Showing posts with label Spurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spurs. Show all posts
Friday, November 14, 2008
Friday, June 01, 2007
San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili
When people talk about the three superstars of the San Antonio Spurs, they are talking about Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
When Ginobili drives to the basket, his limbs fly everywhere and he always seems like he's about to lose control, but somehow in there he manages to get to the basket, take a good shot or draw a foul. It's a little like watching a bowl of spaghetti while someone shakes it.
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich has said he doesn't try to coach Ginobili, but I think that's just his way of saying he doesn't understand how Ginobili plays. Part of that is that Ginobili is Argentinian.
Now, at my odd and obscure international school in Wales, I felt like I developed a pretty good sense of different countries' national identities.
Although each of the 300-odd students at my school was different from the others, when I put all the people from a particular country together, I could usually see a single thing they all had in common, like how Americans have this overwhelming sense of the power of the individual.
Not to oversimplify, but the Argentinians were all weird. They were funny, they had a lot of energy, and even with the introverted ones, you felt like there was at least part of their brain that was going 100 miles a minute.
I got along pretty well with the Argentinians at my school, and when I think about them, the way Ginobili plays makes a lot of sense.
Ginobili (who, as I understand, is a national superstar), comes from the only basketball town in what is, of course, a football country (although I don't know whether this led to Ginobili's prowess or the other way around.)
In fact, and this is one of my favorite things about Ginobili, he led Argentina to a gold medal in the last summer Olympics. Isn't that great? It's as if Alexander the Great conquered the world and then came back to my hometown to be my lieutenant in a regular Warhammer 40,000 game.
Ginobili is a part of why the Spurs are such a strong road team because he doesn't mind being the villain on the road.
He hasn't really taken off during any particular game in these playoffs, but I remember last year he went to Denver and just humiliated the Nuggets during that series. He is still booed there.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that he is one of the league's best floppers, which I always find mildly embarrassing. Apparently one of his team nicknames is "El Contusion" because of how he lets himself get banged up during a game.
The one thing I know I don't understand about Ginobili is why he plays so well off the bench. Ginobili, basically a starter, has played on and off for years as the sixth man.
Maybe it's a Seabiscuit thing, like he needs to be a little behind at the last turn to push himself for the finish.
Or maybe it's that Ginobili, one of the most entertaining and energetic players in the league, brings that shot of energy and enthusiasm to the Spurs just when they need it to be a championship team.
When Ginobili drives to the basket, his limbs fly everywhere and he always seems like he's about to lose control, but somehow in there he manages to get to the basket, take a good shot or draw a foul. It's a little like watching a bowl of spaghetti while someone shakes it.
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich has said he doesn't try to coach Ginobili, but I think that's just his way of saying he doesn't understand how Ginobili plays. Part of that is that Ginobili is Argentinian.
Now, at my odd and obscure international school in Wales, I felt like I developed a pretty good sense of different countries' national identities.
Although each of the 300-odd students at my school was different from the others, when I put all the people from a particular country together, I could usually see a single thing they all had in common, like how Americans have this overwhelming sense of the power of the individual.
Not to oversimplify, but the Argentinians were all weird. They were funny, they had a lot of energy, and even with the introverted ones, you felt like there was at least part of their brain that was going 100 miles a minute.
I got along pretty well with the Argentinians at my school, and when I think about them, the way Ginobili plays makes a lot of sense.
Ginobili (who, as I understand, is a national superstar), comes from the only basketball town in what is, of course, a football country (although I don't know whether this led to Ginobili's prowess or the other way around.)
In fact, and this is one of my favorite things about Ginobili, he led Argentina to a gold medal in the last summer Olympics. Isn't that great? It's as if Alexander the Great conquered the world and then came back to my hometown to be my lieutenant in a regular Warhammer 40,000 game.
Ginobili is a part of why the Spurs are such a strong road team because he doesn't mind being the villain on the road.
He hasn't really taken off during any particular game in these playoffs, but I remember last year he went to Denver and just humiliated the Nuggets during that series. He is still booed there.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that he is one of the league's best floppers, which I always find mildly embarrassing. Apparently one of his team nicknames is "El Contusion" because of how he lets himself get banged up during a game.
The one thing I know I don't understand about Ginobili is why he plays so well off the bench. Ginobili, basically a starter, has played on and off for years as the sixth man.
Maybe it's a Seabiscuit thing, like he needs to be a little behind at the last turn to push himself for the finish.
Or maybe it's that Ginobili, one of the most entertaining and energetic players in the league, brings that shot of energy and enthusiasm to the Spurs just when they need it to be a championship team.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan is the Spurs' superstar.
Duncan was a #1 draft pick in 1997, and without him, this would have been a much different team. For years (years!) the Spurs, a great team with a great center and superstar in David "The Admiral" Robinson, had gotten to the playoffs only to get knocked out in the first or second round. Jeez, that was awful.
96-97, we'd had a terrible season, the worst in memory. Everybody had been injured. Robinson was still a strong big man, but his career was starting to wind down, he'd been playing 48 minutes a game for most of his adult life, and you just had to feel sorry for the guy for working so hard for us for so long and having nothing to show for it come the end of April.
I've seen the footage of the team rep. when the Spurs card got pulled for the first pick of the '97 draft. If there's a picture of joy in the dictionary, it's that moment.
Duncan was, and has been, everything the Spurs needed. Big, strong, unselfish with the ball and nearly unbeatable in the low post, Duncan is the quietest superstar in the league.
Duncan will get the ball and wait. Facing the rim or away, it takes him about three seconds to feel out his defender before he makes his move, either getting to the rim, shooting in a jump shot in off the glass (his favorite), or drawing a double team and passing the ball out to a perimeter shooter for an easy shot (my favorite).
There's a reason that Parker has improved so much, that Ginobili so often finds his way through a defense, that Horry, Bowen or any of a series of 3-point specialists have found their own opportunties with the Spurs franchise - Duncan is such a wonderful threat that he easily creates opportunities for his teammates. He has no qualms about passing the ball instead of netting two points of his own.
Quiet, humble and a hard worker, he also sets the tone for his team. Defense as good as the Spurs' and the discipline to rotate to the open man or to make the extra pass takes a lot of hard work. Sticking to a system, never panicking, winning in 48 minutes - the defining characteristics of the Spurs - are there because Duncan has led by example in accepting them.
Robinson helped guide Duncan in his first few years in the league. It's easy to see his influence, even with the bad stuff - Duncan looks flabergasted whenever he's called for a foul, something Robinson had started doing in his last years in the league as he started to realize he had a limited number of games left.
In return, Duncan took on parts of the role that by that time was really hurting Robinson. Together, as the "Twin Towers," they proved unstoppable. When Robinson and many other Spurs veterans retired in 2003, they had captured not one but two long-awaited championships.
Robinson, now 42, spends a lot of his time with his family and watches every home game. Whenever the camera cuts to him in the stands, he is always smiling. The Robinson era has ended, but all of the great Spurs from my childhood can watch the Duncan era they helped create as it continues to transform the game.
Duncan was a #1 draft pick in 1997, and without him, this would have been a much different team. For years (years!) the Spurs, a great team with a great center and superstar in David "The Admiral" Robinson, had gotten to the playoffs only to get knocked out in the first or second round. Jeez, that was awful.
96-97, we'd had a terrible season, the worst in memory. Everybody had been injured. Robinson was still a strong big man, but his career was starting to wind down, he'd been playing 48 minutes a game for most of his adult life, and you just had to feel sorry for the guy for working so hard for us for so long and having nothing to show for it come the end of April.
I've seen the footage of the team rep. when the Spurs card got pulled for the first pick of the '97 draft. If there's a picture of joy in the dictionary, it's that moment.
Duncan was, and has been, everything the Spurs needed. Big, strong, unselfish with the ball and nearly unbeatable in the low post, Duncan is the quietest superstar in the league.
Duncan will get the ball and wait. Facing the rim or away, it takes him about three seconds to feel out his defender before he makes his move, either getting to the rim, shooting in a jump shot in off the glass (his favorite), or drawing a double team and passing the ball out to a perimeter shooter for an easy shot (my favorite).
There's a reason that Parker has improved so much, that Ginobili so often finds his way through a defense, that Horry, Bowen or any of a series of 3-point specialists have found their own opportunties with the Spurs franchise - Duncan is such a wonderful threat that he easily creates opportunities for his teammates. He has no qualms about passing the ball instead of netting two points of his own.
Quiet, humble and a hard worker, he also sets the tone for his team. Defense as good as the Spurs' and the discipline to rotate to the open man or to make the extra pass takes a lot of hard work. Sticking to a system, never panicking, winning in 48 minutes - the defining characteristics of the Spurs - are there because Duncan has led by example in accepting them.
Robinson helped guide Duncan in his first few years in the league. It's easy to see his influence, even with the bad stuff - Duncan looks flabergasted whenever he's called for a foul, something Robinson had started doing in his last years in the league as he started to realize he had a limited number of games left.
In return, Duncan took on parts of the role that by that time was really hurting Robinson. Together, as the "Twin Towers," they proved unstoppable. When Robinson and many other Spurs veterans retired in 2003, they had captured not one but two long-awaited championships.
Robinson, now 42, spends a lot of his time with his family and watches every home game. Whenever the camera cuts to him in the stands, he is always smiling. The Robinson era has ended, but all of the great Spurs from my childhood can watch the Duncan era they helped create as it continues to transform the game.
Friday, May 25, 2007
San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker
I've always identified with Tony Parker. This was back before he was engaged to Eva Longoria, before he was a championship point guard, before he was a superstar, way back when he first joined the Spurs.
Parker is just a little younger than I am, a little taller than I am, and, most importantly, he was just a strongly international person coming to America, and that made him very easy for me to relate to at the time.
Belgian but raised in France by his African-American father and Dutch mother, Parker was coming to play in the States for the first time after playing a few years in France. This was in 2001, when I was coming back after living abroad for the first time (at my odd and obscure international school in Wales) and experiencing that coming to America culture shock over again.
It has been incredible to watch Parker grow. Young but incredibly quick, smart and talented, with an amazing ability to get in to the lane and find the open man, he just kept getting better as the years passed.
I remember distinctly when Parker emerged as a potential superstar one playoff round against a mediocre team. He just kept driving and getting in to the lane, driving and getting in to the lane, and the other team had no answer for him. I think he did that for four straight games. That was when the league realized that if they didn't have an answer for Parker, they didn't have an answer for the Spurs.
Parker has quickly emerged as one of the fastest players in the league, maybe second only to Suns star Steve Nash. He works so well with Duncan and Ginobili, and he's still learning.
There are ways to stop Parker - the Suns did a respectable job keeping him out of the lane - but he's tough to catch once he gets moving, and once they start forcing him to make jump shots, a lot of teams have learned that he can do that to. He's also very good at penetrating to draw the defenders and then finding perimeter shooters to drain 3's.
Parker is so much fun to watch, even when his game isn't at its peak. He's one of the best reasons to watch Spurs basketball.
Parker is just a little younger than I am, a little taller than I am, and, most importantly, he was just a strongly international person coming to America, and that made him very easy for me to relate to at the time.
Belgian but raised in France by his African-American father and Dutch mother, Parker was coming to play in the States for the first time after playing a few years in France. This was in 2001, when I was coming back after living abroad for the first time (at my odd and obscure international school in Wales) and experiencing that coming to America culture shock over again.
It has been incredible to watch Parker grow. Young but incredibly quick, smart and talented, with an amazing ability to get in to the lane and find the open man, he just kept getting better as the years passed.
I remember distinctly when Parker emerged as a potential superstar one playoff round against a mediocre team. He just kept driving and getting in to the lane, driving and getting in to the lane, and the other team had no answer for him. I think he did that for four straight games. That was when the league realized that if they didn't have an answer for Parker, they didn't have an answer for the Spurs.
Parker has quickly emerged as one of the fastest players in the league, maybe second only to Suns star Steve Nash. He works so well with Duncan and Ginobili, and he's still learning.
There are ways to stop Parker - the Suns did a respectable job keeping him out of the lane - but he's tough to catch once he gets moving, and once they start forcing him to make jump shots, a lot of teams have learned that he can do that to. He's also very good at penetrating to draw the defenders and then finding perimeter shooters to drain 3's.
Parker is so much fun to watch, even when his game isn't at its peak. He's one of the best reasons to watch Spurs basketball.
Monday, May 07, 2007
San Antonio Spurs: Bruce Bowen
It is playoff time again, and you may remember that the only sport that matters to me (with the exception of women's two-crew bobsleigh) is San Antonio Spurs basketball.
Today I'd like to talk about Bruce Bowen.
If you watch a Spurs game on T.V., I guarantee you will hear Bowen referred to as "the defensive specialist."
Bowen is one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He glues himself to his man, and he has a habit (I'd call it a talent) for getting under other players' skins.
Good players - veterans - get angry with Bowen, often quite early in a series, because he doesn't let them play the kind of games they like to play.
Bowen's defensive style is always right there, arms out or flailing or in the face, contesting every shot. You can score on Bowen, but only if you earn it.
The Spurs play a great defensive game, and I can't help but think Bowen is at least as responsible as Head Coach Gregg Popovich.
I was just watching the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Suns, and I thought I saw Bowen running up to contest a late shot against Suns star Steve Nash - arms out and waving, hand towards the face. Thing was, Bowen looked a lot shorter. I realized it was actually Tony Parker.
(Sidenote: I have a really shitty T.V.)
Bowen is not just a defensive specialist, though. He is always adding new weapons to his arsenal.
My favorite thing Bowen does is to shoot 3-pointers from the corners. Bowen's like a cockroach - he loves the corners. No one ever seems to see it coming except me.
Today I'd like to talk about Bruce Bowen.
If you watch a Spurs game on T.V., I guarantee you will hear Bowen referred to as "the defensive specialist."
Bowen is one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He glues himself to his man, and he has a habit (I'd call it a talent) for getting under other players' skins.
Good players - veterans - get angry with Bowen, often quite early in a series, because he doesn't let them play the kind of games they like to play.
Bowen's defensive style is always right there, arms out or flailing or in the face, contesting every shot. You can score on Bowen, but only if you earn it.
The Spurs play a great defensive game, and I can't help but think Bowen is at least as responsible as Head Coach Gregg Popovich.
I was just watching the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Suns, and I thought I saw Bowen running up to contest a late shot against Suns star Steve Nash - arms out and waving, hand towards the face. Thing was, Bowen looked a lot shorter. I realized it was actually Tony Parker.
(Sidenote: I have a really shitty T.V.)
Bowen is not just a defensive specialist, though. He is always adding new weapons to his arsenal.
My favorite thing Bowen does is to shoot 3-pointers from the corners. Bowen's like a cockroach - he loves the corners. No one ever seems to see it coming except me.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Spurs Lose
This feeling reminds me of something. Oh yeah.
The night of the 2004 election my friend Emily came over to the apartment to watch. I remember when the night started we were laughing, drinking, having a good time and as the night went on and the returns kept coming in we were both just hung over and miserable. That night dragged on until Edwards came out and said "we can wait one more night." Then the next morning it was over.
That was a bad night, too.
The night of the 2004 election my friend Emily came over to the apartment to watch. I remember when the night started we were laughing, drinking, having a good time and as the night went on and the returns kept coming in we were both just hung over and miserable. That night dragged on until Edwards came out and said "we can wait one more night." Then the next morning it was over.
That was a bad night, too.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The San Antonio Spurs
My only sports-related passion is San Antonio Spurs basketball. I yell at the screen. I jump up. I clap, gasp, declaim about Bowen's corner 3's to whoever's in the room, and generally make a fool of myself. I'd say I love Spurs basketball better than I've loved some of my girlfriends, but that really wouldn't be fair - I've known the Spurs much longer than any of them.
I grew up in San Antonio watching the Spurs with my Dad at the old HemisFair Arena. Now, the Spurs are acknowledged as a dominating force in the league, the team to beat in the playoffs (although we've never grabbed headlines like a Shaq or a Kolby). Growing up, it was years of watching the team grow, struggle and change.
It's been a decades-long basketball arc. All through the Robinson era, we kept getting so frustratingly close to greatness, and then we'd lose in the first two rounds of the playoffs. I even remember a joke about it in a season two episode of the Simpsons.
I watched the Spurs struggle until 1999, when they beat the Knicks for their first championship. The '99 championship came just as Robinson was winding down his career and the Tim Duncan era was starting. A lot of the old team I'd grown up with was approaching retirement, and Duncan showed the promise that he's delivered on since then. I know I've got nothing on Red Sox fans, but what an amazing pay off.
With three championships, the last six years have been incredible for Spurs basketball fans. Now it's finals season, and I get to watch four vastly entertaining rounds (if we're lucky) of the best basketball in the world. I'm going to have a lot to say about them.
I grew up in San Antonio watching the Spurs with my Dad at the old HemisFair Arena. Now, the Spurs are acknowledged as a dominating force in the league, the team to beat in the playoffs (although we've never grabbed headlines like a Shaq or a Kolby). Growing up, it was years of watching the team grow, struggle and change.
It's been a decades-long basketball arc. All through the Robinson era, we kept getting so frustratingly close to greatness, and then we'd lose in the first two rounds of the playoffs. I even remember a joke about it in a season two episode of the Simpsons.
I watched the Spurs struggle until 1999, when they beat the Knicks for their first championship. The '99 championship came just as Robinson was winding down his career and the Tim Duncan era was starting. A lot of the old team I'd grown up with was approaching retirement, and Duncan showed the promise that he's delivered on since then. I know I've got nothing on Red Sox fans, but what an amazing pay off.
With three championships, the last six years have been incredible for Spurs basketball fans. Now it's finals season, and I get to watch four vastly entertaining rounds (if we're lucky) of the best basketball in the world. I'm going to have a lot to say about them.
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