If you were to ask me what my favorite sport was, without a second guess I would answer basketball.
Growing up, that’s the sport I found myself to enjoy the most both in terms of playing and watching. I have to credit my godfather, who is a huge fan of the San Antonio Spurs, for my appreciation of the sport.
To no surprise, I ended up being a fan of the team and still am to this date.
Now, whether or not you’re a fan, most people can’t deny that the team has had an outstanding season this year.
Just in the regular season alone, they had 62 wins and, while that isn’t their highest, it’s still more than the last two combined, which is just insane to think about.
Don’t even get me started on their huge win streaks. That was a fun train to be on until their last big one ended to the Nuggets earlier this month.
It genuinely feels like the Spurs are going through a resurgence, and we could just be reliving the 2013-14 season all over again.
Most fans will say that their success this season has to do with “Wemby the Alien”, or Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4-inch giant who joined the Spurs after the 2023 NBA draft.
Of course, it’s not all just him, the whole team has contributed to their success, but you have to admit his height gives him such a powerful advantage to those facing him on the court. Just from watching him in action, you can see how he dwarves those around him.
While Wembanyama clearly has no trouble both on the defensive and offensive side thanks to his height advantage, it’s not just him doing the heavy lifting. Stephon Castle has emerged as an elite defensive player these last two seasons, and as a “co-star” to Wemby’s show.
His chemistry with the guard has allowed the two to become a “dynamic duo,” with fans calling Castle the “Scottie Pippen to his Michael Jordan.”
One of the things about Castle is that he also is a very successful passer. That skill allows him to easily set up Wembanyama for some great offensive plays, something that other players on the team have struggled to achieve with him in the past.
We’re clearly in a new era being led by this duo that is both giving us glimpses of the past, and a look of the future’s potential.
As they begin their playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Spurs have a chance to finally be NBA Champions again after 12 years.
Regardless of the postseason’s outcome, the message that the team has been trying to set this season is clear.
The Spurs aren’t just back, they’re redefining themselves. For fans that watched them during their last prime, we can all agree that this feeling is all too familiar.
Until then, fans and the league as a whole should start getting used to seeing the San Antonio Spurs at the top again.
