San Antonio Spurs for me.
Started getting into bball around 1993, I can remember flicking through some cards of my friends and seeing a 1992 hoops card of robinson, a nice big slam dunk. They had the black uniforms, nothing fancy (pretty crappy feista coloured logo) amd they were a good team, led by DRob an upstanding citizen. They had a good record but werent the best, I wasnt going to jump on the bulls bandwagon.
So I started collecting Robinson cards and reading whatever I could. News came in the form of pro bball today and one on one mags. I lived through the Rodman years, the kneeing of John Stockton and the continual losing to the Jazz. DRob then leads SA with stellar numbers, but they give MVP to Hakeem. The next year Hakeem probably deserved it again, but DRob gets it. Hakeem then leads Houston to the promised land, I took tormenting from everyone at school...that dream shake move still sticks out, but as Ive grown and seen those games, I place the blame on Rodman and respect DRob for trying...noone stopped Hakeem that year, if Pop was coach they would have though....
Along came the Atlanta olympics and DRob tops scores in the final, cemeting his place...he does all this despite being elbowed in the back by a Greek player in the exhibition rounds, 96/97 starts with no Robinson until december, Bob Hill is fired, Pop comes in, Robinson breaks his foot...spurs go 20-62, it was probably the most games Ive ever watched too...I still have heaps on tape and watch them get flogged!
Then comes Duncan, how awesome, both of them steady the ship and put in some learning years, more exits to Utah. Then comes a 6-8 start, spurs are looking old, the seasons only 50 games long....then the incredible playoff run, finall a championship....Sean Eliotts three, Jaren Jackson being the Laker killer, Mario Elie, GAZE! Elliott announces he has a kidney disease...wow!
You get to know a team, at spursreport Im a moderator, the site has 15,000 spurs fans, Im halfway across the world, but respected for my spurs knowledge. Knowing the spurs usually start slow (last two years have been different) they dont win preseason games, they peak in March, rounding the roster and focusing on being healthy. They always get beat by 40+ in the final game if HCA or playoff spots are already secured!
A team of talent, yet good guys, not many problems, the news is always good news. When Malik Rose and Antonio Daniels are your trouble makers, then you're going well.
