Spurs are hated

[The Reckoning]

lol mavs more hated

[ErnestLynch]

Why Spurs fans are perplexed at being hated is they don't understand how a team that has never had 'issues' and is seen as squeeky clean personalities can be hated. How do you 'hate' David Robinson ? Or Tim Duncan ? They're not. When people say they 'hate the Spurs' what they really mean is ...I wish I could find a reason to hate them, but since I can't, I'll just make something up because everyone needs to be hated by somebody.

And further, what they often mean is...I don't like the city of San Antonio. This is why I personally hate Dallas. I don't hate the Mavericks. I like to see them lose because ...I hate Dallas. I think the place is over-rated and highly sucks.

[gasolina]

Not exactly. It all depends on who you deal with. For instance here in Southern California, most locals regardless of race/ethnicity,etc. root for the Lakers or Clippers but if you ask non-locals or tourists from around the globe, they'd have other preferences. I have a friend who is Belgian who owns a Pastry shop -- he is a Spurs fan. My neighbor, a German, roots for the Mavs and Nowitzi plus he likes the Spurs too. Even my workmates who are mostly Hispanic admire the Spurs. If the Lakers don't win, they'd accept the Spurs if they go on to win it all as long as it isn't the Heat and LBJ.
The Spurs are nowhere near the hate levels people have on the Miami Heat. If its hatred you are talking about with regard to one team -- no team is as hated these days than the Miami Heat.

[moisaenz]

Spurs are not hated the media is just indifferent to the franchise, small market team, no flashy players, no drama to get ratings from.

[ErnestLynch]

Oh for sure. Some of those teams listed, the Raiders of the 80's...that was a hated team. Lots of factors but the Spurs are nowhere near the top of the hate list of teams. Cowboys are despised outside of Texas and Oklahoma. Despised. Lakers, despised in many parts of this here US of A. I still say the problem the Spurs have is where they are. You know there are sports journalists cringing at the thought of coming to San Antonio or even Memphis really. If it was up to them, it would be all NY, Miami, Chicago, LA 24x7. ESPN spent hours on the Knicks losses.

[Spurs and Mavs fan]

If the Finals were Spurs vs. Heat, would people really root for the Spurs?

[ErnestLynch]

I think they will. I think the Heat are more despised than the Spurs.

[PublicOption]

Its the simple fact the nobody WANTS to care about a team from South Texas. The more we win the more they are forced to accept it and they just refuse to do so. Isn't it crazy Popovich has only lost 3 series where he won the first game out of 22. 2 of those work complete rip offs after we were up 2-0.....when the spurs lose playoff series it is so obvious the league is trying to put us down it becomes a roller derby match......but nobody but us care. If we were Boston, LA, or New York we would have 8-10 championships.

[TampaDude]

Spurs are not hated the media is just indifferent to the franchise, small market team, no flashy players, no drama to get ratings from.

^ this, tbh

[Shastafarian]

Because they are boring. But they're winning so that's beside the point.

meh 0/10

They were a top 5 scoring team this year. How is that boring? Oh yeah, they don't pose after a play, or throw up gang signs, or flex their muscles, have players with full bodied tats nicknamed birdman, or rape women in hotels. I forgot that's the definition of basketball for some people.

Ok guess not.

[Man In Black]

This is my thinking.

Here are my points on your points

1) Non US-born players. AND a non US-president electing player. The US invented 3 sports. For two, the rest of the planet doesn't give a figue about. One is more popular elsewhere. For decades there was no question that the Alien Citizens could even remotely compete in basketball. American sport if there is one. It was originally the Spurs that acknowledged how much talent there was elsewhere. They went out and made some Alien Citizens the cornerstone of the winningest franchise in NBA history.

Instead of the word Alien, you could have just used the term international but I agree with you AND Tony Parker.

2) Team. Despite the retorics, the whole US society is based on the individual. Hence the interest, which I always found inexplicable, in "whose player this team belongs to". Even for the Spurs: It's Duncan team. No, not anymore, now it Parker's team. Who gets credit for what.
Spurs are hammering: who cares, basketball is a team sport. Pop reminded this brutally a week ago. "Parker's defense? Neither I nor Tony couldn't care less what we get credit for, it's the team that advances"

In short, they don't play HERO BALL.

3) The style of play. Historically, defense first (borìng according to the casual ignorant fan). Now more offense, but still not the type of flashy stuff that ends up in highlights. No circus shot, no frills, no 360, few dunks (the ones that are necessary), no BS. Play the game the way the game is supposed to be played.
That's exactly the OPPOSITE that the NBA has been advertising during the Stern era.

Yet the 4 letter likes to kneel at the Altar of Coach K and Duke Basketball. The Spurs run a program too. They run a collegiate program that has been upscaled to fit the pro game.

4) Pop. The US media will tell you they love him. His humour and everything. They don't, because he is simply brutal with them. He treats them like the crap parasites most are, really. He makes no attempt to hide what he thinks of them. He travelled a lot, he knows the world, he speaks other languages, he drinks wine, not beer. He even own a winery, no less.

The Sports Illustrated article profiling Pop tells you that he will talk but like he tells his team, keep the focus on basketball.

In essence, the Spurs are the most unamerican organization in the NBA, probably in US sports.
And they are successful.h

No...they actually play the game the way it should be played, the way you want your kids to play as they get into team sports, the way that shows TEAMWORK means something. Sadly, for the instant gratification 4-Letter network and the masses that follow them, they think that that is boring even if it's the same way that College teams win.

5) Marginally, but still a bit it's there (based on what I know about the US). Texas. And the Bush years did nothing to improve what other parts of the US feel about this state.

I don't think Texas is an issue, Bush or Not....Now if you said Washington DC or Wall Street NYC, then I could agree.