| Fan Article: Spurs Winners In Every Sense Of The Word Authored by Joseph Wong - March 8, 2005 - 3:23 pm
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When you think about it, basketball (and sport in general) is a funny thing. How do we get so worked up over sweaty guys pounding up and down a court, with the goal of putting a ball into a small hoop more times than the opposition?
It’s a question I’ve often asked myself as I’ve trudged into our local stadium to watch my team get pulverized once again. I know what the outcome will be, but there’s still that faint chance, isn’t there? That tiny sliver of hope that they’ll pull off a miracle play to finally drag them off the bottom rung of the ladder? And yet, so often they disappoint.
I suppose that’s why I like the Spurs. Not because they’re the same as my local team, but because they’re the exact opposite. The Spurs are winners in every sense of the word.
Of course, there’s the scoreboard stuff - two championships and countless playoff runs in the past decade. Since the big man from the Virgin Islands was drafted, there hasn’t been a year where they haven’t been contenders to the Crown.
Then there are the players. Is there a less selfish, likeable bunch in the NBA right now? These are guys you just want to root for. There are none of the headcases that other teams seem to revel in. Rather than having greedy guys who just want more money, the Spurs have guys who _give up_ money, just to play to with each other. Sure, there are better money deals with other teams, but they figure where could I play with a group like this? Those players that don’t fit in are weeded out, no matter how good they may be.
The Spurs don’t just try to win on the court, but also off it. Can you imagine the fracas that occurred between Detroit and Indiana happening at the Alamodome? It’s about as likely as the Hawks becoming a genuine threat any time soon.
The management? Top-shelf. Like real smooth scotch, the GM/coach combination just keeps getting better as they age. On the dealing front, you don’t see the Spurs handing out 7 year, $70 million contracts to every Jon Koncak that sweeps into San Antonio. Nor do they go for the Pervis Ellisons of this world when they draft. It’s just one smart play after another. Speaking of plays, the record does the talking, doesn’t it? Pop’s coaching record? 396-210 _before_ the season. You can add on at least another 50 victories to that figure by the end of 2004-2005.
What is there not to like about this team? I live 13,000 miles away, at the bottom of the world, and yet I follow the team as if they were my own. I exult in the wins, gnash my teeth at the losses, and grimace every time someone turns an ankle. They can do that to me, and I’ve never even been to one of their games.
Now that’s a team.
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