Without the benefit of hindsight, this was the same old Spurs. A good team to be sure, and nothing to complain about. But from 1990-96, they had won three division titles at a time when the league was only split into two divisions per conference. There had been three more second place finishes. But only once had the Spurs gotten past the second round of the playoffs. 1998 was no different.
The San Antonio Spurs had three NBA championships under their belt in a seven-year window. The only thing that was missing was back-to-back titles, with the rings coming in 1999, 2003 and 2005. The 2006 San Antonio Spurs made a noble run at a repeat crown, and were only derailed by a crushing defeat one of the great postseason series ever played.
It was a time of change for the 2004 San Antonio Spurs. Even though David Robinson had been displaced by Tim Duncan as the best player on the team five years earlier, the retirement of “The Admiral” after the championship run of 2003 still marked a crossing point in Spurs history. San Antonio had another strong season in ’04, but with a little bit of transition and the rival Los Angeles Lakers beefed up, the Spurs bid for a repeat title came up short–with no small assistance from a controversial call that may have significantly altered history.
The 2000 San Antonio Spurs were coming off the first championship in franchise history, and the future was bright, with Tim Duncan in just his third year. But there was some inconsistency in the season and then an untimely injury cost the Spurs their chance to repeat.