Don't blame me for bringing this up because it wasn't my idea, but once I read it, the wheels started turning, and I just had to let the imagination run wild. You've done the same. Don't lie. Successful athletes often say that the losses in big moments hurt more than the victories feel good, and the same is true for most die-hard fans. That's why 2013 is so painful.
But imagine just for a moment that Ray Allen missed that corner three in Game 6 of the Spurs vs. Heat NBA Finals 12 years ago. [CBS writer Brad Bostik brought it up](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/25-nba-what-ifs-from-last-25-years-lebron-changes-decision-steph-not-a-warrior-derrick-rose-stays-healthy/), so blame him for your angst. Credit me for giving you a more pleasurable thought about what San Antonio had the power to do had they won that game. Okay, you can be mad at me, too, but be upset after you relish what could have been.
Tim Duncan and LeBron James have two different legacies
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I've often heard people state that 2015 was the Spurs' last best chance at going back-to-back, but the Silver and Black lost in the first round that year. That moment was actually when Ray hit that shot, and San Antonio losing the game that followed. If they won that championship, TD is undefeated in the NBA Finals.
If they win that game, do they try to keep Gary Neal to run it back with the same group? Maybe. But what would that really have changed compared to what happened with Patty Mills in that spot? Not much. Neal was an excellent three-point shooter and could catch fire just like Mills did.
The common theme for folks who've discussed this is that maybe the Spurs don't get back to the NBA Finals in 2014 because they were "out for revenge," and while the revenge part may be true, that was an amazing team regardless of the circumstances. According to the stats, they were actually a better defensive team in the 2012-13 season, and only slightly a better offensive team.
I remember when Game 6 ended and the pundits started talking about what to expect in Game 7. We were told to anticipate a blowout because that kind of heartache is difficult to recover from. What we got was a slugfest because San Antonio wasn't built like other weak-minded teams. Success that season would not have softened them for the next season. Again, there was just too much talent.
It's very feasible that Duncan would have gone six-for-six in the NBA Finals, while LeBron James would have been 1-3. His legacy is completely different if there's no back-to-back in Miami. He likely still goes back to Cleveland eventually, since he felt that responsibility to his home state, and even if he still got that 2016 title against the Warriors, nobody thinks of him as a potential GOAT.
Instead, Timmy D gets into those conversations. How could he not? He would have won Finals MVP in 2013, he was still a force in 2014, and with [everything else the Big Fundamental accomplished,](https://airalamo.com/posts/reminder-tim-duncan-insane-performance-2003-finals) you would have had a hard time leaving him out of those debates. It would have been spectacular.