Ego Trippin’, San Antonio Style

The San Antonio Spurs Way is touted as being ‘egoless.’ It’s anything but.

When you think of the word “ego”, you tend to think of flamboyance, of overaggressive, over-the-top displays of talent and strength. Of rubbing an opponent’s nose in your glory and making no apologies for it.

When you think of the San Antonio Spurs, one of the first things that comes to mind is: no ego. In this age of (super)star (franchise) players and the pyrotechnics to match (how you doin’, DeMarcus Cousins?), the Spurs are a refreshing change from the almost-guaranteed gossip mill fodder of some NBA teams.

“It’s tough to defend them, because they don’t have a one-man ego personality,” said Sacramento Kings head coach (for now) George Karl to Post News Group after their most recent loss to the Spurs.

Karl has a point: the Spurs don’t revolve their roster around one particular player. That doesn’t mean there’s an absence of ego, though.

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From the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

egoˈē-(ˌ)gō also ˈe- 

noun: the opinion that you have about yourself
psychology : a part of the mind that senses and adapts to the real world
Full Definition
1 : the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world
2 a : egotism 2
b : self-esteem 1
3 : the one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that serves as the organized conscious mediator between the person and reality especially by functioning both in the perception of and adaptation to reality

Though they don’t flaunt their dominance overtly, the Spurs have a high opinion of themselves. To perform and sustain at the level that they have over the past 20 years (shoutout to former Spurs chairman and CEO Peter Holt), you have to think that you’re elite. Not that positive thinking necessarily translates into the requisite results (*snicker*).

Perhaps of greater importance is the Spurs’ ability to separate fantasy from reality, and adapt accordingly. While they, like any other team, is grateful for each win, they don’t live and die by them.

Case in point: the ever-increasing mention of the Spurs in relation to the Golden State Warriors’ self-admitted chase to break the Chicago Bulls’ 1995-96 record of a 72-10 season, on top of their otherworldly 2015-16 regular season.

When asked how the Spurs’ 87-79 win over the Warriors in this, their second regular-season game (as well as the previous blowout and the next two), will affect the Spurs, team captain Tim Duncan said it best to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: “We’re going to show up for the game and we’re going to play it. It’s not going to change our season or anything.”

“We’re going to show up for the game and we’re going to play it. It’s not going to change our season or anything.” — San Antonio Spurs team captain Tim Duncan

Yet even reiterating that the team will show up and show out when necessary indicates a certain amount of ego–or pride.

Pride is often hand in hand with–and sometimes interchanged with–ego.

Simple definition of pride

: a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people

: a feeling that you are more important or better than other people

: a feeling of happiness that you get when you or someone you know does something good, difficult, etc.

Full definition of pride

1:  the quality or state of being proud: as

a :  inordinate self-esteem :  conceit

b :  a reasonable or justifiable self-respect

c :  delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship <parental pride>

2:  proud or disdainful behavior or treatment :  disdain

3 a :  ostentatious display

   b :  highest pitch :  prime

4:  a source of pride :  the best in a group or class

5:  a company of lions

6:  a showy or impressive group <a pride of dancers>

The Spurs, as the model franchise across all professional sports leagues, have certainly earned the respect of their peers and team owners. Five championships (and a good shot at a sixth) and 19 consecutive 50-win seasons tend to do that, as does sound fiscal management and a myth-busting success in a small market (including a Forbes valuation as the 11th most-valuable NBA team).

To keep grinding toward the Holy Grail of a NBA championship, year after year, despite an aging and sometimes injury-prone roster, indicates a bit more than just a quest for more hardware: it indicates a level of self-respect that will not let yourself, or your team, be anything near mediocre.

That’s where pride comes in; pride won’t allow you to be any less than your best, even at the expense of personal statistics and accolades. Just ask Leonard. Or Duncan.

Though they don’t discuss it much in public, the Spurs are elated at their track record, as well as the stellar season they’ve had so far.

To be so consistent for so long speaks to the pride of the master craftsman who takes pride in his (or her) work, who constantly challenges himself to be better, get better, do better. There is a joy in the way the Spurs play, and play together as a group, that is evident in every crisp pass, every cross-court lob, every pick and roll.

It not only gives the fans a thrill (as well as keeps the team and league coffers full via ticket and merchandise sales), but it satisfies the soul to do a good job and have it recognized.

ego trip
noun
: something that someone does to feel more important or better than other people
Full Definition
: an act or course of action that enhances and satisfies one’s ego

In an odd way, the Spurs embody the very definition of ego. This season could even be a bit of an ego trip, as they continue to play the beautiful game and get their names, both as a team and as individuals, in the record books. Their current home record is the best in team history, and their overall team record is tied for the second-best home streak in league history.

Duncan continues to creep up the all-time NBA lists for rebounds, blocks, points, and games played.

It takes ego to play the game your way, in a league that is known for copycats and riding trends (I mean, how many teams are on the three-pointer/small-ball bandwagon, in this season alone?). It takes pride to stand tall in the face of adversity, especially when Father Time isn’t really on your side. And it takes an ego trip to play each game as if it were your last.

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The San Antonio Spurs, y’all. Ego trippin’ at its finest.