Tag: the NBA Finals

Pop not looking at ’99 season as template

The NBA’s last strike-shortened season provided unprecdented success for the Spurs.

The 50-game season in 1999 was culminated by the Spurs’ first NBA championship and a 37-13 record that represents the fourth-highest season winning percentage in team history.

But that season or how the team played then doesn’t matter much now to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

“I’m not sure there’s a relationship between what’s going to happen this year and 10 years ago or six years ago or 12 years ago,” Popovich said. ”This year is what it is and we’ll just play this year out. I don’t remember the last time I’ve believed in omens.”

The 1999 season was an interesting one for Popovich and the Spurs. The Spurs stumbled to a 6-8 seart before finishing by winning 46 of their final 53 games including the playoffs.  They punctuated that season by winning the NBA Finals in five games over New York.  

Popovich added that any secrets he might have learned during that short season won’t provide much help this year.

“If I learned anything, it’s already in there,” Popovich said. “I’m not sure I can pull it out right now. It’s probably in there some place.”

TP ranked among NBA’s ‘top 15 hunks’

Tony Parker has picked up all kinds of honors during his professional basketball career.

He’s made the All-Star team twice, earned the Most Valuable Player Award in the NBA Finals and been the starting point guard for three of  the Spurs’ four NBA championship teams.

But Parker picked up another one that probably is new for him or any other NBA player when the Athlebrity Zone of Eonline.com recently voted him as one of the league’s “Top 15 hunks.”

Here’s what the website had to say about :

“Sure, he may have screwed things up with one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, but that doesn’t make him any less of a hunky basketball star! We’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.”

Here’s a list of the other players who joined him on the list:

  • Kobe Bryant
  • Lamar Odom
  • Kyle Korver
  • LeBron James
  • Tracy McGrady
  • Dwyane Wade
  • Kris Humphries
  • Paul Pierce
  • Gilbert Arenas
  • Dwight Howard
  • Amar’e Stoudemire
  • Marko Jaric
  • Quentin Richardson
  • Carmelo Anthony 

Dirk tweets some friendly advice for Tony Romo

Dirk Nowitzki knows a little about public criticism over the years.

So with Dallas quarterback Tony Romo’s name being dragged through the dirt in the Dallas/Fort Worth area today after his choke job in the Cowboys’ loss to Detroit on Sunday, Nowitzki .

“Dear tony romo. Don’t worry abt all the critics. I heard that same garbage for a long time. Keep working hard and keep improving.”

Obviously, the Mavericks aren’t as widely supported in Dallas as the Cowboys during typical times. But Nowitzki has heard his share of criticism after the Mavericks’ 2006 NBA Finals loss to Miami and their resulting first-round playoff series loss to Golden State  the following season.

He took the criticism to heart and worked hard to get better. Nowitzki’s perseverance  was rewarded this year with the franchise’s first NBA title as Nowitzki claimed the NBA Finals MVP after beating the Heat in six games.

Maybe there’s a lesson for Romo to learn from that.