San Antonio Spurs

  San Antonio Spurs 

San Antonio Spurs is franchise that has been successful throughout its entire existence, since George Gervin, a future Hall of Famer, came into the league and led them to multiple victories, making them serious contenders in the mid ‘70s and early ‘80s. They won several Division titles, but they couldn’t make it to the championship round, so, after Gervin’s departure, they had a few season where they were losing, but all that ended when they drafted David Robinson with their number 1 overall pick in 1987, after they waited for him to finish the army. It turned out to be a very good choice for them, as Robinson would end up being a legend of the game of basketball, not only a legend for their franchise. During his fourteen year career with the Spurs, he managed to win two championships, an MVP in 1994-95, numerous All Star selections, a Defensive Player of the Year award and a Scoring Title, as a center. He was the rock which started the build up of what was about to come in the next years after he retired in 2003, when he got his second ring. Tim Duncan is maybe the best player in the history of their franchise, as he won five championships alongside Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the old-school players that have battled with the famous trio formed of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh two times, managing to win one of them in 2014 and establishing themselves as legends of the game. They also won in 2003, 2005 and 2007, coming out from a very heavy Western Conference, in a era where centers were still having a solid role in offense, that is why Tim Duncan, the Big Fundamental, won 2 MVPs and was selected as an All Star 15 times. Gregg Popovich was the principal factor of forming the puzzle throughout the years, and the last piece of it was the adding of Kawhi Leonard to their franchise in 2012. Kawhi went on to win the Finals MVP in 2014, not only because of his offense, but for locking down LeBron James in defense, when he was in his prime of his career. After Duncan and Ginobili retired, Tony Parker was forced to leave, because Popovich told him that he can’t give him the minutes that he want anymore, so he left. Kawhi followed him, too, and now the Spurs are trying to rediscover their identity with DeMar DeRozan being their main go-to guy.