The San Antonio Spurs

It's that time of year again: the NBA playoffs.  And, like every other year for the past 16 years, my favorite team- the San Antonio Spurs- are participating.  Take a walk down memory lane with me, as I recall the Spurs' greatness over the years.

The Origin of Fondness

Being from Pennsylvania, people have asked how I came to be a Spurs fan in the first place.  The answer is simple: David Robinson.  David Robinson is my favorite athlete of all time, and when he started playing for the Spurs in 1989, they instantly became my favorite team.  David is an amazing individual- how many NBA all-stars do you know of who:
- graduated from the Naval Academy
- majored in Mathematics
- play the piano
- are true Christians

The list could go on.  The point is, Mr. Robinson was an example to all, both on and off the court, and my affection for him endeared me to the entire team.

Mr. Robinson

With David, the Spurs would do impressively well.  Before his arrival, the teamed had been marred by poor showings.  After him, they'd be consistently excellent (their record by year can be found here).  But, of course, their success wasn't all due to David.  They've also had an excellent coach- Gregg Popovich, himself an Air Force Academy graduate- who instills discipline and ethics in his team.  Coach "Pop," as he's called, is another reason the Spurs have a wholesome image in the NBA and community at large.  The Spurs make headlines for personal problems so infrequently that TV ratings generally drop when the team makes it to the finals.  It's a sad truth: people like controversy, and tune in to watch more than basketball.  I digress; the point is, I root for the Spurs because they're a team with integrity.

The Spurs History Since Robinson

As I said, after Robinson began his career in '89, things looked up for San Antonio.  Starting in '90, they had a winning record every year.  They'd be stymied in the playoffs, though.  They were that good, but never great, team.  Then, in 1996, everything changed.

In the '96/97 season, Robinson went down early with an injury.  The Spurs were horrible in his absence.  From that dark year, though, came a bright spot that would last for years: they landed the #1 draft pick in the NBA lottery, and drafted Tim Duncan.  Tim, another 7-footer, was in the mold of David- a great "fundamentals" player with integrity off the court and no drama on it.  With David healed and Tim drafted, the Spurs were back in business.  The next year, they improved their win total by 36- but better was to come.

In '99, San Antonio won their first NBA title.  In '03, they won another.  Robinson retired after that year, but they weren't finished yet.  They had continued to draft quality players, especially in finding late-round "diamonds in the rough" in Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.  These players formed a new core with Duncan, and the Spurs won it all again in '05 and '07.

Since '07, the Spurs have continued to be successful, though sadly, they haven't returned to the finals since that fourth title.  They're consistently first or second in their division, but their stars (still Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili) are aging, and the miles start to show in the playoffs.  They may not win again with this core- though I hope they do.  the window is closing in San Antonio, but it's been a great run.

Final Thoughts


It's probably just looking at the past with rose-colored glasses, but the NBA wasn't what it was in the '90s/'00s.  Gone is the era of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson.  Today's players certainly have talent- no question there- but it seems as though something is missing.  Perhaps it's the fact that they all tend to jump from team to team, where it used to be you stuck with your team for your whole career.  Or, perhaps the way the game is played has changed, with (seemingly) less emphasis on team play.  Or, it could be my personal senility.  Whatever the cause, I'll always look back on this bygone era with fondness.  From my Spurs winning four championships, to cheering on my favorite Spurs players (those already mentioned, plus amazing Spurs like Sean Elliot, Avery Johnson, Chuck Person, and Dale Ellis), to the quality of the league in general, I'll miss "how it used to be."  When the current round of Spurs retires, I'm not sure how I'll feel.  I may fade away from the game entirely.  More likely, I'll follow with marginal interest, but prefer to recount to my likely disinterested children the days when the NBA was Mr. Robinson's neighborhood.  Go Spurs go.