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In the 2013 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs had the championship slip right through their fingers. The following season, the Spurs set out to avenge that loss and right a wrong that would have broken any other team. That pursuit resulted in the best basketball ever played.
Thanks to Nic (the real GOAT) for the thumbnail and graphics: nicstelter.com
Videos like this are made possible thanks to support on Patreon
/ claytoncrowley
Twitter - @ClaytonCrowley
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Music used (in order)
Torment by Prod. Riddiman & Joe Leytrick - / torment-hard-alt-rock-...
Mortal by Prod. Riddiman & Joe Leytrick - / mortal-alt-rocktrap-be...
Radio by Prod. Riddiman & oldboyy - / radio-upbeat-hip-hopra...
Between Us by Veaceslav Draganov
Stay Humble by The David Roy Collective
Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/clayton to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment.
Great job brother. Thank you very much for this video
we love the vids never stop i cant tell you how much i love your content much love coming from all of us
the fact that you cut in lebrons terrible hairline made this the icing on an already incredible video. hahahahaha
Clayton i love this video! Fellow spurs fan from grimaldis pizzeria!
JUST a correction..01:45 before DUNCAN it was ROBINSON who made that possible. He was the REAL one who made that SPURS a team like that.
"In those three games, they made 157 more passes than the Heat... PER GAME." That's just mind-boggling. They were amazing...
i saw those 3 games. the offense was magical, the ball was moving so much that the defense could never get set. it was like teens playing keep away against toddlers. they passed out of many good open shots that youd think they were scared to shoot, but in fact they just keep finding a better shot
Lebron ball vs Team basketball.
@@iamjason9240 except Miami didn't play Lebron ball. That's the wild part of this Miami was a ball movement and P&R focused team. They had great chemistry and ball movement, and the Spurs still did that They're probably the 3rd best team since the year 2000, and that's no small accomplishment. Maybe the greatest finals ever played
@@steelwall4396 agreed.
@@steelwall4396 honestly I think the only team that’s better is the 2017 warriors, I assume you think the 2001 lakers are also better, but I think the spurs (if they played like they did in the finals could beat anyone ever (minus again the 17 warriors))
Yeah, I went back and watched that series a years ago, with the way they played...they would've beaten just about any team in history. The ball movement and 3 point shooting was unstoppable.
Literally could beat any team.They werent just making wide open shots they were sinking contested 3's too. Defense was so good the Heat didnt even have the mental stamina left to hit open threes 💀
In 2013 they were also very good, almost as good as in 2014. Which goes to show how good LeBron played back then when he stopped them basically on his own.
@@kubaszymkowiak no way u said basically on his own 💀
@@kubaszymkowiak I’m a huge Lebron fan but you can’t place that series win solely on Lebron. The teams were evenly matched and both played Amazing. Lebron may have been the best player in the series but everyone did their part.
@@kubaszymkowiak Way different Spurs team in 2014. Ray Allen literally saved the Heat from losing but Lebron beat the Spurs in 2013 “on his own”? Sounds like someone didn’t even watch those Finals.
Not enough people talk about Boris Diaw and how crucial he was in that team. Loved watching those Spurs man. Great video.
trust me, us SA fans appreciate Diaw
Im from atlanta but im a spurs fan. I saw Boris at the airport when he played for the hawks lol. He was slender then. By the time he got to san antonio he had expanded exponentially lol. I wonder if he ate all them "cherros" charles barkley be talking about. lol.
@@theodorebennefield2030It's churros
@@kalebcavazos9084 lol
i remember him because i was a lakers fan and the games were always super competitive against those nash suns. Diaw was such an amazing passer and high iq player i was always impressed by his plays. he would be like a draymond/bam hybrid in today’s nba
I'm not even the biggest basketball fan but i remember joining friends to watch the 2014 NBA finals at sports bars just to have a good time. I was absolutely floored watching the Spurs. Their teamwork and style was like poetry in motion. Like reading each other's minds for every play. It was incredible.
Yup yup get paid, pick my bar didn't miss a game. Check my income taxes
yep. i vividly remember watching and being amazed at the ball movement. sadly basketball never really got there again lmao
So fucking cringe 😂 just say they played good ball you dork
Such a good point that 2013 would have spelled the collapse of plenty of other talented teams, but the Spurs' legendary cohesion, mental toughness, and belief in each other brought them right back
The guy who made this vid needs to coach the kings
@@st4r444 Mike Brown came to save the day 😂
Manu's one handed dunk over all 5 Heat players in Game 5 was the greatest exclamation point in Finals history.
That’s when I knew it was scripted when a saw old ass manu was dunking like that
@@Ma1q444🤣🤡
At the game I was behind the basket and saw Manu come down the lane with such determination shown on his face I wasn't surprised that he went through all those Heat players and made the dunk. In fact, I turned to my son and said, "We just won this game. It's over."
@@Ma1q444scripted ? For the spurs and not the heat ? 🤦🏻♂️
@@Ma1q444it genuinely makes zero sense to script that finals in favor of the Spurs. Miami is one of the biggest market teams and LeBron was and arguably still is the biggest star in the league
Everyones said you cant outrun the ball.thry way they passed in the finals was absolutely mind boggling. Hats off to the quietest dynasty EVER.
There’s a KZhead video about this called the Beautiful Game. Great commemoration, mostly with their own words as commentary.
So, so true. Even tho I'm not exactly a Spurs fan I recognized that right away during the finals: This is the best team basketball performance I have ever witnessed. Such a well-functioning machine that was way bigger than its single components. Hats off to Pop and everybody involved.
Strange that this team that destroyed the heat almost never gets mentioned amongst the greatest teams of all time
@@Dartagnan88 people have excuses for teams that don't contain the top popular superstar guys on it, if it doesn't have lebron, kd, curry, kobe, shaq in the team, it won't be recognized ever
LeBron had already declared himself an all time great by this point. He expected to win this finals. He was shriveled up like a raisin by the finesse of the spurs in 2014. His career and legacy never bounced back. 2016 means nothing after losing this. He stole a finals mvp from wade in 2011 by choking vs the mavs. Wade taught him how to win. After wade showed him the way in 12, LeBron finally got it done in 13. Then he coasted... and his all time placement among the greats was sealed as a 2nd tier star. He's not on mj, Shaq, kobe. Magic, Bird , Russell, Hakeem, or kareem.. he's in the next group. I'd argue wade is more of all time great over LeBron. Wade at least had the mj winner drive. LeBron only ever cared about how much he's liked.
this is why kawhi leaving was so sad. i loved the 2014 spurs and especially the connection between tony, manu, tim, and kawhi. the perfect offense. the warriors have glimpses of it but there's nothing quite like the real thing.
I feel like Kawhi turned into a bigger star when he left the Spurs. It was probably the right move for him. Same with DeRozan.. Aldridge got forgotten there. The Spurs are not for everybody. Duncan-Manu-Tony were special.
@@armin38822 derozan learned a lot from there though, like he said in the interviews, one of the reasons his game is like this today is because of his time with the spurs, he also became mentally tough unlike when he was in toronto wherer he just crumbles and you can clearly see it but man, those spurs team is real amazing. aldridge is not forgotten, he's just on the spurs and not many people wants to watch the spurs and thats a fact even though im a big fan of em.
@@armin38822 Kawhi got more media coverage when he left SA. He didn’t become a better player. He was already a full blown superstar his last three years in San Antonio. An MVP candidate, and leader of back to back 60 win teams. Injuries derailed his career. Personal decisions changed it. The spurs weren’t hindering him in any way. Aldridge wasn’t forgotten. He got old. DeRozan wasn’t forgotten. He was carrying the youngest roster San Antonio’s seen in 20 years, while becoming a better playmaker. Kawhi, Aldridge, and DeRozan all fit with Pop’s designs. They all either look back at their time here fondly, or became better players here. But stuff happens. Sometimes it’s not a matter of fit.
@@Dezbood Kawhi was even a better player his last healthy season with the spurs. That’s a last time he was really that GUY on defense and was effective and efficient on offense. He was elite
@@Dezbood When you put it like that,it sounds nice. You should be in politics.
Lifetime Heat fan and this was one of the greatest displays of team basketball ever. They dominated the Heat. Anyone watching this finals may remember Boris Diaw could have easily been finals MVP, he destroyed us.
I don’t remember Patty Mills missing a shot either 🥴
@@TheAwesomeo300 not a single one
@@The123carrera to be fair, any player in those Spurs barely missed, they were lit
Try telling a Kawhistan that, I think Diaw deserved it more tbh.
@@jdelgado216 exactly, Danny green had set the finals 3 pt record the year before, but 2014 was something I’d never seen, especially as a heat fan
I'm a Bulls fan and this was my favorite finals to watch. I remember thinking at the time "..this is the best bbasketball I've ever seen.." Thanks for putting this together, great stuff
…said no Bulls fan about another team ever 😂
I watched every Spurs game that season. I'd never seen anything like it. Every game you could feel that determination. And then the playoffs were so intense. Greatest season ive ever watched
I believe you when you say you watched every game. I've followed the Spurs from Year One. I Salute You Sir !
I was downtown when we knocked thunder out the WCF, it was nuts and everyone went crazy. Girls flashing their chests everywhere
They are the most beautiful team ever in this game. Jordans bull is stronger but this team is so satisfying to watch
@@TAPATIOPLEASE that series was the rarest time I have seen healthy kd and russ get destroyed so bad in a playoff series, they were out here losing by 30, and 28 points, crazy, KD's biggest beatdown ever margin wise, thats how good the 2014 spurs were
Thanks, Ray Allen. Without that famous shot, we may never have experienced this higher level of the game. Kind of the Netherlands' Clockwork Orange in soccer, but with success.
Total basketball is how I will refer to this Spurs team from now on
@@pcm1011 damn, that's a perfect analogy
Thank lbj for that game 7 because it wasn’t finished ray allen threw the baton to him to finish the race that the spurs took personally
Whats clockwork orange?
The Dutch Total Football was perfected already with Ajax, and them winning 3 Europa Cup 1's in a row in the early 70's.
I was never a spurs fan. But when we're talking about real teams in basketball, Popovich's spurs are the first and best by far TEAM that I have ever witnessed to play the game. As I grow up I respect this team more and more. Mad respect to the org the coach and the players for delivering the best basketball ever played.
They’re one of the greatest franchises in American team sports. 20 years of consistency
As great as the Spurs franchise . They never defended their championship. I guess that's the only mark on their championship runs.
@@NoMoreLPCPP-NPA 3 in 5 years and 5 in 15 is still very impressive
@@bonzokop1233 impressive yes but again they never defended their championship. No back to backs. But yeah 5 championships is a hell of an accomplishment and cemented the Spurs franchise as one the best.
@@NoMoreLPCPP-NPA i agree
The 2013-2014 Spurs were a prime example of a team that was built on role players and focusing on the key fundamentals of the game: passing, shooting, defense, and chemistry. They were one of the most complete championship teams in NBA history.
ABSOLUTELY 💯, I'm 61 and I understand
As a Spurs fan I cried about 5 times through this video. The Spurs mean so much to me.
You and me both my lil bruthr. You and me both !
Cried 3 times reading this comment because as a Knicks fan I will never be able to experience this level of happiness with my team
@@okaycassidybro I’m a bengals fan, we did lose in the Super Bowl but that season, that run meant even more becuase of how much it meant to the city becuase we don’t usually win the knicks will get there chance to be great!
@@okaycassidyREAL
@@bryceferguson8409 I don’t want to hear this I’m a jets fan and y’all have recent super bowls
I will say this, and this only: Tim Duncan is the closest thing we have ever seen to a modern-day Bill Russell.
yea duncan is like russell but 10 times better
@@zen-xv3wg …I totally agree. Duncan as a PF is flawless. He was skill wise better than Russell.
@@timmyg831 duncan was a center for most of his rings tho
@@zen-xv3wg hes better but not 10x
@@zen-xv3wg Bill Russell was literally the much better athlete. TD is undoubtedly the better player tho. I still think he’s in 🐐 talks.
It was destiny. I knew they will be champions after Tim Duncan famously mentioned “We’ll do it this time.” to David Aldridge in a post game interview at the end of the OKC series. It was the first time I heard something like that come out of him on any of his interviews before. He was not presumptous or cocky, he said it with confidence and conviction and I loved it.
YUP
Duncan was actually mad & the guys wanted 2 win it 4 him
Yes I caught that too. I remember thinking Holy Smokes we're going to win this title. You see I've followed the Spurs from Year 1. When Tim Duncan says he's going to do something you can etch that in stone !
Beautiful video! As a lifelong, die hard Spurs fan, and San Antonio native, this was amazing reliving the 2014 Spurs! I had the privilege to be at the infamous "no air conditioning" game. It was brutally hot inside the AT&T center. But you could see how the Spurs kept pushing through, grinding, and playing "SPURS" basketball! Truly the absolute pinnacle of seeing perfect basketball being played! GO SPURS GO!
Without a doubt the best team ball I've ever seen. And what I love about the Championship Nuggets team is that they remind me of em more than any other team in the league right now. It's great to see an individual show out, but there's something magical about watching a team playing that well together.
Man, I knew there was a reason I liked you. Been a fan since the beginning but this video is perfect. I’ve said it time & time again, that that 2014 NBA finals played by the Spurs is the absolute BEST basketball I’ve ever seen. People think I say it just to justify a LeBron loss, but naw, this team was just different. You could give me this team against any team in history: the showtime lakers, MJ bulls, the KD warriors, anyone, and I wouldn’t bet against this team. It’s the purest form of basketball, without flaw, played to perfection. This finals made me truly appreciate how good that Spurs dynasty was. It’s the kind of play everyone should aspire to reach, but likely never will. That 157 more passes per game in the last 3 game is an absolutely absurd stat. Crazy detail
You know how Charles Barkley says there's no shame in losing a ring to Michael? I think that's how LeBron should feel about losing the '07 and '14 finals, to the best team culture and the best coach to ever do it!
Tbh yeah. Put up this team against the 96 bulls, kd warriors, showtime lakers, Kobe and Shaq in their prime, and birds Celtics. Idk who wins but that would be a wild series.
@@seanprice9626 Exactly. Like this same team isn't that different from the 2013 Spurs team, and on paper they don't really matchup well against a lot of those teams, but in that specific series they just played amazing. If they play like that, Idk who can beat them.
@@seanprice9626 You just need to watch their amazing 2005 series against Detroit to see what would’ve been! A 7 game slugfest with both teams giving 200%.
@@withalittlehelpfrom3 that's exactly how it's been for LeBron carrying sorryazz teams against all time great teams
As a Mavs fan, the 2011 finals is obviously my favorite of all time. But the 2014 Spurs is the most beautiful basketball I've ever seen.
As a LeBron fan, I'm glad Dirk won in 2011. He deserved that ring.
@@foxx2592of course he deserved that ring, Lebron was ass in that series
Thank you 2014 Spurs, 2011 Mavs, 1986 Celtics, 1987 Lakers, 1996 Bulls and 2001 Lakers teams for showing us what greatness it really is. I only witnessed the Lakers 2001 team play in person. It was the only time I saw Kobe in person play at Utah on April 3rd , 2001. It was the beginning of their historic 12 game ROAD winning streak including playoffs. They didn't lose a single road game in the months of April, May and June while finishing the 2000-2001 season by lifting the NBA trophy. The Lakers were undefeated on the road throughout the playoffs while losing only one game in overtime at home in Game 1 NBA Finals in that stretch of 3 months but I think they lost a game vs Knicks on April 1st by one point in LA. So witnessing a humble streak at the beginning is special to witness especially when your squad only had 2 all stars.
As a lifelong Spurs fan, it was pretty cool bartending in Addison when the Mavs won their championship. I hadn’t really seen the city rally around a team like that since the 90s Cowboys
Really enjoyed the video. 2014 Spurs was the pinnacle of my sports fandom. I had been a Spurs fan since 1995 when I read an article about David Robinson. The devastation of 2013, watching a mercenary Heat defeat the Spurs was heart wrenching. The fact that they came back in 2014, and played basketball the way that I love to play basketball will never be beaten. It makes 2013 worth it.
By 2013 the heat core was on their 3rd year together. Idk about mercenaries. But I understand why you would think that. It's fair . 12-13 was the heat peak, and the title wins validate that. Spurs were just better In 2014. Mostly because LeBron always shrinks in the moment lol.
as a livelong spurs fan this video made me cry. the 2014 finals are so special and every time i see that ray allen shot from 2013 i feel like i get kicked in the gut. great video
As a MJ and Bulls fan of the 90's this was my favorite team to watch ever. Pure basketball, beauty and core values together
Bulls fan here too and that Spurs team was fun to watch. I was rooting for them in those Finals because I hated the Heat but that was an unnecessary shot at MJ (also Kobe) calling them assholes. Fuck the dude who made this video 😆
Wow...just effing wow... How basketball should be played. Tim Duncan is my all time favorite .
Awesome… we almost tied yall for 6 and 0 😁 darnit… respect to the Bulls
For me it's the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers that were the best team I ever saw. That team intentionally rested and dogged it in the regular season, then turned it on in the playoffs. They came as close to a perfect run through the playoffs as you can get. And what sealed it for me, is that the amount of 50-win teams that those Lakers went through is staggering. I think that in all but the first round, they faced a 50 or better wins team. And of all their matchups, Philadelphia was the worst team, and they were the NBA finals opponent. Had Allen Iverson not gone off for like 50 points in game 1, the Los Angeles Lakers would have been the only modern team to go through an entire playoffs undefeated
@@MrEOM41and it took another all time goat to beat that team IN 7. Truly dominant
You are a an absolutely wonderful storyteller. Highly compelling and sincere. Your angle on basketball is both refreshing and nostalgic. Keep doing what you're doing Mr Crowley. Kudos!
a poem
Not that sincere he overblows every description.
@@innosantoas Oscar Wilde said, all bad poetry is sincere
@@innosantoit’s annoyingly earnest
This is probably the best passing team of all time. I've never seen another team like the 2013-14 spurs in my life
There's nothing more beautiful than fundamental basketball.
Proud to say that this video made me tear up. The 2014 Spurs were a truly beautiful team, and I'm glad that you able to communicate that.
The spurs are still one of the top 5 franchises in the history of modern American team sports. 20+ years of consistency and they still would have been a top team in the west had kawhi not left.
A core group of 37 year olds beat the Heat in 5 games. That's insane.
I mean it was just two who were 37 years old lol
@@niceandflyyBut they beat Lebron at his prime with 2 all-star teammates.
Damn this video is insanely well made… I was actually moved every single second that I watched and it gave me literal chills remembering that spurs team
Dude I almost cried, this video was a real poem to the team I love
The 2014 Spurs win and the 2016 Cavs win are my two favorite Finals moments out of 30+ years of watching basketball.
2016 Warriors would be if they didn't choked 3-1 lead man so disappointing, they literally needed 1 win for a perfect season and they couldn't close it out 😂
@@BullyMaguire387 Injuries and a suspension. They lost all the momentum. Imagine you're playing LeBron James, the greatest offensive threat on the court, and your three best defenders aren't even playing. Its a miracle that Game 7 was even that close. A healthy Warriors team was up 3-1.
@@TravelleroftheMicrocosmos I know, but that game 7 was Kerr's fault, Curry, Klay and Iggy forcing 3s in 5 minutes when there were up by 5, they should drive more and more and more when that 6 minute mark of game 7, it was more of a coaching mistake not to call timeout when Warriors bricked 3 consecutive three pointer, I don't know why they don't drive to the paint when Cavs aren't even threat defensively that much in paint.
I gotta add the 2009 and 2010 Lakers most especially because it went down wire to wire.
Throw the 2011 mavs and 2004 pistons in there as well.
Individual performances or comparisons apart, Spurs 2014 Finals performance is the pinnacle of basketball. If you had to show someone what basketball should be like, show them a clip of the 2014 Finals. Warriors 2017, Lakers 00-02, Bulls 96, Celtics 86, Lakers 72, Bucks 71...all had more firepower and individual talent. But in terms of playing level, Spurs 2014 is basketball at its peak.
I'm a Celtics fan...but...this is my all time favourite team. It is everything basketball is to me and I get emotional every time I see highlights of this team. It's why I am so infuriated by watching walk up three's without a single pass. It's such a violation to the spirit of basketball.
finally someone who has something in common with me
If your a fan of basketball you have to be a spurs fan I’ve never met a spurs hater 😂
I LOVE THIS ( YOUR) CONTRIBUTION ❕ YOU CONVEYED IT WELL❕
My favorite teams: '86 Celtics, '14 Spurs, '01 Sixers(AI's best year). No one mentions the extended 3 week road trip the Spurs have to take every year due to the annual Stock Show & Rodeo Convention(aka "Rodeo Road Trip"). No other team has this obstacle. Another point for Timmy's greatness.
'86 celtics, '08 celtics, and '14 spurs are my favorite all time teams
That Miami Heat team was the perfect nemesis for the Spurs. LeBron, D-Wade, and that whole team definitely brought out the best in the Spurs -- and it was so exciting to watch. The Spurs laid to rest that "boring" and "sleepy" stereotype that summer. Those were the days!
It honestly made no sense that a team that won 50 plus games entire run could be considered boring.
@@jDiddyi they were boring to watch all they did was pass a lot even in their prime no one cares about the spurs😂
They really were. The heat were a flashy loud team full of stars. Everything the spurs dislike
@Tcs 10s again at the height of their careers and even now no one cares about the spurs they’re boring
@@impacc4182 exactly anyone not a spurs fan cared about them🤣💀💀
I remember watching the finals and thinking, "this is what basketball is".
Truly, thank you for this video! That series was my favorite sports memory of all time.
So well put together and probably my favorite piece of basketball documentary I've ever seen. And I share the same sentiment about the '14 spurs as well. My favorite all time team
As a Heat and die hard DWade fan, watching this vid made tears in my eyes. That spurs team totally deserved that ring. I'm very very happy that you guys won it. I remembered gary neal and danny green won't miss their 3s. Absolutely beautiful basketball! You had the greatest PF of all time, greatest 6th man of all time and 1 of the best international players of all time tony parker which should've made the cut of the top 75 players of all time. Hopefully we can see another type of that team in today's era. Thank you @clayton, I appreciate your team's greatness and I enjoyed our short term rivalry! Mad Respect to the 13-14 spurs team :))
The Warriors are basically the Spurs now
The way they played against that heat team was amazing. That was one of the best defensive teams in the league that year and San Antonio shredded them.
Small correction: Gary Neal wasn't on the championship team. He was there during the 2013 LOSS and Marco Bellinelli filled his role for the title WIN in 2014. Otherwise, agree with everything you said. I'm a Mavs fan, but as I get older I can appreciate that team for what they did. And plus, my guys took them to a game 7 in that 1st round! Only team to really challenge them during their title run.
@@GeronimoPlaz I still take prime san antonio players than gsw team without KD, KD made an already great gsw team unbeatable which svcks if your not a fan of the team. But I still appreciate their greatness and the spurs
@@GeronimoPlaz basically NOT
Boris Diaw was the most surprising player on that squad for me He looked like an out of shaped dad in your local neighborhood but he could stepped up to guard Lebron 1 on 1 like a champ while whipping out some crazy assists and hit some 3s Man was a bonafide baller
And Boris was a skinny kid drafted as a Point Guard.
I got to go to Game 5 in 2014 vs Miami... it was a fathers day gift my brother and I gave to our dad. The 3 of us have been Spurs fans since the 80s and experienced all the highs and lows of fandom. This was the best moment. It made 2013 ok.
Great video man. That was the best trio in basketball history. Manu, Duncan and Parker. These guys had such a long run together, it will probably never be duplicated.
NBA fan since 1991 here. Spurs 2014 were THE most dominant team in finals I've in my life. Their team play style was amazing and off the charts. It was great pleasure to watch them in their peak showing how basketball can be played by teams, not superstars only. For me, their performance in 2014 was the most dominant in NBA finals ever.
Goddamn, I cry everytime we talk about the 2012 - 2015's Spurs team. The back to back finals and seasons 2013 - 2014 are my best sport memories
I didn't watch basketball back in this time period, but the more I learn about Tim Duncan and the Spurs the more I wish I had. Amazing video, always love your content!
For me this was literally the year I started watching basketball but I wasn’t a diehard fan like I am now and it pisses me off. I wish I coulda watched a lot of these seasons with the love and knowledge that I have now
Dam you miss out good history of the nba
Tim Duncan was a legend unto himself. He was restrained by Pop and could have been the Poster child of the league had he gotten the green light. However, it’s how he was able to play for so many seasons and be dominate for his entire career. He was running at 80% of his full potential for his entire career but even that was enough to be a HOF so I would have been terrified to see him go beast mode.
Didn’t miss much. Crucify me if you want but the spurs played boring basketball but we’re very good at it
The Big Fundamental is a top 10 player all time and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. This is from a Suns fan who had his dreams smashed by Duncan for a decade. No nonsense, and led by example. Always showed up every game. Bodied Dirk, Shaq, KG, Weber, Amare, Z Bo whose who of power forwards in the playoffs.
As a french dude, I started watching basketball around 2011. And of course I was drawn in by Tony Parker to the Spurs, with an instant respectful hatred (that's a thing) for the Heat. I don't think I can emphasize how much that arc of absolute heartbreak followed by redemption became important for me. The period from the 2013 Finals to the 2014 Finals remain an absolute foundation in my love not just for basketball, but for sports in general, and even beyond. It's not about fandom, or bragging rights. For me it was proof that even in the world we live in, where it often feels like loudness is the only measure of success, there is such a thing as proving yourself through skill. That even in a world of superstars and millions of dollars, a good group of people with humble competence can pierce through the madness and achieve a form of beauty that seems to make everything else irrelevant. When you watched the 2014 Finals, you wondered why we ever cared about anything else but pure basketball, 10 men and a ball on the court. That stayed with me ever since. And of course there was Boris Diaw, who remains my favourite player ever (Manu a close second). I still believe that if Boris had had that "american" mentality, he would've been a superstar. He had the skills, physicality, and that inexplicable "vision" and feel for the game. Something beyond the stats. But instead he played at his own pace, for his own reasons. I feel like Boris never wanted to prove anything to anyone, if he wanted to win it was for the win itself. So he stayed one of the most awesome, genuine humans in basketball, and through exactly this became the linchpin for the best basketball ever played. How can you not fucking love this team?
Jokic said he studied Boris
french guy here also, I can identify myself in everything you say here (apart that I became a fan of the spurs in 2010, was a suns/blazers/nuggets/knicks/grizzlies enthusiast before that). Bobo and Manu are also my favorite players all time. Those runs and team building from 2012 to the grand final 2014 are my best sports memories
Really good English for a French dude. 👍
J’ai commencé à regarder le basket à cette même période au début des années 2010. Mon joueur préféré cettai Rajon rondo, et puis entant que français j’étais obligé de regarder les spurs de Tony Parker et Boris Diaw, putain et que dire de Boris quand je l’ai vu jouer pendant cette finale je suis devenu complètement fan de ce sport que j’ai commencé à faire des nuits blanches alors que je passais mes examens, Boris c’était le modric du basketball, c’était Jokic avant Jokic. Les Spurs 2014 sont pas reconnu à leur juste valeur et je suis même persuadé qu’ils auraient battu les bulls de Jordan ou même les Lakers de 2001, Pop a fait un travail incroyable avec cette équipe légendaire qui ont marqué la jeunesse.
diaw a decade later would have been a jokic type big man
wow, dude this made me cry. outstanding job on describing these men and this season, and frankly, that culture.
The spurs were actually the first team to draw my eyes to basketball. I had just started high school in 2014 and there wasn't much to do to the place I'd moved to other than play ball and the way this team played the game made it a thing of beauty. Thanks for this great video to remind me of that love
The spurs made Basketball art, a true masterpiece of movement and cohesion. Great vid cant wait for more!
I was so heartbroken when we lost that first series to the heat. It was the most uplifting thing ever to see them go back to the finals & win & bring home their 5th championship what a way to go out
Haven’t been a recent basketball fan to be honest. But in 2013 and 2014 I did watched the NBA a lot and man. I was blown away by the Spurs. I love this team bc I saw how much passion and determination they have for the sport,they didn’t gave up and made it to the top. It has to be one of the most satisfying moments in my life watching sports and television.
Respect man! As a die hard Spurs fan and San Antonio native, also growing up watching Timmy and Pop this hits right in the feelings and ❤️. Aside from my biasness, the 2014 Spurs and all those championship teams deserve the recognition. They were always the definition of team basketball. Great video!!
This team was nuts if you really look at the roster . They literally had no weaknesses
Great video. I remember watching both the 13 and 14 finals. That 14 team was as good as any, they played with incredible beauty and passion, right up there with the 86 Celtics or any other.
Teams like this dont come around often. Happy that the first finals I paid a lot of attention to stared these Spurs. Great video!
i still remember watching this series and, as a lebron goat diehard, understanding that even as i saw his team fail, i was also watching the greatest basketballl i'd ever seen and probably will ever see played. "masterpiece" is usually assigned to individual accomplishments but this Spurs team really put together a masterpiece of a series. the Warriors had an amazing run but this Spurs team, this series, is still the best team and best series I've ever seen, and possibly the best team I've ever seen. absolute perfection.
I tend to think the warriors watched this series and Spurs team and modeled their game after them. It started the insane ball movement.
@@dlancelot120 Steve Kerr Modeled 2016 Warriors to San Antonio Spurs.
Life long Miami Heat fan and I will always have the utmost respect for SA Spurs. The pain I have from 2014 Finals haunts me still.
Spurs fan and Aye I still feel 2013
And now they’re in the finals as an 8th seed
@@shen4379 what a time to be alive! Miami Heat as an organization resembles a lot of what San Antonio Spurs have been for so long 🔥
@@SerFondue I guess I spoke too early. They'll be in the finals on Thursday!
life long SA fan here, and trust me, we still feel that ‘13 loss at the hands of you guys, just as you guys feel that ‘14 loss. GGs
Beautiful storytelling of, indeed, the best basketball ever played. I am a spurs fan and this championship was the most memorable. The dominance, the plays, the humility and respect for the game - truly unmatched.
What an amazing video! Good work sir! I've always loved the Spurs, since the early 90's. The Admiral was my guy, and Sean Elliott my 2nd. This team though was something special, and my heart sang watching you breakdown just why they were so special. Kuddos to you my guy!
Damn +157 passes PER GAME blew my mind. Those Spurs Heat series were always fun to watch. Sick video as always!!
Dude. Did I just shed a tear over a freaking basketball video? Yes. Great work. I loved the words about Tim Duncan. Thanks for this love letter to the game.
Great recap of that season and a wonderful tribute to a truly special team, I miss them so. Wish I could get a tape of the game where they rained those threes, it was absolutely amazing!!
This team made me fall in love with basketball because i grow up watching football(soccer) and when i watch nba i always thought it's an individual game but when i watch the spurs it's like an art they always use all their players to the fullest and nobody outshine each other
alternative title: the hardest try not to cry challenge on KZhead incredible work as usual, mr Crowley :)
I would have lost in the first 5 minutes.
I still remember that one possession where no one has dribbled the ball but somehow they were able to score just with off ball movement. Pretty insane for a team to be that cohesive.
Fun fact: OKCs GM Sam Presti comes from this Spurs organization and if you notice @ 10:39 these are all the things this current Thunder team is built around not inly that but the selecting players based on Character and drafting acquiring international players. These are all things Sam does and its why i believe this current Thunder team will be a dynasty of their own. Great video!
Awesome vídeo. Everything is so true. A real team when it comes to the definition of team. Spurs will always be remembered as the epic basketball 🏀 fundamentals. Long live the Spurs!!!! Greetings from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷.
they had such an impact on the city by how they played. there is so many times playing pickup basketball where teams WANT to pass the ball and slice up defenses. So many times where you hear someone say "lets play some spurs basketball" or "THATS that spurs basketball".
So true, anytime there’s more than a couple passes in a game of pickup someone inevitably yells “that’s spurs basketball!”
This why I always say the 2013-2014 Spurs were an all time great team. If you wanted Basketball 101 perfected to the nth degree, it was this Spurs team. The absolute routs the Spurs put on the Heat in Game 3, 4, and 5 were glorious.
Bruh. This is fucking beautiful. As a life long Spurs fan, this evokes so much emotion its unreal! Thank you. #GoSpursGo
Caught this video on my recommended after yesterday’s draft lottery when the Spurs got the #1 pick. I appreciate this video & can’t say it enough! The attention to detail from that spectacular Spurs dynasty was out of this world. Looking forward to the start of another Spurs run to the title. Wemby’s coming to the 210! #GSG
The Spurs is the blueprint of proper basketball
For me, when I think would basketball is supposed to look like, it's hard not to put the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers up there. 15-1 in the NBA playoffs. And that team came within one close overtime loss where Allen Iverson went off for 50 points, of going undefeated in the playoffs. That team also did something unprecedented. They had to defeat like 4...50 when teams.... And two of those teams won 60 games or more. That included the 2001 Spurs with prime Tim Duncan and a still effective David Robinson.
You're 💯 percent on point 👍🏽
I am born and raised a diehard Lakers fan, but the Spurs are very close to the Lakers for me. They truly played basketball the way I it should be done. They shared the ball and played team ball like no other team I've ever seen. So beautifully done. This video was also beautifully made. Great tribute to a great team.
Well done! Much respect for making this! As a Spurs fan, this to me was the greatest team ever! 🙌🏻
No doubt. Thee Greatest Team Ever Bar None !
Thank you for the video man. So on point what your talking about.
Idk whether to cry or smile. This was a beautiful video. That team is to me the best example of grind and redemption
This is a beautiful video and genuinely had me tearing up. Clayton is able to make art that brings out feelings for my love of basketball better than anyone else out there.
Absolute solid gold, man. Thank you for this. Not sure how I haven't came across this masterpiece until now, as I'm someone who can sit down with you and discuss the details of Spurs seasons, games, players, coaches and culture going back to Gervin and Alvin Robertson. Not a casual fan here, I know this team better than damn near anyone who doesn't or hasn't actually worked there. Really, really impressive work, sir, you captured it all so well!
This video made me emotional. I miss that team so much. It was such a great time to be a spurs fan, looking forward to these young guys we have grow into our next dynasty.
Oh man. Thank you for this, it's always a joy to remember this Spurs team. Watching this team play was a transcendental experience. Like somehow we'd been watching the wrong game all this time, and there it was, the way it was supposed to be played.
Thank you for this, Clayton! I love me my Spurs! You illustrated the story of the 2013 and 2014 Spurs just as beautifully as they played.
Great job. I remember the most of 2014 was Boris, he was unbelievable, was great as a sun, but wow he really fit into that group and made them better.
Absolutely beautiful presentation. The themes of togetherness and sacrifice are ones that I embody in my own life and this brought tears to my eyes. Subscribed... keep up the great work 👍
My Spurs were hungry that year and everybody knew it. That whole season was just a thing of beauty and a much needed reminder of what basketball supposed to look like. Built not bought. Strategy over purchased talent. Who was a great time to be 21 years old in San Antonio that year. Like if you always have chanted GO SPURS GO.
one of the quickest videos I've ever clicked on. your Tim Duncan greatest of all time video is a tear jerker for me so i knew this would be a banger.
I paused the movie my wife and I were watching and made her sit through this instead. She, of course, ended up loving it.
As a spurs fan this was easily my favorite team of all time and will probably never be replaced
Man, your videos are great! Keep up the great work, and thank you.
I’ve been a Spurs fan ever since I moved to SA and started watching basketball in 2004. The year before was fucking devastating, I straight-up bawled (and accosted my pillow lol) when the Spurs lost Game 7 after being *so close*. I was in Kansas for a few days during Game 5 in 2014, and even if I was gone for a good reason, and even if I watched it with a few friends from SA, I still feel sad that I wasn’t home to see this. I wanted to cry a few times watching this. These guys were my childhood. Thank you for this video.
"we glad that its the heat again" Timmy prior to the 2014 final
Great video!!! That 2014 season was some beautiful basketball!!!!
Amazing video man. You immediately grabbed our attention at the beginning of the video and you wrote a beautiful story throughout the video with great pace. 👍🏾
From the mid 1970s (with a small gap in the early 80s )until 2019 The Spurs basically had a HOF caliber player within their ranks from George Gerwin ,David Robinson ,Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard.What a great organisation they are.
Cry Leonard is not a half of famer not even a top 100 player not when you fake injury to leave a team you don’t want to play for he is absolute trash
I was choking back tears by the end of this video.Brilliant storytelling of a story that taught us and will continue to teach us the very essence of what it means to be a part of a team,a part of a family.There are many lessons to learn from the 2014 Spurs' journey to redemption and I'm glad that this video exists to show us exactly what they are.
Thanks Clayton, such a Beatiful video, brought me to tears the way you put it!
I still remember watching those games. And sitting on the couch in true amazement. Just about every possession was mind-blowing and you have this goofy grin on your face in disbelief. That was definitely the most fun I've ever had watching basketball.
I just want to say thank you for making this video. This may come as a surprise to you, since I'm saying thank you. Because I'm a Miami Heat fan. I remember watching the games in real time, that this team may be the best team I've ever watched. I've watched the bulls, the warriors, any team in the past 25 or so years. The way they beat us, was something I've never experienced before. I wasn't even angry, I was more in awe of how better they were. That you could put the dream team out there and they would lose(maybe). And I'm so glad you mentioned Boris Diaw. His passing was second to none. Every time he got the ball. Somehow it got to the one guy the heat didn't pay attention to or overlooked. He and the spurs were one step ahead the whole game. So even though they beat us. They hold a special place in my heart because I actually witnessed something in basketball I didn't think I would And that's the whole team playing together perfectly. Subscribed.
That was absolutely the BEST TEAM BASKETBALL 🏀 EVER played. EVER The way they passed the ball and always found the best shot was unstoppable. I remember watching those finals In awe. It would have taken the Heat 5 LeBrons to beat that team