If you’re a history enthusiast, you can revisit your favorite stories or factoids many times and still find something new or an unexamined piece that adds another layer of knowledge to your mental database. For instance, I’m obsessed with Napoleon Bonaparte, and once in a while a random YouTube clip will inform me something I previously did not know about the French emperor/general: Napoleon won 44 out of 51 battles, which is good for over 80%—if Shaquille O’Neal came close to those percentages shooting free throws, he might have won a land war against Russia in their own territory during the dead of winter.
For the San Antonio Spurs dynasty, it’s difficult to find any more unearthed facts about the decades-long success they enjoyed from 1997 to 2015. That alone won’t stop diehard fans from digesting more glazing facts about their favorite team!
This video by Nonstop did a great job summarizing the Spurs entire history and highlighting some of the more famous and infamous moments that defined their dynasty.
Some of the topics touched on in the video served a few reminders of certain ingredients that made the pozole of Spurs excellence so spicy (I haven’t had lunch yet).
Unselfish players
Sacrificing your own stats for the betterment of the the team on the court is one thing, but voluntarily sacrificing your own salary so the team can sign impactful, contributing players is also an important long-term strategy in building a dynasty (especially with small market teams unable to attract marquee free agents or pay the luxury tax).
Tim Duncan holds his MVP Trophy
Chip Engellend
The video briefly mentioned Chip Engellend, but it’s worth noting again the importance of the longtime former Spurs shooting coach. Engellend without a doubt transformed many of the Spurs’ players into plus shooters, but the three most notable players that benefitted from Engellend’s tutelage are Bruce Bowen, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard.
General manager and head coach on the same page
The Spurs and Spurs fans alike might take this symbiotic relationship for granted, but ask the 2025 Denver Nuggets if it’s important for your GM and head coach to be on the same page.
“We talk about it, argue about it, have a beer or wine, and move on.” ~ Gregg Popovich
R.C. Buford will publicly and gladly give Gregg Popovich all the credit for the Spurs’ success, but it’s a good bet that Popovich deferred a lot of important decisions (especially non-coaching, and I don’t know, managing and roster construction duties?) to Buford. Scouting and drafting Manu “Geno-Bee-Lee” would be one of his more significant feats (I’m sure it wasn’t too difficult to convince Popovich of El Contusión’s potential).
Reinventing the wheel: first to load manage, first to manifest the 3 and D player
In hindsight, limiting your star players’ minutes during the 82-game slog of the regular season had many benefits, including keeping said star players fresh for the playoffs and allowing role players to log more minutes to gain experience and ultimately grow their confidence. I know. It’s such a novel concept that disgruntled 2025 New York Knicks fans reading this part might enact proper revenge by spoiling Dune: Part Two for me–does Timothée Chalamet keep that wispy mustache and save House Atreides or does he allow House Kardashian to usurp MSG (the famous arena, not the spice).
30th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner To Benefit The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis - Arrivals Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis
The Spurs making Bruce Bowen a thing and then perfecting it (and then some) with Kawhi Leonard became a trend setter. Having your defensive specialist develop an efficient offensive weapon (taking corner threes) is both mathematically sound and keeps them on the court longer. Chalk it up as one of the astute ways the Spurs kept ahead of the curve.
Selecting Emanuel “GenoBeeLee” with the 57th pick
It’s been mentioned ad nauseam, but it’s worth mentioning that until Nikola Jokić existed, Manu Ginóbili was the best second round pick of all time factoring in his impact on team success, team culture, and never once having punched Jordan Poole into irrevelance. Unearthing a future hall-of-famer in the second round does wonders for an NBA franchise when draft capital expenditure can sink or buoy a franchise. If the corner three is the most efficient shot on the court, then finding an elite player in the second round is the equivalent of a front office hitting 80% of their corner threes. Even Napoleon could not accomplish these things. Though I wouldn’t put it past him-–the man managed to turn exile into a vacation and then returned to France and swayed an entire army back to his side based on words and charm alone.
NBA Finals Game 2: Detroit Pistons v San Antonio Spurs Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
From 1997 to 2015, the Spurs enjoyed a combination of shrewd moves that went their way and also benefited from good luck. All of this is to say that if luck is just opportunity meeting preparation, then by that logic every “bad” luck that doesn’t go your way should prepare you to deal with it and move forward (e.g., 0.4 seconds, Ginóbili’s foul on Dirk Nowitski, Ray Allen’s 3-pointer, Zaza Pachulia), because it balances out the “good” luck (e.g., landing two number one overall picks, Memorial Day Miracle, Robert Horry moonball clutch shots, Robert Horry hip-check).
History is written by the victors, so hopefully the Spurs can avoid their Waterloo and reignite a new dynasty with Victor Wembanyama (another young, brilliant French phenom? It’s almost kismet at this point) that makes the island of Elba a forgotten Spurs’ equivalent of Ginóbili breaking his arm in the last game of the regular season. Allez Spurs Allez!