Winston-Salem, NC -- Radio personalities, television commentators, newspaper journalists, and bloggers have united in one common goal; dissing the San Antonio Spurs. My question is: why? The reasons that I can formulate in my head are as follows:
- They win every year (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) or make a deep run in the playoffs.
- They lack personality.
- They're the only NBA team that plays defense in this golden age of 120+ point games.
- They knock off feel-good stories like this year's New Orleans Hornets, last year's 1st Finals appearance by LeBron James, and squashing the Nets' second attempt at their first championship in '03.
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Mike Wise, of The Washington Post, offers his opinion in his column today:
If they can send a reinvigorated Bryant and the Lakers packing in the Western Conference finals, they will have successfully removed Shaq and Kobe from the playoffs again while simultaneously ruining the best Finals story line David Stern could imagine: Lakers-Celtics Redux -- Kobe and the Lake Show vs. Kevin Garnett and Boston, 21 years after Magic's junior sky hook buried Bird. What is it about the Spurs, always beating the players and teams America wants to see win?
Another reason the country turns on San Antonio is because of Duncan's unemotional on-court
demeanor. He makes Alan Greenspan look like a hard partyer. Spock on antidepressants is more
exciting. But the real reason is that the Spurs continue to resemble the old geezers who show up at the YMCA each weekend, yell "Next!" and somehow figure out a way to hold the court against a bunch of uppity kids. After three straight blowouts in New Orleans, their season on the brink, the Spurs again made do in Game 7.
They basically made younger, superior athletes with fresher legs play their way, slowing down the game,
making every possession count. It was like taking a hyperactive kid off his medication, until he
became so antsy and frustrated he didn't know what to do except sulk and go away.
They specialize in making supernovas burn out before their time. And like Barkley said, they won't die.
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Unless it's a favorite team of mine, I never pull for dynasties or repeat champions; I'd much rather see a different team win every year, unless it's an arch rival of one of my favorite teams. But, I think, the Spurs are the lone exception on this list of mine. They are selfish, they play defense, which doesn't exist in the NBA, they aren't "thuggish," they play in a small market where the town really appreciates them, and most of all, they are humble. I was in San Antonio for the parade (purely coincidental) following their 2005 Game 7 NBA Finals victory over the Pistons, and the town was going crazy (even if it was their 3rd championship in 7 years). Tim Duncan may be boring, but he's the epitome of the ultimate professional athlete -- talented, humble, and produces. So before you start pulling for the circus-like Lakers and their 14 titles to win; stop, and remember The Alamo.
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