Bob Haynie: The Spurs Are America's Quiet Sports Dynasty
On Wednesday night, the San Antonio Spurs spanked the Golden State Warriors 111-90. The blowout was San Antonio's 19th-straight win and helped strengthen the Spurs lead in the NBA's Southwest Division.
It's business as usual in San Antonio.
While teams like the Miami Heat, New York Knicks and L.A. Lakers get most of the headlines, the Spurs put up monster seasons on a consistent basis. Yet they always seem to fly under the radar.
They may not be flashy, but they are successful. Their head coach--Gregg Popovich--may not be a sound bite machine, but he wins rings. Four of them, to be exact.
Since joining the NBA in 1976, the Spurs have only missed the postseason four times. They have made the playoffs in 23 of the last 24 seasons. Their franchise winning percentage is the second highest in league history behind only the Lakers.
Counting this season, San Antonio has won 50 or more games every year since 1999-2000.
That's a lot of winning, folks.
Now the Spurs have had their share of setbacks during this run. Just last season, they lost the Finals to the Heat in seven games. In 2011, as the #1 seed out West, the Spurs were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the #8th-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
Overall, however, this is a franchise that is all about positive performance.
With the Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still going strong, the Spurs are going to be expected to do outstanding things once the playoffs begin. While they may be older, they're still very dangerous.
I'll be rooting for San Antonio to add another trophy to the case. You have to appreciate greatness when you see it.