They’re considered dull by many and boring by most but it really doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about their style because the San Antonio Spurs have now joined the Celtics, Lakers and Bulls as the only franchises in league history to grab four championships. But the Spurs have something those teams don’t: the all-time best winning percentage in the finals. In their four trips to the game’s greatest stage in the past nine years, San Antonio has amassed an impressive 16-6 record (.727).
And while Tim Duncan will get all the coverage as possibly being the best player since Michael Jordan suited up, Tony Parker scooped up the MVP honors after he averaged 24.5 points per game in the series and put in 24 in the trophy clinching Game 4. But, as always, it was a complete team effort by SA that derailed the Cavaliers’ hopes of digging out of a 0-3 hole.
Duncan struggled from the field (4-15 FGs) and from the line (4-10 FT), but he still managed to finish with a typical Big Fundamental stat line of 12 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Manu Ginobili came up big in the fourth quarter where he scored 13 of his game-high 27 points. And while his offensive output is normally nonexistent, Bruce Bowen has got to be allowed a few extra days with the Larry O’Brien Trophy because his smothering of James on almost every possession was key to the sweep. Sure, LeBron got his numbers anyway (24 points, 10 assists, six rebounds), but his shots were constantly contested as he finished the series shooting just 32-of-90 from the field.
So, does this officially qualify the Spurs as a “dynasty”? While four titles in nine years is awfully impressive, San Antonio needs to snatch up a ring in an even numbered year to join the truly elite. Specifically, they’ll have to win it all in 2008 to get labeled with the D-word. Should they manage to pull it off, the Spurs would have back-to-back championships and a streak of five titles in ten years; ensuring a decade of domination.