So you're saying Spurs aren't a rival? We both know better. We've played in the same division for 30+ years and play them 4x every season. Should be pretty self explanatory, but guess not. We've played the Mavs once in the playoffs in 20 years. Not much playoff history there either and we held our own in that series. On top of that, someone said a Spurs-Rockets "rivalry" was the same as Texans-Cowboys... which is an even weaker attempt to discredit Spur-Rockets. Cowboys aren't even in the same conference and we've never played them in the postseason.
I root for the Spurs. A team that plays without bloated superstars with their ego problems. Beautiful team basketball with a coach that seems to find a solution to almost every problem. You really have to respect an organization like that. I like Spoelstra and Bosh (and Ray Allen), but that's not enough for me to root for them.
Yes, the Spurs are supremely well coached, unselfish, and just a well-oiled machine, but y'all make it sound like the Heat are just a bunch of selfish super stars who get by talent alone. They are also very well coached and very fun to watch with their pace and space tactics and their relentless swarming defense (not so much in the regular season this year but they have been on point in the playoffs). You don't go to four straight finals on just talent alone. I'm cheering for Miami. I would also like to see them four-peat (unless of course, the Rockets make it to the finals). It would be a treat to see a four-peat team in my lifetime given how rare it is.
Aside from getting annihilated in Game 7, I guess the Rockets held their own. Besides, Houston and Dallas not liking each other is a general thing and not just basketball. It's not the same thing between Houston and San Antonio.
Dismissing the Spurs because of their fans and then rooting for Miami's "Heat for life...as long as Bron is there" bandwagon fans? Wow.
I root for the Spurs simply because of what they represent. They're the gold standard for how a franchise should be run. The Spurs ownership (hands off), management (building through the draft and smart trades), the coaching (Pops and his approach to accountability and team basketball) and the players (free of Divas, everyone willing to play their role and make the correct pass even if it means sacrificing their personal stats) is exactly how I think basketball SHOULD be played. Toss in that they're doing this in a small market, and it's hard not to admire and root for them especially given their record of sustained excellence. I don't give 2 figs about the "Spurs fans". You can be a fan of the Spurs without caring anything about the Spurs jerseys or the city of San Antonio. Personally, I like seeing Basketball played as a team sport, with everyone working to create something greater than the sum of the parts. That's not to take away from the LBJ's and KD's of the world, however I think it's perfectly reasonable to both appreciate what transcendent talent can bring to the game of basketball as well as the beauty of Team Basketball played at its highest level. Maybe its just me, but I think it's good for Basketball and the NBA for teams like the Spurs to win championships. It's good that it shouldn't all be about megamarkets like LA or the luck of pulling 3 superstar players together in FA ala Lebron/Wade/Bosh. I love the idea that you can build a championship contending team by finding players that nobody else wants and having them excel by putting them in the right roles (Mills, Diaw, Bellinelli, Splitter, Green, Leonard, Neal and the list goes on and on). Even when it comes to their stars, Parker was drafted 28th and Manu was drafted 57th. And while TD was a #1 draft pick, the guy is 38 years old and playing his 17th season... TD was a superstar player in his early years, but he's WAY past the typical player's due date. That he's 38 and a starter is impressive, that he's 38 and still a central cog on a championship contending team is a testament to not only Duncan, but the Spurs management and coaches' handling of Duncan. Can you imagine how different the Rockets' fate would have been if they had gotten 17 seasons out of Yao? Heck, how about 17 season out of David Robinson? Would I prefer that the Rockets were in the fight for a Championship? Of course. However, the Rockets lost in the first round and aren't playing. The Spurs gives every teams' fans hope that they can build a winning team without landing a top 10 draft pick every few years or that a player won't bolt for the bright lights of Hollywood -- that they don't need the absolute best players in the NBA, or that you need to chase the flavor of the month in building your roster. Yes, I'll root for the Spurs. Especially if the Rockets take a few pages from their book and can become a better team.
The Rockets should model their franchise after the Spuirs good solid front office and great coaching. They know when to tank and how to do it successfully, and when it is time to cutthroat and win they make a damn good try at it. Go SPURS!! Till the Rockets learn how to do it. I can live with the Spurs as long as the Maverick pukes choke on there own sh!!.
There's so so much to admire ad respect about the Spurs themselves. Add to that they're playing Miami to deny them a Three-peat... How can you not root for them?!?!? Also not only will the media be screaming the "swan song" or even "Revenge" Stories for the spurs but they'll also badly knee jerk and question Lebron's ability and legacy... which is always a fun time.
Did you throw in I guess to make your argument sound better? Mavericks were 7 games better than us '05 and we pushed them to 7 games... a very exciting series. Utah has NEVER humiliated us in the playoffs. While the hate for SA isn't on par with DAL.. San Antonio is still in Texas, they've been in our division for 30+ years, they have boocoo fans in Houston.... you really wanna argue they're not a rival? If you wanna root for them, go ahead, it's a free country. Just don't act like they're not a rival. Enjoy the increased case for Duncan > Dream. _________________________________________ And for everyone saying they're fan of basketball first and foremost.... Guess you'd cheer for Spurs against Rockets, too. SMH
Haha I would love to know of a basketball player better than LeBron somewhere else in the world that NBA teams aren't begging to come play for them. Saying LeBron is the best on the planet isn't a stretch. The best players in the world strive to make the NBA and when you're by far the best player in the league, then you're probably the best in the world. I'm not a LeBron fan at all, just giving the NBA the credit it's due.
The Spurs do it right. I'll happily root for them when our Rockets aren't in the picture. Plus I'd love for a title to satisfy their veterans and lead to a mass retirement. ;-)
Yes. Their style and likeable organization represent Texas and the Western conference well. In a way they're the Anti-Mavs.
Did you even watch the Dallas - Houston series in 2005? Does game 5 ring a bell? http://www.clutchfans.net/game.cfm?gameID=2766. That was one of the most frustrating series I have watched as a rockets fan. Utah might not have humiliated us, but they did rob us from the Bulls Rockets Finals. So that is much worse than the Spurs ever did to us. On top of that they were such a bad matchup for us during the Yao era. We could have gone far in the play offs if we would just not have had to play Utah... Who cares if fans of other teams think Duncan is better than Hakeem. People who saw them both play know Hakeem had a higher Peak but Duncan had a longer productive career an extra ring does nat change that. Who cares if we have to discuss who was better? That is one of the nice things about having discussions with other long time basketbal fans.
