To gear up for the NBA playoffs, the For the Win staff is sharing our favorite things about all of the teams that made the postseason. Up next, the San Antonio Spurs.
8 awesome things about other NBA playoff teams: Heat | Pacers | Raptors | Nets | Hawks | Warriors | Trail Blazers | Rockets | Bulls | Thunder
1. Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich
USA TODAY Sports Images
Tim Duncan is in his 17th season in the NBA, and every time you think this must be the end of his career, he goes and drops a 26 and 12 and reminds you why he’s one of the best players this game has ever seen.
The Spurs won over 50 games this season, the 16th time Duncan has done that in his career. There are only four NBA TEAMS with more 50-win seasons than Duncan has logged.
And Gregg Popovich, well, can we all just agree that he gets the Coach of the Year award every year until he retires?
2. Kawhi Leonard
(Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)
What NBA player as talented as Leonard would be fine settling into his role as a rebound, defense and energy guy? What 22-year-old player would be happy with his minutes limited below 30 a game, and would happily sacrifice his stats for the good of the team?
Leonard is beyond unique in his talent and his lack of ego, and Popovich is lucky to have the perfect utility man in his lineup. He’s only going to get better, too.
3. They didn’t play a single starter more than 30 minutes a game this season
USA TODAY Sports Images
The team with the best record in the league managed to rest their players and play more balanced minutes than any other team in the league. Those minutes, over the course of a season, add up. And the Spurs, aged as they are, look as fresh as any team heading into the playoffs.
4. Tony Parker spin moves
@cjzero
They are beautiful. He dropped one in Game 1 against the Mavericks, but this is an old favorite from against the Warriors.
5. They can have fun, too. Sometimes.
https://twitter.com/spurs/status/456174688306081794/
Look, a Spurs selfie! They aren’t that old! They’re hip to the times!
6. Pop’s love for Craig Sager
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The greatest love-hate relationship in the modern NBA hit another high point this weekend, when Coach Popovich sent a tender message to sideline reporter Craig Sager, who is fighting leukemia.
7. Their nightmare mascot
Earlier this year, after a tumble, the Spurs’ mascot eyes got realigned…and we still haven’t slept.
8. They invented frogging
It’s a thing where they stand and pose for a picture like a frog. It’s fun, you see.
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