NYTimes: In the West, Old and Bland May Win the Race

[100%duncan]

The spurs were winning ugly for years with defense. The spurs have a history since Pop and RC of carrying older over the hill players, mostly unathletic types and a boring style of play- few fast breaks and a very structured offense built on 4 down and perimeter shooting.

The spurs of the 1970s were considered one of the most exciting run and gun high scoring teams in the league.
That is the team I grew up on watching not the boring one they became under pop and RC.

You're a closet LA fan tbh. Everybody knows it who ya fooling

[rascal]

You're a closet LA fan tbh. Everybody knows it who ya fooling

Wrong
Was not a fan of the Lakers with Magic beating Gervin's teams in the 1980s.

[100%duncan]

Wrong
Was not a fan of the Lakers with Magic beating Gervin's teams in the 1980s.

Who in cares you dip

You sucked off that lakers' in the first round

[TrainOfThought5]

The Spurs got the boring label when the novelty of David Robinson playing piano and being able to speak proper English wore off and they realized he wasn't going to have baby mamas or DUIs.

Bunker bustin truth bomb.

[KaiRMD1]

I think the spurs are one of the most respected teams at least among players in the NBA.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

The way I see it, winning is never boring, and losing is never fun.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

If 15 straight playoff appearances = boring, then by all means, let's keep it boring!

[adonis827]

Will the Spurs ever shed that ing label? When we had Robinson in the 90s they never called us boring. Is it all because Tim Duncan doesn't scream and pound his chest after he dunks?

Yes they started to be labelled boring because of Tim Duncan- Tim Duncan is after all the Big Fundamental. Basic fundamental basketball- bank shots, just being all around effective player without the flashy dunks etc

For me though- way back when I started rooting for David Robinson, Sean ******, Ellie, Avery, even Terry mings and VDN, I have always liked my spurs always found their games exciting.

[milkyway21]

how can they call the Spurs boring with the inclusion of El Contusion?

[pikkiwoki]

Yes they started to be labelled boring because of Tim Duncan- Tim Duncan is after all the Big Fundamental. Basic fundamental basketball- bank shots, just being all around effective player without the flashy dunks etc

For me though- way back when I started rooting for David Robinson, Sean ******, Ellie, Avery, even Terry mings and VDN, I have always liked my spurs always found their games exciting.

Sean 6-Star was a beast

[mrjap2x]

Its kinda annoying to see all those articles that the spurs are boring( not to mention old). It shows that they don't really watch the spurs, don't even check who is playing for the spurs.

[TampaDude]

NYT...'nuff said...

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Bland means:

No hero ball
No emo on the faces
No chest pounding, jersey snapping, dancing, staring down, or signature gestures after a basket
They pass the ball
They play team defense according to a scheme, which 98% of viewers can't begin to appreciate
Not much off the court drama played out in the media
Their big 3 all stars are two foreigners and a self-deprecating, intelligent craftsman
They are in a small market town
They are largely home-grown, they don't trade stars back and forth

So, they don't feed the media's cavernous, gaping hole with 24 hour drama and 5 second highlights that they need to keep the average dude from switching the channel so he will watch the 273rd erectile dysfunction drug ad and make one more click on the Neilsen meter.

In other words, they don't make money for the media, do the media doesn't like them.

[The Reckoning]

Duncan's pretty much a foreigner tbh.

[adonis827]

sean elliott
sean ******

[John B]

Real scholars of the game see ball movements, crisp passes, ball rotations than dunks and hero-ball. Why Spurs remained top sports franchise despite playing in small market, has the highest winning percentage in any sports for the last 16 years, with one of the deepest bench and not having to pay 80 million in luxury tax like the Lakers... amaze the out of me. Sure I like to see high flying dunks, but then again I love Spurs frustrating them with bank shots, floaters, multiple screens to get open shots. All the hypes will fizzle like the GSW, and old reliable boring execution will win us the games.

[Old School 44]

The "boring" label came from a few things:

- From the defensive teams the Spurs won with in the past. I remember games where the Spurs would win consistently with the scores being in the 80s and low 90s. "Ugly wins" where they would go on 3-4 minute offensive droughts, but maintain stellar defense on the opposing teams to still grind out victories.

- I think another contributor was the constant feeding in the post and TDs below the rim game. In the past, the offense wasn't very imaginative.

- Finals matchups added to the label as well. That's why I'm excited about a possible Heat/Spurs final. The Spurs need a marquee opponent to possibly shed this label once and for all. Can you imagine a Spurs/Pacers finals? Stern, and the networks, will blow a gasket for sure with that matchup and the label will live on.

[DarrinS]

The casual NBA fan wants their big men to be monkeyballers who get choked out by Zbo.

[Budkin]

Its kinda annoying to see all those articles that the spurs are boring( not to mention old). It shows that they don't really watch the spurs, don't even check who is playing for the spurs.

Right it's just basically become a meme at this point for media. Talking about Spurs? Insert keyword <old>, insert keyword <boring>. Publish

[m33p0]

hey! bring back LucktheFakers!

[mrjap2x]

Right it's just basically become a meme at this point for media. Talking about Spurs? Insert keyword <old>, insert keyword <boring>. Publish

Now that when you think of it, it doesn't really sound like its impossible

[Thomas82]

I honestly think the heat are boring to watch...so idk? Living in WI my whole life, I've never really cared what "others" think of the Spurs. However, I've never enjoyed watching a team, like I do the Spurs...whenever I hear someone about the nba in general(lack of effort by players, no defense, etc), I tell them to, "watch the spurs." They are the complete opposite of everything wrong with the nba..basketball at its finest.

Cosign!!

[Darius McCrary]

The Spurs got the boring label when the novelty of David Robinson playing piano and being able to speak proper English wore off and they realized he wasn't going to have baby mamas or DUIs.

!!! g

[Obstructed_View]

The "boring" label came from a few things:

- From the defensive teams the Spurs won with in the past. I remember games where the Spurs would win consistently with the scores being in the 80s and low 90s. "Ugly wins" where they would go on 3-4 minute offensive droughts, but maintain stellar defense on the opposing teams to still grind out victories.

- I think another contributor was the constant feeding in the post and TDs below the rim game. In the past, the offense wasn't very imaginative.

- Finals matchups added to the label as well. That's why I'm excited about a possible Heat/Spurs final. The Spurs need a marquee opponent to possibly shed this label once and for all. Can you imagine a Spurs/Pacers finals? Stern, and the networks, will blow a gasket for sure with that matchup and the label will live on.

Nope, nope, and nope. They talked up the Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy Knicks teams that set basketball back with their intentionally slow pace. They talked up the Pistons who were all about defense. They talked up Lebron and the Cavs only until they ended up playing the Spurs in the finals. They talked up the Celtics who had KG shooting fadeaways on his aging ankles. We didn't hear anything about boring basketball when Kevin Durant was going one on three and the Thunder were scoring 90 a game. We didn't hear anything about boring basketball when Miami and Chicago were slogging around in the last round.

Suddenly the headline for the conference finals is about ugly basketball, when the Spurs are 4th in the league in scoring and 2nd in assists.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

I love it when the boring Spurs win the championship. Makes so many people so disappointed nationwide.