Hoops Habit
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NBA History: The best era for each of the 30 franchises

By Daniel Lubofsky

SAN ANTONIO - JANUARY 14: Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to drive around Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks at the SBC Center on January 14, 2005 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2005 NBAE (Photo by Chris Birck/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO - JANUARY 14: Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to drive around Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks at the SBC Center on January 14, 2005 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2005 NBAE (Photo by Chris Birck/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

San Antonio Spurs: 1998-2014

The San Antonio Spurs are not your typical example of a dynasty. They’ve never dominated a particular stretch of years. They’ve never even won back-to-back titles. For the better part of this century, they’ve just never really left the contender circle with constant reinventions that allowed them to capitalize at various points.

David Robinson’s injury during the 1996-97 season was originally viewed as a crushing blow to a perennial playoff squad. What it did was allow the Spurs to fall down the standings where a little lottery luck netted then the No. 1 overall pick and the right to select Tim Duncan.

A four-year prospect out of Wake Forest, Duncan was viewed as the type of player who could immediately change the direction of a franchise, and that’s exactly what he did in San Antonio. By Duncan’s sophomore campaign, the Spurs were NBA champions, kicking off a level of success unparalleled by any in league history.

Along the way, the Spurs unearthed late-draft gems like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The two were future Hall of Fame talents. Along with Duncan, however, it was their unselfishness towards themselves as individuals that set up one of the best sports cultures in San Antonio, where only minor tweaks had to be made to bring out the best of a team-first environment.

The Spurs won five championships in the Duncan era, from as early as 1999 to 2014 — four with Parker and Ginobili by his side. During that time, the only season in which San Antonio failed to win at least 50 games came during the lockout-shortened 50-game season when it was crowned champions.

For all the on-court talent at San Antonio’s disposal, it was Greg Popovich pulling every string behind the scenes to keep the dynasty running smoothly. Whether it was making Parker the focal point or positioning Kawhi Leonard to thrive as a future Finals MVP, Pop continued to reinvent the wheel when necessary to foster an unparalleled level of sustained success the NBA may never see again.

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