Bill Peterson
Among the definitions given by Merriam-Webster for a dynasty is this: "a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time." So, are the San Antonio Spurs a dynasty? No.
To really be called a dynasty, a team should at least hold onto the league championship for a considerable time. Say, two years. The Spurs now have won four NBA titles in nine years after last week's four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. But they've never won two titles in a row.
That a question about whether or not the Spurs are a dynasty should even arise is a clue about the general mob insensibility inherent in sports journalists, who beat the question into the ground. Everybody wants to declare a dynasty, it seems.
It's only every other year when the media is saturated with stories about Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich and his unusual approach. It's only every other year when we read incessantly about Tim Duncan, the hidden superstar. It's only every other year when we hear without end about the unique relationship between Popovich and Duncan.
That's because the Spurs only win the NBA title every other year. To be fair, Duncan is always limping through the playoffs with injuries in the years when they don't win.
No question, the Spurs are a wonder. Four championships in the last nine years – won in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007 – constitutes a nice achievement.
But a dynasty is in command for long periods of time. We've seen the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers three-peat in recent years. We haven't even seen the Spurs repeat.
And in the NBA, more than any other pro sports league, repeats are attainable. The salary rules make it easy to keep good teams together, and expansion in the NBA through the last couple decades have diluted talent to the extent that a championship team can keep it moving.
Being fair, the league is diluted in a unique way. Basically, all the best teams except, maybe, one are in the Western Conference. It might be harder now to repeat in the Western Conference than it once was to repeat in a 20-team NBA. It's no coincidence that when the Spurs advance to the NBA Finals, they win it all.
Perhaps the Spurs will come back next year with a repeat, which would give them not only a back-to-back, but five titles in ten years. That might be enough to initiate a serious discussion about whether the Spurs are a dynasty or one of the greatest NBA teams ever.
But it will take at least that, which means we're at least a year away from starting the comparisons.
Worthwhile links:
A look back at the Spurs' championship series: (San Antonio Express-News)
Kirk Bohls says the NBA is trying to copy the Spurs: (Austin American-Statesman)
Jack McCallum says the Spurs aren't a dynasty: (SportsIllustrated.com)
Mike Kahn says the Spurs are different: (FoxSports.com)
