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yeah! now go delete your heat in 5 thread.
As Game 1 of the 2013 NBA Finals draws closer, I'd like to take some time to write about what makes this my favorite Spurs team ever. It starts with the emotional bond built up over the years. Don't get me wrong, I loved all the championship teams ... but this is different. Tim Duncan was a second year player in 1999 -- we didn't really know him. Tony Parker burst onto the scene, Manu Ginobili came the next season and then the Spurs ripped off three championships in five seasons. Awesome, yes, but it was a blur and not comparable to today.
Through the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, the good times and bad over the past decade-plus, we've been able to witness every angle of the human side of the Big 3, Pop and many of the other players who have come through town. Being a fan of this team has been an amazing ride ... even the last six seasons that ended in disappointment.
And really, those disappointments make the here and now even sweeter. Winning an NBA championship as a small market team is one of the most difficult things to do in all of sports; any doubts to that difficulty level should have been erased over the last six years. All it takes is one misstep by one individual in the journey and everything comes tumbling down.
It also makes me proud as a fan to see the dedication these guys put into this craft. Honestly, the Big 3, Pop and RC have already earned their lifetime contracts. Those championships they've won will allow them to keep their jobs as long as they are willing to work. To me, that makes it even more impressive that they've continued to "pound the rock" with the same hunger they had before the rings.
It's difficult for me to express how much I want the Spurs to win four more games. This would mean more than a championship. It'd be like the ultimate stamp of approval for this era or the final scene in a movie where good triumphs. History would say the Robinson-Duncan-Parker-Ginobili-Pop Spurs were damn good and they remained damn good for a damn long time. You can take their youth, you can take their athleticism, you can take their sustained health, you can take their stamina but you cannot take their fighting spirit or their willingness to believe in one another. That is forever. And it's what is powering the team today.
If we look at things logically, these Spurs shouldn't even be in this position. Tim Duncan is an age that he should be in a steep decline -- not putting up a per-minute prime season while being named to the All-NBA First Team. Manu Ginobili's style of play should have led him to an early retirement years ago. Speed point guards never last beyond age 30 -- much less peak after that age like Tony Parker is doing. Pop, at 64, has shown more energy and commitment to perfection this season than just about any season I can remember. Those four individuals should be on a glorified farewell tour, not standing with a legit chance to reach the mountain top in a few weeks.
I want to say I'll be satisfied that the Spurs have made it this far regardless of what happens in the Finals. But that would be a lie. They deserve this too much. I'll applaud their effort and I'll be proud -- but I will only be satisfied with one thing: the San Antonio Spurs winning their fifth NBA championship.
You can do this. It may take near perfection but it took even longer odds to get to this spot in the first place.
I wish you the absolute best. May you get what you richly deserve.
Believe.
yeah! now go delete your heat in 5 thread.
#5............ Coming.
I'll be happy with what they've achieved and if they make the Heat sweat as much or more than the Pacers did. Win or Lose, I'll be 100% satisfied with that.
This would definitely be the sweetest out of the 5 les we've seen. We have been written off since 2007 as too old. And yet here we are again. Right on the verge. Doubt I'll sleep tonight.
Tomorrow is Christmas.
merry christmas ch! 's gonna be wild tomorrow.
no not the Believe post!
That got me pumped. Let's do this!!!!
Damn good piece, timvp. This is the way the more reasonable fans of this fanbase feel.
All this feels unreal...through all the BS that's happened the last six years, we're here again.
Awesome post LJ. But to me, the les with David Robinson will always mean the most. While I'm floored to see Tim still playing at a First Team level at 37 and Parker hitting his prime at the same age Isiah and KJ fell off a cliff, nothing was sweeter than seeing David ring that first time after all the crap he took for previous teams' failures. Like it was his fault Red McCombs was cheap and thought Vinny Del Negro could be the answer at point. Or that Terry mings blew out his knee. Or that Sean Elliott's kidneys were failing him. The fact that Sean was playing NBA playoff basketball back in a physical era and performing when he was on the verge of dialysis just blows my mind. Seeing AJ, the guy who wasn't supposed to be able to hit a jumper and who wasn't a real point guard according according the naysayers... seeing his jumper win the le was incredible. I just don't know how you top the 99 team. But damn, what a ride. It looked like it was over in 2010 with the 7-seed, and then it really looked over with the first round loss to Memphis in 2011. 2012 felt like a last shot at a le, and yet, here they are 4 wins from #5.
Can't agree more. That's exactly how i feel about it. The scenes of joy filled with emotions that would erupt after winning it all would be epic. Like you said, they deserve this. Not taking anything away from Miami but this le would just be a pit stop on the way to LeBron's legacy. It means so much more to these Spurs. Let's hope heart does the trick!
We won one for Glenn Robinson, Michael Finley, Steve Smith, Danny Ferry, Terry Porter and Kevin Willis. Why not win one for T-Mac, also if we lose I might seriously consider not watching basketball anymore after Duncan retires.
seeing the final years of Robinson's career was painful because we knew he was going to be gone, but at least we knew the Duncan era ahead would treat us well. However, there is no such obvious transition ahead. When the days of Timmy (and likely at the same time, Pop and Manu) are done, we have all sorts of uncertainty, and probably mediocrity ahead of us, unless just about every international prospect we have live up to their complete potential. This is why this year is so much more important than a le in 99, 03, 05, and to an extent, 07. During those le runs, we knew we had more le runs in us. This isn't the case this time around, and this literally might be the last run our team makes in decades. This would be my favorite le of them all, and I'm not even sure it would even be close. When one day I'll tell my kids about basketball during my time, and they all know the legends of LeBron, Kobe, Tim the way I know the legends of Wilt, Russell, Magic, Bird, etc. I can always point to this season.
For the past years, the "analysts" always say like "you can never write the Spurs off" but you know those same analysts will turn around and say "the window is closed/closing." You know that while they say "as long as they have Pop and the big 3, they're a force to be reckoned with" what they're really thinking is "these guys are too old, they'll lose in the 2nd round." Winning a chip this year would be glorious, not only to have the personal satisfaction of seeing your team win after a long, grueling, age defying season, but this le would also serve as the "in your face" le to everybody else, all the naysayers. It would be the 5th for Tim, which would make him the greatest winner of the post-Jordan era, and as far as just winning, puts him RIGHT there with Jordan, Magic, Kareem. And who better to come against than the guy who will likely end up going down as a top 5 player in league history right in the middle of his prime. This HAS to happen, and it WILL happen. When I first joined this forum, I saw the simple "believe" comment under almost everybody's name. It's something I think we're all feeling right now. I believe.
No
Great post, but no other team than in '03 will ever be my favorite.
The '99 squad comes in 2nd.
team Duncan 2003, is my favorite.My Favorite Spurs Team Ever
Spurs in 1999 close second but because there was no Manu & Parker on that team I chose 2003.
2003, Tim Duncan at his prime.
Had beaten the best- the Lakers (Kobe & Shaq).
Had beaten the best point guard at that time & runner -up season MVP - Jason Kidd
David Robinson.
It was the time when you don't have to doubt who's going to win in the finals.
team Duncan 2003, is my favorite.My Favorite Spurs Team Ever
Spurs in 1999 close second but because there was no Manu & Parker on that team I chose 2003.
2003, Tim Duncan at his prime.
Had beaten the best- the Lakers (Kobe & Shaq).
Had beaten the best point guard at that time & runner -up season MVP - Jason Kidd
David Robinson.
It was the time when you don't have to doubt who's going to win in the finals.
Nice post. Can't wait for tipoff.
This will be number 2 behind 03 for me.
2003 is number 1 for me as well then 2005 as a close 2nd. 99 as 3rd and this will be 4th if it indeed becomes ring#5
2003 tbh. old met the new.
Considering the fact this is the only Spurs team I've seen in the finals, I'd have to agree.
But before this, 2005 was easily my favorite. I love how well rounded they were..... And nothing is more entertaining than Long Hair Manu! Sucks I missed out on that.
Hear, hear LJ.
What I like about the '13 Spurs is that they have finally gone back to being a great defensive team. Pop finally committing to defense and Splitter has taken the team to the next level. Wish it could have happened sooner.
2003 was my favorite because of the emotion with David going out on top, Duncan cementing his legacy as an all-time great, and journeymen players like Willis and Massenburg ecstatic over finally getting a ring. Really a great ending to the Admiral's career also. But if they win the le this season this will be my favorite team. If they beat the Heat they are the best Spurs team ever.
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