7. The emergence of the Big 3
The San Antonio Spurs hit a golden age after their 2005 NBA championship run. Manu Ginobili rounded out a formidable Big 3 alongside point guard Tony Parker and big man Tim Duncan. The trio squared off against some of the top talent across the league and in the end, prevailed as one of the best.
In the 2006 postseason, the trio produced a combined for 65.3 points, 18.6 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 3.3 steals per contest through 13 appearances. Ginobili poured in a playoff career-high 39 points on 10-of-15 shooting (66.7 percent) in a huge Game 5 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on May 17, 2006.
Parker led with playmaking (3.8 assists per game) and scoring ability (21.1 points per game) with the ball in his hands. Duncan proved to be the total package in the frontcourt with his rebounding (10.5 rebounds per game) and paint presence (1.9 blocks per game).
They lost in the 2006 Western Conference Semifinals to the Dallas Mavericks, but the following season returned more focused than ever. The Big 3 went 16-4 in the 2007 NBA Playoffs en route to their third title as a group. They swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals in LeBron James‘ first ever Finals appearance, setting the stage for a dynasty for seasons to come.