My passion for the game of basketball started when I was a kid. I loved watching the game on TV, attending Suns games, watching my dad play in rec leagues, and just shooting hoops in the driveway. I was fortunate enough to be born in the golden age of basketball. I could turn on the TV and see the greatest players and teams in NBA history playing against each other on a nightly basis. Everyone "loved this game" and they loved the athletes who competed in it. I grew up in Phoenix so naturally I was a Suns fan; but my favorite player in the NBA was David Robinson and through him I grew to admire the Spurs.
Even then the Spurs were a lot different from the Suns. We still ran and shot the 3 and they still relied on solid defense and interior play. They were similar in one key way. Both teams were committed to only hiring quality character guys on their teams. Sure there was the occasional renegade on the team (see Charles Barkley and Denis Rodman) but overall they were committed to guys that demonstrated integrity both on and off of the court. As time wore on the teams continued to play each other and it seemed like we played each other every time in the playoffs. I always pulled for the Suns but if they lost I definitely wanted the Spurs to take home the title.
To this day I vividly remember the Spurs winning there titles in '99 and '03. I remember where I was and who I was watching the game with. Everyone said "Wow, couldn't have happened to a better team. So glad they were able to win the title." Then things started to change David Robinson retired and with him obviously went the heart and soul of the team. They were still a very talented team and they still played good team basketball. Up to then they were also great examples to young kids of how to show respect to your coaches, teammates and opponents. With Robinson's departure the Spurs suddenly lost that respected veteran who could tell the team to stop complaining to the referees, help an opponent up if you knock them down, and above all else show sportsmanship both on and off of the court.
Outwardly the Spurs did not seem terribly different after the championship in '03; but subtle differences began to come to the surface. The Spurs would argue every call by the officials. Players like Ginobli and Bowen became known as "hard nosed players" that opponents hated to play against rather than athletes who gave it their all and were respected by their opponents. The Spurs continued to experience success and this may have encouraged their slide toward infamy rather than true respectable fame. By the time the finals rolled around in '05 people were sick of watching the Spurs. Most people chalked it up to their "slow grind it out style". I was still somewhat happy for them when they won their title that year but I no longer respected the players and was more glad that their organization won than those players.
Then this year came around and the Spurs were once again matched up against my beloved Suns. The series was completely different from the series of the 90's. Listen, I am not saying the Suns are a perfect team or that they don't have their own sets of issues both on the floor and character wise; but there has never been a bigger contrast between two teams. The Suns played with all of their hearts; they encouraged each other, when an opponent got knocked down by a hard foul there were usually one or two Suns players there to help them up. Then there were the Spurs from the tip off of the opening game the slapped, kicked, poked, and did every thing they could to win. Maybe that’s what it takes these days in the playoffs. Maybe kneeing guys in the groin, kicking and slapping at them when they get by you on defense, and verbally abusing any referees who would dare to call a foul on you is what it takes to win a championship in the NBA. That saddens me. I just think if that kind of thing happened in a pick up game even if the guy was on your own team you would have to pull that guy aside and say "Its just a game and there is more to life than winning. If we can't win by just giving our best effort and not being dirty then maybe it isn't worth it"
Of course the Suns would go on to loose the series but not before the Spurs battered bruised and bloodied every player that came out there for the Suns and somewhere during one of these kicks, slaps, or knees I decided that I was a Spurs fan no more. I can't look at any of those players in the same light and any success they have seems to me to have come at too high a price. The Spurs sold out, they decided lets win no matter what the consequences or whoever gets maimed in our way. So I will be rooting for someone else this year. I still think that the Spurs have some great athletes and individual and their organization still seems to try to show integrity so I can’t say that they will never be a quality basketball team again.
I know my opinion does not matter a lot in the big picture but I think my sentiments for the Spurs are echoed by many fans across the country. This is no longer the golden age of basketball. It seems to me that the titles are no longer won by the team that has the most heart or even the most talent. It is won by the team that is willing to do whatever it takes be it the good things like hard work, determination, and team work (which the Spurs do have); or the bad things like dirty fouls, berating the official, and being poor sportsman toward their opponents.
I still want to love the game of basketball and if the league changes some policies and decides to reward those who play hard but clean and show good sportsmanship I think people will once again be proud to say that they are proud to be fans of the NBA. It would be great if a team like the Spurs led by a great former player with character would take the lead and commit to those things that we learned as a kid watching our dads and shooting the ball in the driveway. Namely that being a good sport is more important than winning, screaming at people is not the way to get what you want, and winning at all costs can be too much of a price to pay if we endanger others. It’s not just a basketball problem it’s a societal problem but it would be great to see a game that makes us think about what is important and right in this world and not just about what is wrong and fallen about it.
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