By Moses Leos III
It’s never easy as a sports fan to concede when the end is nigh for your team.
A difficult prospect when that team is the San Antonio Spurs — a franchise whose fan base has basked in consistent success since the early 2000’s.
But just when it seems the franchise couldn’t win another title, they go out and prove everyone wrong.
That’s what the Spurs accomplished on Sunday, as they resoundingly defeated the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to claim the franchise’s fifth title in 15 years.
Sadly, it seemed the Spurs window for a fifth title was shut last year.
That was the reality for many fans of the “Go Spurs Go” nation. Specifically, you can pinpoint that moment to Games 6 and 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals.
With a 3-2 lead over the Miami Heat in last year’s finals, it seemed all but certain the Spurs would come away with a fifth ring.
Shockingly, they didn’t. Missed chances, including two missed layups from Tim Duncan in Game 7, sealed the Spurs fate.
Those losses proved to be a blow to the midsection of every Spurs fan. For many, those losses seemed to herald the beginning of the end for a team everyone said was “too old.”
I’ll raise my hand as one of those people.
How wrong we all were.
It’s shouldn’t come as a surprise as to how quietly the Spurs made their title run.
In today’s day and age of highlight reel dunks and basketball player endorsement deals, the Spurs continually went out and got the job done. No flash, no gaudiness, no nothing.
It’s a testament to head coach Gregg Popovich. His coaching style is reminiscent of yesteryear, where the coach/player dynamic went one way – not through the player.
They did so with a mix of new blood, and the old guard. Where the Big 3 of Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still reigned, the Spurs utilized the youth of Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, Tiago Splitter, and later Patty Mills.
That mix helped them quietly secure the best record in the NBA during the regular season – a point which would prove pivotal in the playoffs.
However, it didn’t come without its trials and tribulations. The gauntlet of quality teams in the Western Conference proved that point.
Each and every playoff round seemed to be a heavyweight bout for the Spurs. San Antonio got the best out of every team.
Through sheer willpower, and a little luck, the Spurs fought their way to a rematch with the Heat.
However, calling the 2014 Finals a “rematch” is a stretch. It was full on domination by the Spurs.
Unlike last season, the Spurs seemed healthy. They played as a cohesive unit, both on offense and defense.
They proved that point in the Finals, as they put on a clinic on how to play basketball the right way.
Where the Heat were structured around LeBron James’ image, the Spurs molded their play on the team, not the individual.
From Duncan, to Parker, to Ginobili and Leonard, each player knew their roles, and they understood when they needed to help the team.
It went as far as the bench players, led by Boris Diaw and Marco Bellinelli. Every player on the Spurs roster seemed to put their best effort on the floor — regardless if they scored points.
As a result, the passing was crisp and precise. The shooting was torrid — to the tune of 52.8 percent from the field, the highest field goal percentage in an NBA Finals in the shoot clock era.
It was the play of the defense that made the largest impact. Miami’s Big 3, led by James, never could figure out the San Antonio defense. It led the Spurs to rack up the largest margin of victory in an NBA Finals (14.5 points per game).
The future is murky for the Spurs’ Big 3. It’s unclear whether Duncan will retire. For that matter, the same goes for Ginobili and Parker.
Regardless, what the Spurs did was nothing short of spectacular. It’s something I’ll cherish as a fan.
If this was the last time the Big 3 are on the floor for the Spurs, it was one hell of a ride.
