San Antonio, Texas is home to some of Texas' most historic sites and landmarks, like the Alamo and the San Antonio Missions. The city takes pride in its history, melting-pot culture, and (of course) their five-time-championship-winning basketball team, the Spurs.
If you didn't already know, the San Antonio Spurs has been one of the most consistent teams since the 70s, making their start in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967, which later merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976. They have earned 20 division title wins (Southwest) and five championship titles in their 38 seasons, making them the fourth most prestigious team in NBA history, behind only the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Chicago Bulls. In fact, in last season's stats, the Spurs were ranked third by winning percentage. The team is home to some of the NBA's greatest and most historic players including Tim Duncan, George 'Iceman' Gervin, Moses Malone, and David Robinson, who played for the 1992 U.S Olympic Men's Basketball "Dream Team" alongside of Larry Bird, Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, and many others.
The team's success really started when head coach, Gregg Popovich took over (1988-92, 1996-present). Largely due to Pop and his influence on the team, the Spurs have earned respect from nearly all of their peers, including reporters, sportscasters, and basketball fans in general. However, with the ever-changing culture we live in, newer and shinier players like LeBron James began to emerge, overshadowing teams like the Spurs. With LeBron's advancement to the limelight, the team began to be seriously overlooked and seen as "boring." James' power over the crowd didn't really come into play until he joined the Miami Heat in 2010. He rose to power, becoming the star of the show. James is an incredible athlete, and the world recognized that, but he quickly became drunk with power and it showed in his egotistical, "prima donna" attitude. With the Spurs in the dark and James gaining more traction, who wants to watch well played, team-oriented, and fundamentally sound basketball when they can watch the "King" cry because he didn't get his way? I'm sorry our AC broke, dude (refer to 2014 Finals, Game 1). The excitement and face-value was worth more than the player's abilities and character as a member and representative of the NBA. LeBron has influenced the entire nation with his drastic approach to the sport, which easily masked his arrogant, Kanye West complex.
Echoing back to his character, he recently admitted that his leaving Miami and returning to Cleveland was to get head coach (Miami), Erik Spoelstra, fired. The player even has his own website, with tabs titled "The Man," "The Philanthropist," "The Businessman," and "The Athlete." Each tab includes some narcissistic photos of the star player with various PR boosts scattered about.
The hot-shot star player quickly became the standard, making the San Antonio team irrelevant. The team has lost a lot of support over the years due to flashy, "Hollywood," bought-not-built players like James and over-exposed teams taking the reigns of the NBA. When LeBron secured his rep, every game was under lock and key -- everything was about him (Wade and Bosh slipped in there every now and then). The 2013 NBA Championship (Miami v. San Antonio [rightfully SA's title, but I'm not bitter]) was so LeBron-centric, it sparked a whole nation. In that year, James began to possess a savior-like attitude as the nickname "King James" was heavily pushed by fans around the nation. The next year, 2014, the two teams made it to the finals again and the Spurs wrecked shop, taking home their fifth championship title by Game 5. Heat fans (so, LeBron fans) were outraged. The "built-not-bought" team once more gained respect from basketball followers and peers alike. People were recognizing them again for their respect for the game and team-oriented approach, ultimately putting them back on the map. (In all fairness, LeBron has become less of a nuisance since making the switch back to the Cavs. Regardless, he could do with a serious attitude adjustment).
As you can imagine, announcing that I'm a Spurs fan evokes a lot of mixed emotions. I've gotten laughed and scoffed at and I've gotten a lot of positive reactions. I've even had a lot of people look at me and write me off as "just another bandwagon" fan when, in reality, I'm just loyal to the sport that I love. If teams like the Warriors and Thunder continue to produce positive results, the sport has a serious shot at keeping its dignity. The fundamental roots of basketball are beginning to emerge once more but, for now, we're still living in LeBron's world. I'm just lucky enough to be one of the few raised by Timmy and Pop.
