The San Antonio Spurs represent everything that is right about basketball and perhaps even professional sports as a whole.
They play hard, together, and unselfishly. They are well-coached and completely professional on and off the court. They are efficient, succinct, and unassuming. The only number that matters to them is the one that appears on the left-hand side of the standings: wins. They are the consummate organization in today's sporting world, winning four championships in nine years without so much as a shred of controversy.
I could not hate them more.
It seems that every April, the Spurs unleash their mind-numbingly efficient brand of basketball on the rest of the NBA, dominate the playoffs, and graciously accept the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Maybe it would be okay with me if the Spurs dominated their opponents mercilessly, or ran them off the floor with a high-octane offense, or even had just one player with a mean streak (Bruce Bowen doesn't count).
Instead, the Spurs crush their opponents' souls by playing suffocating defense that makes a midseason NHL matchup between the Predators and the Blue Jackets seem entertaining. The best part of last year's NBA Finals was the 37 close-ups of Eva Longoria, Tony Parker's boo. Those moments provided 10 times the enjoyment of the actual Finals, the outcome of which was determined long before the initial tip-off. Spurs-Cavs was like watching Tracy McGrady toy with my sister in a game of one-on-one.
The Spurs generally don't blow out opponents, nor do they squeak by them in close games. They prefer to build a comfortable early lead and coast the rest of the game to a 10- to 15-point victory. Enthralling; I'm on the edge of my seat here.
The personification of the Spurs' methodical approach to basketball is the Big Fundamental: Tim Duncan. Don't look now, but since his entrance into the league 10 years ago, Duncan has been the most consistent, valuable and successful player in the association. Thank God the numbers speak for themselves because Tim certainly won't do it: four championships, two MVPs, 10 All-NBA teams, 10 consecutive All-Defensive teams.
Duncan very well may be one of the top 10 players in history when all is said and done. And the way he has done it is even more impressive. He has said nary a negative word to anybody and is not exceptionally fast, strong, or agile. He is simply a better basketball player and teammate than the rest of the league. But these accolades don't make him an intriguing human being. His teammates say he is funny behind the scenes, but his public image is as bland as cream of wheat.
C'mon, Tim! Do something out of the ordinary. Publicly humiliate Fabricio Oberto by throwing a towel at his face in the huddle. Start referring to yourself in the third person: "Tim Duncan thinks that Tim Duncan could put up a double-double in every game of the season if he wanted to." Make out with Eva Longoria while Parker is in the game - anything to get a little controversy here!
The droll Spurs philosophy all traces back to their head coach, Gregg Popovich, who is affectionately dubbed "Pop" by his players. Pop is a guru of defense, unselfishness, and most of all, winning. Several years ago, my brother ran into Popovich on a plane, and got him to autograph something for me. He wrote, "To Danny: Work hard in school and basketball, and good things will come to you." No offense, Pop, but after the Finals last year, I threw that autograph out.
Danny Joseph is a sophomore majoring in English. He can be reached at Daniel.Joseph@tufts.edu.
