Anybody remember when the Spurs tanked for Tim Duncan?

[TrueRob]

Way back in 1996. That really worked out great for them. Five NBA Finals appearances and 4 championships.

The Spurs were a good team for most of the 1990s with D-Rob in the middle. They knew that Tim was something special. He had length, elite rebounding and defense, plus a polished low post game. Pretty much a superstar big-man ready to hit the ground running. There hasn't been anyone like Tim Duncan in the draft since.

The Boston Celtics tried to tank for Timmy too, but they ended up having to settle for Chauncey Billups. :lol

[get these NETS]

barkley called the spurs out


the "story" was that admiral hurt himself lifting weights and had to sit for part or most of the year


don't think duncan would have thrived in big sports city like boston

in the words of rick pitino..when the local sports media was on his ass"larry bird is not walking through that door"

[alanLA92]

Tanking only looks good if you get the superstar you want in the draft that can lead you to possible titles. If not, you basically screwed your franchise and your fans for that season and beyond. :lol

Spurs succeeded and got one of the greatest PFs ever. Hopefully for the Celtics they can repeat that success.

[Pushxx]

barkley called the spurs out


the "story" was that admiral hurt himself lifting weights and had to sit for part or most of the year


don't think duncan would have thrived in big sports city like boston

in the words of rick pitino..when the local sports media was on his ass"larry bird is not walking through that door"

I still experience nightmares of Rick Pitino and Chris Wallace. So painful.

[GOBB]

The Spurs didn't tank that season. The Celtics did. Spurs were ravaged with injuries all season long. When Drob came back he got injured again. I don't think you fans were aware, nor around when that season played out. Probably weren't even old enough to use the computer.

[TrueRob]

barkley called the spurs out


the "story" was that admiral hurt himself lifting weights and had to sit for part or most of the year


don't think duncan would have thrived in big sports city like boston

in the words of rick pitino..when the local sports media was on his ass"larry bird is not walking through that door"

What's crazy about the Spurs is that if you remove the season when they tanked for Duncan, they've been good for like 20 years.

I guess we have to wait for another dominant big man to appear in the draft before we see the Spurs suck again.

[TrueRob]

The Spurs didn't tank that season. The Celtics did. Spurs were ravaged with injuries all season long. When Drob came back he got injured again. I don't think you fans were aware, nor around when that season played out. Probably weren't even old enough to use the computer.

Well, it sure was a pretty convenient year to be ravaged by injuries with a stud like Duncan becoming available as a lottery pick.

[FireMcFailPlease]

didnt they have like the 7th,8th or 9th worst record? I wouldnt call that tanking..

[TrueRob]

didnt they have like the 7th,8th or 9th worst record? I wouldnt call that tanking..

Only the Celtics and the Grizzlies had worse records than the Spurs.

[El Kabong]

Well, it sure was a pretty convenient year to be ravaged by injuries with a stud like Duncan becoming available as a lottery pick.
Robinson hurt his back in the pre-season, came back and then broke his foot. Sean Elliot was injured too and they weren't a hugely deep team outside of those two. Rest of the year they had to rely on Dominique Wilkins. You're an idiot if you think it was a tank job. It was lucky as it set their team up for the next decade plus, but that's all it was in the end.

[nosfan773]

The Spurs didn't tank that season. The Celtics did. Spurs were ravaged with injuries all season long. When Drob came back he got injured again. I don't think you fans were aware, nor around when that season played out. Probably weren't even old enough to use the computer.

/thread

[GOBB]

Well, it sure was a pretty convenient year to be ravaged by injuries with a stud like Duncan becoming available as a lottery pick.

Wow you're an idiot. :rolleyes:

[Miles and Miles]

Yeah remember that time when Robinson intentionally broke his foot so they could get a good lottery pick? :facepalm

[El Kabong]

Yeah remember that time when Robinson intentionally broke his foot so they could get a good lottery pick? :facepalm
Michael Jordan did the same thing back in '86. Punks.

[TrueRob]

I'm shocked so many people don't think it was a tank job. Of course, they're going to try to make it look believable. Spurs are probably going to tank again when another game changing big man comes on the scene. :pimp:

[Droid101]

didnt they have like the 7th,8th or 9th worst record? I wouldnt call that tanking..
Celtics had the worst record in the league.

[El Kabong]

I'm shocked so many people don't think it was a tank job. Of course, they're going to try to make it look believable. Spurs are probably going to tank again when another game changing big man comes on the scene. :pimp:
Are you seriously suggesting that Robinson had his foot broken on purpose in order to tank for Tim Ducan?

[TrueRob]

Are you seriously suggesting that Robinson had his foot broken on purpose in order to tank for Tim Ducan?

I'm suggesting that the Spurs did not make an effort to win as many games as possible that season.

[get these NETS]

The Spurs didn't tank that season. The Celtics did. Spurs were ravaged with injuries all season long. When Drob came back he got injured again. I don't think you fans were aware, nor around when that season played out. Probably weren't even old enough to use the computer.


http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/3841/charles-barkley-s-hex-on-the-spurs-is-not-working

"He just sent another Barkley clip, which is essentially Barkley saying that bad things will happen to the San Antonio Spurs because, he says, they rested starters to improve their draft position to get David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

Barkley talks about morals, and invokes the notion of divine intervention.

For a laugh, TNT takes Barkley's prediction of doom for the Spurs, spoken in 1997, and puts it up against a graphic of the team's record since. The graphic includes an insane number of wins, championships, and MVPs.

This little video clip is amusing, but it also may be the most powerful evidence I have ever seen that (assuming Barkley is right, and the Spurs did lose games intentionally) tanking pays.

clip isn't up but it exists...

[Miles and Miles]

So now we are taking Barkley quotes as fact?

[crisoner]

Yup!

Got to give it up though!!! Best tank job ever!!!

[get these NETS]

So now we are taking Barkley quotes as fact?


when has barkley NOT called it as HE saw it

how about pointing to me when Drob had hurt/injured back or foot BEFORE or AFTER the year Spurs were tanking?

[9512]

Crazy luck for the Spurs. They were extremely competitive in the league with a peak DRob as their main player. He was even MVP in 1995.

Then conveniently, all those injuries & it happens to be that the exact time the game's greatest big man finished his senior at Wake Forest to be drafted.
With the Spurs it's the rich got richer in talent.

I don't know if it was rigged but the Celtics sure could've used Duncan. At #3 they drafted Billups (who they traded by mid season) & a forgettable Ron Mercer at #6. Come to think of it, Celts could've gotten Tmac.

I know it was the 3rd year HS players went straight pro so even with great potential Tmac he was still at #9 with the Raptors. That 1997 draft was mediocre.

[gasolina]

I remember that year. Was in high school, didn't really know who comes out of the draft and things like that. Just found it weird why old and fat dominique was dunking on people while in a Spurs jersey.

[madmax]

is it a surprise to hear Lakers fans talking crap about Spurs?:lol Make it less obvious next time by maybe not putting team logos in your avatars...

[9512]

I remember that year. Was in high school, didn't really know who comes out of the draft and things like that. Just found it weird why old and fat dominique was dunking on people while in a Spurs jersey.

He could still dunk by then?:lol

[Bigsmoke]

they sucked really bad too.

[Shih508]

3rd worst record doesn't really give a team very good chance of landing #1 pick. Lakers fanboyz are just mad cuz Timmy > Kobe

[Derka]

The Spurs didn't tank that year. They were hurt all over the place.

ML Carr has all but confirmed outright that the Celtics did tank for Duncan. And it amazes me that people think the C's should tank for Wiggins because if history has taught us longtime Celtics fans anything, it is that tanking doesn't work for this franchise.