars or signatures. Its quite sad.

[Rummpd]

Thats why theres a thousand spurfans with names like CubanSucks! and LOLMAVS!.

tbh a great number of spurfans have something to do with Dallas in their avatars or signatures. Its quite sad.

So is falling head over heals for Roddy B who may well turn out to be a mirage sadly after his foot injury and after he tries to go from being a role player to an integral rotational player or stater.

[Roddy Beaubois]

So is falling head over heals for Roddy B who may well turn out to be a mirage sadly after his foot injury and after he tries to go from being a role player to an integral rotational player or stater.

Nice comeback.

[timvp]

The foul.

[urunobili]

Spurs/Mavs has been a pretty good rivalry since about 2000. I remember a game in 99-00 when TD dropped 53 on them only to lose when Tim Hardaway hit a 30-foot desperation shot. Then there was a game at Reunion when Finley stuck the game winner right in Sean Elliott's face as time expired. A year or two later Duncan buried a game-winner in Nowitzki's face on an NBC Sunday game. However, the rivalry got heated when Juwan Howard took Derek Anderson's arm off at the shoulder in game 1 of the 01 WCSF and then tried the same move on Malik Rose in game 4. Ever since then there has been lots of bad blood between the teams. The Spurs were pissed at the cheap shots, the Mavs were pissed that Spurs fans were pelting their wives and parents with beer and popcorn and after that foul, then Cuban started running his mouth, and so on.

First of all this thread delivers.

Second, thanks to baseline to help me understand better certain facts I didn't know because of being absent from basketball in that period.

Third, I think Spurs fans do hate Mavs fans at the same level. All the Cuban remarks and classless actions over the years have an entire city (not just the franchise's followers) against him.

Forth, I know it's minor but the Mavs defeating us in the Playoffs with a former Spurs icon leading them also had a little something to add to it.

[urunobili]

Fifth, Mavs fans trash talk you REALLY bad when you show your Spurs pride in Dallas!