![]() After a couple years to mature and improve, Parker and Ginobili emerged as legitimate stars for the Spurs during this season. ![]() The arrival of the "Big Three" to San Antonio. Seriously, if someone needs to be convinced that Duncan is one of the greatest athletes to ever play, go show them highlights of the Finals against New Jersey. Following through, the Spurs won 60 games in the regular season and cruised through the playoffs, winning all four series in six games apiece.ĭuncan won NBA MVP - his second straight - during the regular season, then delivered one of the greatest postseasons in history: 24 games, 24.7 points per game, 15.7 rebounds per game, 5.3 assists per game, 3.3 blocks per game. With those two slowly emerging to fill out the roster and Robinson announcing his intention to retire at the end of the season, 2002-03 loomed as a special opportunity for the team. In 2001, the team drafted French point guard Tony Parker in the first round, then a year later, Argentinian shooting guard Emmanuel Ginobili got snagged with a flyer deep into the second round. 2002-03Īfter that first title, the Spurs struggled in the postseason for a few years. And then came the Finals, where the Knicks were dispatched in five.ĭuncan won the Finals MVP, the third-youngest player to do so before Kawhi Leonard this year. West Finals? How about another sweep, this time against Portland. First round? Beat the Timberwolves in five. the Spurs captured their first championship by beating the eighth-seeded New York Knicks in five games.Īnd if you think the Spurs beat up Miami this year, check out what the team did 15 years ago. With a lineup led by Duncan, an aging David Robinson and an impressive cache of role players - Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, etc. After a year of straightening the bearings, winning 56 games and challenging the Utah Jazz in the West semifinals, the Spurs officially took over the league during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. ![]() Then, of course, came the 1997 NBA Draft and the arrival of Duncan. Twenty years ago, this was still a franchise without a title, one of those classic teams that couldn't quite get over the hump. It's not easy to remember now, but the Spurs weren't always the Spurs we've come to regard with a mixture of respect, gratitude and general awe. While we all gush about rings on thumbs and what this all means for the legacies of Duncan, Gregg Popovich and everyone else, let's take a look back at the five squads that got us to this point. The San Antonio Spurs completed their NBA Finals victory against the Miami Heat on Sunday, marking the team's fifth championship since the beginning of the Tim Duncan era. ![]()
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