Saturday, June 16, 2007

What Dynasty?

Since the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals to clinch their fourth title in nine years, basketball experts and analysts have been debating whether the Spurs are a dynasty.

Close, but not quite.

The truth is the dynasty discussion is more media hype than reality. The NBA Finals ended sooner rather than later, so the media need to stretch it out as long as possible. So the debate continues.

Sure, winning four titles in nine years is impressive, but it only shows that the Spurs are a very good team. None of their titles came in consecutive seasons, and they haven't dominated their division or conference the way previous dynasties, such as the the Celtics, Lakers and Bulls, did. The Spurs were one of several strong teams to come out of the Western Conference. The Utah Jazz and Dallas Maverickswere also quite capable of winning the national title. It also helps to come from a major market with higher profile players. When the Spurs can dominate the league and win consecutive titles, then maybe I'll put them in the same league as the Celtics and Lakers. But they have a ways to go to get there.

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