Repost: How George Steinbrenner Helped The San Antonio Spurs Win NBA Titles

Fun article.

R.I.P. George Steinbrenner

***

By Barking Carnival (Featured Columnist) on July 16, 2010

So I know the title is a bit of a stretch, but we’re a Spurs blog…a basketball blog at best…so how the hell else can I talk about George Steinbrenner?

But in all seriousness, Mr. Steinbrenner has done so much for his sport that has spilled over into other professional and semi-professional sports (college I’m looking at you!) that I feel it’s appropriate to honor his passing with a few kind words.

First things first: I hate the Yankees. As previously stated, I’m an avid Astros fan when they’re winning and a summer league basketball fan when they aren’t. The Yankees are the epitome of what’s wrong with sports, right?

They have an astronomical payroll with little regard for a once flourishing farm system, they overpay aging super stars and "almost" super stars trying to fill holes in their line-up, and more often then not, they beat the hell out of the rest of the league because of it. It’s because of the Yankees and Steinbrenner that baseball should have a salary cap, right?

Ahh…here comes the Spurs championship tie in. Now, while the NBA has what’s been defined as a “soft salary cap” it has one none the less. As do almost all other professional sports.

Some position it as a way for teams to have equal footing. Others look at is as a way for Owners to keep the oh so small margins they pull in. Don’t you think that the other professional leagues looked at what was happening in the MLB…with Steinbrenner’s Yankees…and said, “uhh, we don’t want to have to spend that much for this hobby. I think we need a salary cap.”

Now you can argue for or against a salary cap until the cows come home. But I’m arguing that without a salary cap in place for the NBA, an already unbalanced league…with very few owners and management that actually care about winning…we would have seen a lot more of these “LeWadosh” teams forming, and small market teams like our beloved Spurs would have been just another Generals game for the Globetrotters.

It’s already pretty bad. When was the last time you looked at the last 20 years of NBA champions? Let me save you the time. It looks like this: Pistons, Bulls, Rockets, Lakers, Spurs, Lakers, Spurs…mix in a little Heat and Celtics and call it a day. Not a lot of small market teams in there. Really, just one.

All in all, I’m saying the the salary cap, which Steinbrenner indirectly influenced for the NBA, is one…ONE…of the reasons that our Spurs had an opportunity to with a Championship. Whoops, I meant four championships.

So I raise my Shiner Bock to you George Steinbrenner. Pioneer on so many levels. The merchandising mecca you have formed, paving the way for regional TV sports networks (YES), and most importantly, caring about a game so much that you would stop at nothing to win. And your entire life, that’s what you did.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/421321-how-george-steinbrenner-helped-the-san-antonio-spurs-win-nba-titles?utm_source=newsletter

Repost: San Antonio Spurs Make Quiet But Significant Noise With Tiago Splitter Signing

Gotta love my Spurs' class.

***

By Robert Kleeman

The San Antonio Spurs' celebration of a day they had long hoped would come did not mirror the Miami Heat's recent reaction to some nifty news.

Pat Riley reeled in Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James last week in one of the greatest free agency coups of all time. The Heat congratulated themselves and indulged frenzied fans with a lavish party at American Airlines Arena. More than 13,000 fans packed Miami's pro basketball palace Friday afternoon to welcome James and Bosh to South Beach.

The three stars emerged on a humongous stage in a cloud of smoke and under the glare of obnoxious strobe lights. The Heat's newest slogan, "Yes. We. Did." flashed on the giant LED screens above.

Riley prepared for 2010 Free Agency by ensuring he would have no more than two or three players under contract this summer. The way he gutted the roster allowed him to sign the three best ballers on the market.

The legendary coach had hoped for years he would convince Wade to stay by surrounding him with expensive talent worth the sticker shock.

Yes, he did.

The Spurs' moment of ecstasy came Monday afternoon and was met by far less fanfare and no pyrotechnics. The extent of the front office's party after GM R.C. Buford introduced 2007 first-round draft pick Tiago Splitter in a presser?

I would guess it involved a few high fives and some firm handshakes. Maybe an employee was courageous enough to bring some cascarones to the office. I doubt he or she cracked any of them.

The Spurs organization shuns the confetti-filled, party-first atmosphere that defines Miami, even if many San Antonio residents also love fiestas.

Splitter arrived in the Alamo City, at last, after a three-year wait. Days after King James guaranteed more than six or seven championships in his new home, the Brazilian big man merely told Buford and a few reporters in broken English that playing alongside Tim Duncan was an exciting proposition.

His price tag —a modest $11 million over three years, and little more than $3 million next season, according to the San Antonio Express-News — gave Buford and co. another reason to smile. They landed the big man they had coveted since picking him 27th in 2007 and did so without surrendering the full mid-level exception.

If the Spurs re-sign Richard Jefferson for a lower price, since they own his Bird rights, they could then use the remainder of the mid-level and the bi-annual exception to ink rookie James Anderson and lure another free agent.

Matt Barnes will find a number of suitors when the frenetic, LeBron-centric market slows. How could he not at least consider the Spurs?

No amount of speculation, negative or positive, can dampen the euphoria in South Texas.

Splitter— considered for several years the best big man, maybe the best player in Europe— will not soon become what Duncan was to David Robinson. Go elsewhere to find hyperbole.

He will likely never make an All-Star team. He may not even start next to Duncan on opening night. The reason for the fuss, though, is simple.

If Splitter, 25, can provide some or most of the seven-foot help Duncan needs to hoist his fifth trophy, he will prove worth every penny of that deal, which qualifies as chump change in this climate.

He projects as a bruising banger, a productive rebounder, and an above average interior defender. If Splitter averages 10 or 11 points and six to eight rebounds plus a block or two a game, he will be a boon in a league where size matters.

Gregg Popovich does not figure to feature his newest puzzle piece much in the offense, and the acquisition does not change Duncan's importance. He remains the franchise's foundation.

Splitter, though, should give Duncan some much-needed frontcourt help in the two years leading up to the future Hall of Famer's presumed 2012 retirement.

The 6'11", two-time Spanish league MVP should shine on a roster that also features Dejuan Blair, Antonio McDyess, and Matt Bonner. What can Splitter do for those support players?

If Splitter scores a few buckets in a row in a playoff game, will opponents continue to play Duncan one-on-one or stick to any constant defensive strategy?

The decline in double-teams on Duncan led to the roster-wide dip in three-point accuracy as much as injuries to Bonner and Roger Mason Jr. Spot-up specialists need open looks and cannot be expected to hit at the preferred rate from distance if the star once doubled on every possession isn't doubled much anymore.

McDyess can still swish mid-range jumpers in his sleep but has become a less effective post option as his years climb. Blair's size (he's 6'7", and that's a generous listing) limits his ability to finish in traffic. Bonner can drill treys when he's open and hit the occasional floater in the lane.

Splitter will make life easier on the other role players if all he does is convert three to four buckets per contest. The Spurs have tried to replace Robinson since he retired in 2003, but have rarely succeeded in their quest for a Duncan sidekick.

Duncan does not need All-Star company at the four or five as much as an efficient interior giant who can bump foreheads with Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, or Andrew Bynum without standing on a phone book.

The Spurs could add another frontcourt piece with a minimum deal for extra insurance.

No one can say the franchise has lacked in the effort department when it comes to finding affordable forwards and centers.

First, the team tried Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed. The pair worked in 2005 when the Spurs triumphed over the Detroit Pistons in seven games to capture their third title. Popovich could not play them much in 2006 when the Dallas Mavericks presented matchup problems galore.

The coach opted for a smaller lineup that forced Duncan to rack up exhausting minutes. Splitter, more agile than most his size, might have made a difference then. Popovich might have re-considered rotating Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley at the four.

Fabricio Oberto and Fransisco Elson fit the bill in 2007 when the Spurs swept the Cavaliers for their fourth and last championship. The Los Angeles Lakers ousted them the next year, in part, because of the frontcourt's limitations aside from Duncan and an injury to Manu Ginobili.

Kurt Thomas, acquired just before the 2008 trade deadline, proved a terrific addition. His toughness and determination, though, could not trump the Lakers' talent, uneven as it was.

Splitter could have helped in 2008, 2009, and this year. Another seven-foot presence would have made it tougher on the Phoenix Suns' sharpshooting big men.

Phoenix would not have triumphed without its dead-eye perimeter shooting.

Splitter will save Duncan a few more minutes a game and will help him stay fresher for the stretch-run and postseason grind.

If the combination of Blair, McDyess, Splitter, Bonner, plus another big can spare Duncan the equivalent of 10 to 15 regular season games in minutes, Monday's news will matter as much as what Riley pulled off last week.

The Spurs' prized pick spent the last few years with Spanish team Caja Laboral, formerly called Tau Ceramica. He recently swept Ricky Rubio's team in that league's championship round.

Given the chance to opt out of his deal in 2008, Splitter instead signed a new deal that would keep him in Spain until at least this summer. The threat of a lockout in 2011 and his buyout further complicated the situation.

It was fair to wonder if he would ever make the NBA jump. He finally did.

The Spurs' new slogan might echo Miami's. Just don't expect to see it in lights or on a billboard. Anyone expecting an exorbitant "welcome to San Antonio" show at the AT&T Center this week will be disappointed.

Still, Buford, Popovich, and other team officials can say it with equal conviction.

Yes. We. Did.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/419831-san-antonio-spurs-make-quiet-but-significant-noise-with-tiago-splitter

Repost: Why Would LeBron James 'Quit' on the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Not a LeBron fan at all. But this was an interesting article.

***

By Bryan Toporek

NBA fans have been trapped in a free agency world of preposterousness these past two weeks.

We've gone from "The Decision" to "The Letter." We've gone from Amir Johnson's five-year, $34 million contract to Joe Johnson being the highest paid free agent in a class that includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

And yet, one of the most preposterous ideas in all of this free agency hysteria has been that of LeBron James, The Royal Quitter.

It started with his owner, Dan Gilbert, who ranted about LeBron quitting in every big game in an interview with the Associated Press. He advised us to "go back and look at the tape" of the Orlando-Cleveland Game Six from 2009, asking us to check how many shots James took (he took 20 shots, for the record).

So, in other words, we can discount Gilbert because he's a bitter owner who's lashing out like a 13-year-old girl after a breakup. What else should we have expected? (To his credit, the Fathead stunt was hilarious.)

Then we had the bloggers, who swarmed in with the "James = Quitter" argument by saying a true superstar would never want to join forces with other stars; instead, they'd create a decade-long rivalry on the court and maintain their friendship off the court.

By joining Wade and admitting that he sometimes wanted another player on his team to be able to take over and dominate a game, LeBron showed a supposed weakness that he's never revealed before.

Then again, joining Wade and Bosh isn't so much quitting on the Cavs as it is quitting on the chance to become one of the all-time greats. Therefore, it's not entirely relevant to this particular discussion.

Finally, we get to Jay Mariotti.

Mariotti suggested the possibility that LeBron would "deliver less-than-maximum effort at times" because he "was planning all along to bolt the Cleveland Cavaliers." This appears in a column in which Mariotti practically begs the league to investigate the Super Friends' decision for tampering and/or collusion.

Moving beyond the fact that Mariotti has become a caricature of himself at this point, the mere suggestion of this conspiracy should cause FanHouse to ban Mariotti from writing for a week, for his own sake.

Imagine, for a moment, that Mariotti is right, and that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh had agreed to head to Miami months, if not years ago. Why would that cause LeBron to deliver less-than-maximum effort in the last playoff run he'd ever have with his hometown franchise?

Would LeBron really give up a chance at his first NBA championship just because he wasn't planning to stay with Cleveland long-term?

To put it plainly, not a chance.

How can you argue that a guy who just passed up $15 million on his new contract for a better chance of winning doesn't value championships before all else (including loyalty to his hometown)? And if he's got such an obsession with titles, why would he intentionally sacrifice his shot at a championship when he's on a team that had the best record in the NBA?

If anything, wouldn't Cleveland be (a little) less upset with LeBron had he brought home a championship before callously dumping them on national TV?

No, LeBron's apparent lack of effort in the final two games of the Celtics series didn't stem from the underlying knowledge that he'd be leaving his hometown after the season.

Instead, as Sports Illustrated's Joe Posnanski points out, LeBron hit a breaking point with the Cavaliers during the Celtics series:

"But, well, if James did quit, then WHY did he quit? Why does anyone quit anything? It’s because they think there’s no point. I think LeBron simply came to the realization that his team wasn’t good enough. The coach wasn’t good enough. Ownership wasn’t good enough."

"He realized (rightly or wrongly) that no matter what he did, this team was not going to win a championship. And once he realized that, he lowered his intensity level and finally, in the last minute of his Cleveland career, watched the clock tick down."

LeBron didn't quit on the Cavaliers. LeBron felt like the Cavaliers quit on him.

LeBron didn't need Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman around him to win a championship. All he needed were teammates that could knock down wide-open shots when he passed to them out of a double-team.

Year after year, the Cavs came up short in that department. After seven years, James finally decided that he'd seen enough Mo Williams bricks for one lifetime.

So he left. A "quitter."

To his credit, Mariotti did promise that we'd remember Game Five against the Celtics—the night that LeBron turned into LeGone, as he called it.

But why suggest that James would intentionally forfeit his last shot at a championship in Cleveland, knowing that he'd be heading to Miami in a few months anyway?

We may be able to replace Dan Gilbert's letter in the "Most Preposterous Idea From the Summer of 2010" category after all.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/420067-why-would-lebron-james-have-quit-on-the-cleveland-cavaliers

Repost: A Summer League Prospect Driven To Honor His Mother

Touching. I'd love to see this guy in a Spurs uniform.

***

By Ken Rodriguez

Alonzo Gee is seated on a bench after a vigorous scrimmage, heart pounding, body sweating, a smile creasing his face as talks about the love of his life.

Darlene, his mother.

Darlene Gee is the single parent who raised him on small wages in Riviera Beach, Fla. The nurturing soul who fed him and two older siblings while she fought rectal cancer. The devoted saint who took the kids to church while she underwent chemotherapy. The motivating force who lifted his spirits when he went undrafted out of the University of Alabama.

"She’s a beautiful person," Alonzo says.

Darlene is a 55-year-old cancer survivor, a nurse technician who is working to become an RN. Her youngest is a 23-year-old shooting guard, a promising scorer who hopes to impress on the Spurs’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.

"I’m a momma’s boy," Alonzo says, and he’s proud of it.

Momma taught Alonzo good manners and the virtue of hard work. She taught him to avoid trouble, eliminate distractions and focus on school and basketball.

"I can hear her right now," Alonzo says, pointing to a voice inside his head. "‘Stay focused. No matter what.’"

That admonition carried Alonzo through a difficult youth. So did the Bible verses momma made him memorize. One from Isaiah 54:17 is tattooed on his muscled, right shoulder: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper."

Beneath the verse is the tattooed face of a lion. The bold markings capture the life of a man who faced poverty and hunger with a momma who fought for her life.

Darlene began receiving radiation treatments in 1988, a year after Alonzo was born. Caring for three children through sickness and nausea wasn’t easy. Feeding them was challenging, too. Sometimes the kids got oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On a good day, they might get grits and bread.

"We hardly had any food," Darlene says. "I wasn’t working and paying for rent and a car and caring for the kids was real hard."

Relatives helped when they could. The church provided some meals. The family got by on faith and charity until Darlene returned to work and began nursing school.

On the playground, young Alonzo grew and flashed his athleticism. He wanted to emulate his brother, Lonezo Hatten, who earned a football scholarship to a small school in Texas. "I was a wide receiver, defensive back, linebacker – I played wherever the coach wanted me to," Alonzo says.

Football didn’t last long. Alonzo didn’t care for the pounding, Darlene says. And Lonezo didn’t think the sport suited his younger brother. "You’’re getting tall," Lonezo said. "You’d be better off in basketball.”

Alonzo heeded the advice and became a star. He took care of school, focused on his game and led Dwyer High to back-to-back state championships. Off the court, Darlene made certain he followed the Good Book, especially the admonition to honor and obey.

"I didn’t have any trouble with him smoking or doing drugs or any of those kind of problems," Darlene says. "He had his own ways but he was never disrespectful. He did just about everything I asked him to."

He didn’t stray at Alabama. Alonzo earned his degree in 3 1/2 years, averaged 12.7 points and dazzled at the rim. ESPN named his 360-degree dunk against Coppin State in 2006 the play of the night. The video has generated more than 15,000 views on YouTube.

On the night of the 2009 NBA draft, the Gees settled in, wondering which team would call Alonzo’s name. No one did, and the rejection pierced. “I felt his pain,” Darlene says. “It was devastating But I kept telling him, ‘You are all right. You are going somewhere. You are NBA material. If God be for us, who can be against us.’ I went on and on.”

One moment momma sounded like a preacher, the next like a prophet. Within months -- after her son became a Development League All-Star -- momma’s words came to pass. Alonzo signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards, averaged 7.4 points and dropped 19 on Charlotte in his first start. “I was so happy,” Darlene says, “I felt like I could jump off the top of a house.”

The elation has not worn off. Alonzo signed with the Spurs in March, and though he he hasn’t played in a game, Darlene feels good about the organization. So does Alonzo, and he let’s his momma know. “I call her every day,” he says.

Sometimes three or four times a day.

Sitting on the bench, Alonzo’s mind wanders, his imagination taking him beyond basketball. He considers how he might use an NBA contract to bless momma.

A new home would be nice, Alonzo says. A new car. He’d like to give momma security and joy, and when Darlene hears this, she’s touched. She says Alonzo should give to himself first. Why?

Because he’s already given her a gift. A fine young man she’s proud to call “my son.”

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b4W4w

Repost: Buford and Popovich could solve the economy if so inclined

Liked this article.

***

Next summer, when the league is in the midst of a lockout and we struggle to find topics to write about, there should be a wealth of information to look back on from this summer as to why the NBA is in such dire financial difficulties.

Cap space may have been in abundance, but common sense has been a rare commodity among general managers. David Kahn appears poised to add another point guard. The Knicks are open to the possibility of another run with Isiah Thomas.

But rather than dedicate what could be an endless number of words towards questioning offseason moves, here is a list of a few big men and how their salaries stack up to the reported 3 years, $11 million the Spurs signed Splitter for. (source for salaries: Yahoo Sports):

Channing Frye 5 years, $30 million
Drew Gooden 5 years, $32 million
Brendan Haywood 6 years, $55 million
Amir Johnson 5 years, $32 million
David Lee 6 years, $80 million
Darko Milicic 4 years, $20 million
Jermaine O’Neal 2 years, $12 million
Johan Petro 3 years, $10 million
Nikola Pekovic 3 years, $13 million
Tyrus Thomas 5 years, $50 million
Hakim Warrick 4 years, $18 million

The San Antonio Spurs just signed the best big man in Europe for Johan freaking Petro money. For Matt Bonner money. It’s official, Popovich and Buford have that Jedi mind trick down. I’m convinced if they ran for office they would be able to solve the economy simply by convincing debt collectors to take less money.

But in defense of President Obama, he doesn’t have Tim Duncan to make it all work. And Popovich and Buford didn’t have to step in and replace Isiah Thomas in the front office.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b4W4v

#22! - Repost: Splitter is a Spur at last

By Mike Monroe - Express-News

Web Posted: 07/12/2010 9:32 CDT

Sitting in his home in Joinville, Brazil, on June 29, 2007, Tiago Splitter tuned in to the telecast of the NBA draft and waited to hear his name called.

And waited ... and waited.

Finally, with only three teams left in the first round, commissioner David Stern at last intoned: “With the 28th selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Tiago Splitter, of Brazil.”

Thousands of miles away, Splitter let loose a string of invective, in both his native Portuguese and his adopted Spanish.

“San Antonio chose me, and I was so mad,” Splitter said Monday at the Spurs’ basketball complex, where he signed a three-year, $11.016 million contract that will put him alongside Spurs captain Tim Duncan, the player he idolized as a gangly teenager in Brazil, next season.

The 6-foot-11 center’s draft-night anger derived not from antipathy toward the Spurs. Rather, he was annoyed that advisors and friends had led him to believe he would be among the top 10 players selected in a draft class that included Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.

Certainly, he had been assured, he would not slide past the 14 teams that had been in the draft lottery.

His emotion given post-selection vent, Splitter chose reflection over fury. Ultimately, his eventual NBA destination won the day, and he now believes San Antonio is the perfect place for a 25-year-old with 10 pro seasons under his belt to make a move to the NBA.

“I realize where you have the opportunity to be — on a team that is international and a team that won titles with such good players, Manu (Ginobili) and Tim Duncan and Tony Parker,” Splitter said. “Then I realized that I’m in good hands, and the team who had my rights was great for me.”

It was Splitter’s contract with Baskonia, the team in Vitoria, the capitol of Spain’s Basque country, that complicated the decision making for NBA teams in 2007. Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, who has plucked All-Stars from the lower reaches of the first round and into the second round, understood it was Splitter’s very contractual obligation to continue playing in Spain that allowed him to drop to No. 28.

On Monday, the waiting seemed worth it.

“This is a very exciting day for the Spurs,” Buford said. “We’re very fortunate to be adding to our program one of the best players not currently playing in the NBA.”

That he was able to bring Splitter from Spain for a first-year salary of just $3.4 million was a bonus for Buford and the Spurs. The club now has the remaining $2.365 million of the mid-level exception to the league’s salary cap rules to offer to another free agent.

“It’s always been about building a team,” Buford said, “and not about just one player.”

That the player added Monday was considered the best big man in Europe figures to help the Spurs immediately. Though he isn’t likely to join Duncan in the Spurs’ starting lineup — both are low post players, and Splitter will need to learn the Spurs’ offensive and defensive systems — he does figure to be a member of the team’s regular playing rotation. That will allow coach Gregg Popovich to further limit Duncan’s regular season workload.

Parts of Splitter’s game may look a lot like Duncan’s. He has been copying Duncan’s moves since he was a teenage star who idolized the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and wore his No. 21 every season he played for Baskonia.

As a Spur, he will wear No. 22.

“I told Pop and R.C., when I start to wear the No. 21 was because I love the way Tim Duncan played,” he said. “He was one of my idols since I played basketball. It’s a pleasure to play here at his side.

“So changing my number? I don’t care.”

Repost: LeBron James and Tim Duncan: A Tale of Two Choices

Liked this piece.


***


By Robert Kleeman

As LeBron James appeared on national TV to crush Cleveland fans again, his narcissistic, me-me-me show harkened a similar situation in San Antonio 10 years ago.

Tim Duncan danced with the idea of leaving San Antonio to form a star trio in Orlando and the promise of a dynasty alongside Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady.

The details— that Duncan did not announce his intentions on ESPN and that he stayed— seem miles apart.

Duncan had already teamed with David Robinson to secure a championship banner in 1999. James could not do that in his seven-year stint with the Cavaliers.

The anticipation and anguish felt by both fan bases, however, are as similar as the riffs to "Ice Ice Baby" and "Under Pressure."

James spat on his hometown in the worst of ways and abandoned the chance to establish himself as a championship leader. His mission to bring gold glory to Cleveland will sitck on his resume as "incomplete."

Instead of forcing an adequate supporting cast to come to him in Ohio, he decided to join a pair of All-Stars in Miami. He made the sexy choice instead of the tough one, and perhaps right one.

If he wins multiple championships with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, he will forget what he left behind in Cleveland. He took the plunge Duncan could not, and in doing so, put more pressure on himself to deliver in June.

As Cleveland suffers, San Antonio should rejoice. Spurs fans should see James' blasphemous "Decision" special as a reminder of what did not happen in the summer of 2000.

Duncan did not interview a parade of executives at a compound in San Antonio, and he first delivered the news of his extended stay via a telephone call to Gregg Popovich.

The threat of his departure was no less excruciating. He allowed the Orlando Magic to shuttle him from Texas to Florida, and he considered, at one juncture, cancelling his return flight. Hill then was in his prime, and McGrady was just entering it.

How could he not consider a union with Hill, a friend and admired competitor?

Popovich and R.C. Buford's extensive, complex graphs and pie charts, plus a late plea from Robinson, convinced Duncan to stay in the only pro basketball address he had known.

Magic fans know how long it can take to assuage the loss of a star. It took Orlando more than a decade of injury-riddled seasons and heartbreak to land Dwight Howard and another NBA Finals berth.

Shaquille O'Neal spurned Orlando for the bright lights of Hollywood. He passed up another shot with Penny Hardaway for uncertainty in L.A. O'Neal did not know then that Kobe Bryant, picked 13th by the Charlotte Hornets then traded to the Lakers, would become an all-time great.

He knew the Lakers' proud history and wanted a piece of it for himself.

Spurs fans now know what can happen when a franchise star picks loyalty over intrigue. Popovich promised Duncan more titles but did not deliver on that promise until 2003.

Cleveland's detractors have spouted that the team had seven years to put a winner around James. They must understand, though, that the right move often comes at the least expected moment.

Had James stayed, GM Chris Grant might have secured that adequate sidekick in a trade this season or next. These things take time, and in some cases, an expensive game of trial and error.

The Mo Williams experiment failed. Who says Grant could not have upgraded that position and others?

How many Lakers fans predicted at the start of 2008 training camp that the season would end with Pau Gasol and a Finals date with the Boston Celtics?

Duncan, for sure, could not have predicted his All-Star, Hall of Fame-caliber help after Robinson would come from Argentina and France, respectively.

He loves Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker now but might have scoffed in 2000 at the notion of a frenetic slasher and tiny Frenchman delivering the goods come playoff time.

San Antonio has been spoiled since Robinson first arrived by an organization that emphasizes class over ego and winning over showmanship.

Along the way, those good sportsmen have managed to put on more than a few shows.

Ginobili's emphatic slams and alley-oop jams inspired oohs and ahs. Duncan's jump hook was as automatic as the sun rise. Parker crossed over more players than presidential candidates did states.

Spurs fans are the luckiest of them all. Sans the history in Boston and the unfair advantages in L.A., San Antonio has fielded a contender in each of Duncan's 12-plus seasons.

Cavs fans once hoped James could create a new history in Cleveland, similar to what Jordan spawned in Chicago and Duncan and Robinson did in the Alamo City.

A franchise can indeed go from irrelevant or accustomed to losing to the exact opposite.

Things could get antsy and anxious in South Texas if Tiago Splitter stays in Spain and Richard Jefferson leaves the Spurs high and dry without compensation.

Maybe, though, Spurs fans can find a little time to appreciate what they have witnessed over the years.

San Antonio was beyond lucky to land both Robinson and Duncan with the odds against them winning each draft lottery. Fortune smiled on the city's hoops team again when Duncan shunned the Magic's glitzy promise for the Spurs' comfort and straightforward approach.

Dan Gilbert will soon regret the anti-LeBron tirade he posted on the Cavs Web site Thursday night. James may soon regret not giving the Cavs three more years to help him get a ring.

The Duncan era will conclude in San Antonio with few regrets.

So, Spurs fans, when you read speculation that James' switcharoo could cause the Cavs to disband within five years and when you see the heartache and rage his defection has caused, know this:

Ten years ago, it could have been you.

Two-time Shooting Star Champion

I remember grinning from ear to ear when I saw that Becky was part of Team Texas. I cheered like crazy and it made my day when they won. That made my All-Star weekend.

Of course, I would've loved it even more if she teamed up with Timmy and the Admiral or any other Spur.

Becky Hammon: NBA All-Star in Dallas

Not sure if I've posted this before. Just wanted to archive a video of my all-time fave.

TD: 2/14/10 (NBA All-Star in Dallas)

It's old but I loved Timmy's response to the Matt Bonner vs. Chris Kaaman question and his "missing" picture in the building.