Tim Duncan's teammates in 1997 included Brad Lohaus and Willie Burton (Getty Images)
The San Antonio Spurs are a different team, in 2013. For some reason it’s taken until Saturday night’s comeback 103-94 overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies, and a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals, to drive home the point that tells us that this team isn’t just another admirable contender amongst many.
Of course, we’ve heard that this is a “different team” before. In each of the years since the team’s 2007 NBA championship the NBA has marveled at the team’s resiliency and ability to bring in new helpers to keep the team within the league’s short list for championship hopefuls. Due to a series of imposing factors, though, this year’s model seems primed to contend for a championship in ways that the previous five outfits could not.
And a 3-0 lead in a seven game series doesn’t hurt, when it comes to admiring from afar.
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