San Antonio Spurs: Their Twelfth fifty win season in a row is apprepo for last decade's 'Team Of The Decade'

The 1996-1997 seasons was one of the most pivotal seasons in NBA history and it has nothing to do with the best team in the league that year, the Utah Jazz choking in their first of two successive championship series against the Chicago Bulls. Rather it was the season that David Robinson sat out due to injury. The Spurs won the lottery and used the first overall pick on the best forward in NBA history, Tim Duncan. Four championships and (possibly) counting later we see how an injury affected the scope of the NBA more than any other injury in the history of the league.

Tim Duncan teamed up with David Robinson to be the most successful 'Twin Tower' combination in league history. In fact they are synonymous with the term 'Twin Towers.' Only 'students of the game' really know that the original distinction belonged to Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson of the Houston Rockets in the early eightees. 

A rookie head coach, Greg Popovich and a rookie forward and future Hall Of Famer, Tim Duncan would usher in the 1997-1998 season, the first of twelve straight fifty win seasons after the Spurs victory tonight at Minnesota. Sports Center reported it as only eleven straight, but they counted the lock-out year of 1998-1999 in which the Spurs went 37-13 and would have won 50 if not 60 games had the season been a regular 82 game season. So in essence the Spurs have 13 straight 50 win seasons.

Duncan would be the cornerstone in all four Spurs championships. He won two as part of the 'Twin Tower' combination. He would win three of the four with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. By their third championship together, Duncan, Parker (a late first round pick) and Ginobili (a late first round pick) would be known as 'The Big Three,' a term originally applied to the greatest front line in history which was the Boston Celtics line of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish. Though the second of four Spurs championships featured Duncan, Robinson, Parker and Ginobili, the foursome was not ever playing so wonderfully that they were ever called 'The Big Four.' Robinson was in the twilight of his career and had passed the torch to Duncan and though Parker and Ginobili played at an All-Star level (albeit not by face value NBA standards), the offense centered around Duncan. Not until their third championship were 'The Big Three' equal parts in the team's championship run.

With one game left in the NBA season, the Spurs are 719-314 in the Duncan/Popovich era with at least a few more seasons to go! The record is so impressive that the Sporting News declared the Spurs The Team Of The Decade for the first decade of the 21st Century. The Spurs and Lakers each won three championships in the decade. But consistency was wisely valued by The Sporting News. The blue collar Spurs clocked in each day, went about their business with no drama and went 523-215 (.733) record during the decade. The Lakers were too busy dealing with rape trials and Hollywood style in-fighting and only mustered a 463-283 (.621) record, winning 11 percent less of their games. And in the season that the Spurs won their third championship (2004-2005), the Lakers were a lousy 34-48. Such losing records have never been an option for the Spurs.

So here is to the Spurs and in typical Spurs style, Shots Heard will honor some of the other Spurs who helped them achieve their recent greatness. So to name most of the other many key contributors in no particular order, here's to Speedy Claxton, Stephen Jackson, Mario Elie, 'Big Shot Bob'/'Horryble' Robert Horry, Danny Ferry, Steve Kerr, Bruce Bowen, Sean Elliot (the original anchor of the Spurs in the 90's), Rasho Nesterovich, Hedo Turkoglu, Nick Van Exel ('Van Excellent'/'Nick The Quick', Brent Barry, Malik Rose, Glenn Robinson, Michael Finley, George Hill, Matt Bonner DeJuan Blair and Nazr Mohammed.

Picture 1: Drawing - Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, Rasho Nesterovic, Tony Parker.

Picture 2: Drawing - Twin Towers - Tim Duncan and David Robinson (The Admiral).

Picture 3: 2005 Champions - Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry (Big Shot Bob).

Picture 4: Tim Duncan and David Robinson display 'the hardware.'

Picture 5: The Spurs team first style does not defy logic just the me first trend in the NBA. But Manu Ginobili is an anamoly despite any trend or logic.

Picture 6: The Big Three have one goal.

Picture 7: The Spurs celebrate their 2005 Championship.