San Antonio is fourth in NBA history in [all-time playoff wins](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-team-most-playoff-wins) with 222. Obviously, a large chunk of those came during the Gregg Popovich era with Tim Duncan leading the group on the floor, and we're thankful for such a storied time in our lives. Lately, the Spurs haven't been back to the playoffs, though, and it's opened the door to be passed up by the Golden State Warriors, who currently sit with 217 wins.
To be frank, even if the Warriors pass the Silver and Black, they would still have a bragging right over that franchise. It took the Spurs much less time to reach the number they hit since they've been a member of the NBA since 1976 (50 seasons), compared to Golden State. They've been around since 1947, just like the Boston Celtics.
The Spurs are the embodiment of sustained excellence
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The top five teams in all-time playoff wins, in order, go as follows: Los Angeles Lakers, Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Spurs, and the Golden State Warriors. All of those franchises, besides the one in Alamo City, have been in the league since the beginning or close enough.
The Lakers entered the league in 1949, and the 76ers joined in 1950. Yet the Spurs are right there in the mix for success in the postseason, where legends are made. That's a credit to the ownership they've had over the years. Red McCombs was the man who took the team out of Dallas and transformed them into the franchise we know and love today.
He made the right choice when he sold the team to the Holt family. They've upheld the standard he set, and it's nothing but excellence. They've always conducted business with class. That goes a long way in the organization as everyone from the staff to the players buys in on the ultimate goal: winning.
We've had a painful reset, but remember it wasn't supposed to be like this. Nobody could have predicted that Kawhi Leonard would torpedo the franchise, demanding to be traded because he wanted to go back home to California. However, it may have been the basketball gods performing a feat of fortune that we just couldn't see at the time.
Leonard may have gone to win a championship in the year immediately after being shipped to Toronto, but he's since broken down. He has degenerative knees, and had he stuck around, it would have been San Antonio dealing with those issues. Instead, the Clippers have that pleasure, and the Spurs are about to take off into another possible dynastic run with Victor Wembanyama.
They wouldn't have been in a position to draft Wemby had Leonard stayed, so things had to go the way they did to get here. It was a stressful, emotional time, but I don't think there's a single Spurs fan who would give up Vic for the unknown that's been the Klaw's career since he went to LA. We'll be [back in the postseason](https://airalamo.com/surprising-list-shows-mitch-johnson-support-think) soon, and with that, a chance to keep our place in the top five for all-time playoff wins.