Feature: Champions Revealed 2014 San Antonio Spurs

Last week's NBA feature: Champions Revealed 2014 San Antonio Spurs.

The character that is built by the San Antonio Spurs is something really to be heralded for. The values they instill are truly world class.

Often we get so engrossed at what we do and we forget what really matters. Here are a few snippets of thoughts shared by Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker

On life and perspective

Tony: “… cause you always talk about, Pop, like life is bigger and there’s more important stuff in life”

On being direct

Pop: “i've always been a believer that players react better to the truth than blowing smoke at them or trying to manipulate them or uhh you know, tell them something so that they'll do this or that, but if you tell them the truth  and you really go after it, that assumes one thing, that the people you're telling the truth to have the kind of character that you guys have so you could deal with it and not blame other people or feel sorry for yourself or get angry but face it and then know what are the steps i gotta take now to take care of what im looking at right there and dont like and what can we do better.”

It’s also been a common ideal of Popovich being very clear

Manu: “He makes your role very clear”

Tim: “.. define’s everybody’s role, sticks them right in the slot”

On learning

Pop to Manu: “You did, you were tough, you were tough. some point in that first year, two year, third year whatever it might have been, I said "why'd you do, why, what are you, what are you?" he goes "Im Manu, this is what i do" and from that day on, we pretty much let him do what he does. So he taught me to be a little bit more patient, to widen my horizons, think outside the box a little bit more. and it was great.”

On winning and losing well

Manu: “we learned to win, but we learn to lose too. Face up always”

Pop: “You guys win well and you lose well, that's almost like unamerican, like you know it’s supposed to be the only thing but the right way in the high road is to lose well along with winning well and there's a way to do it.”

On choosing the right people

Pop: ”Before somebody comes in, we do our best to try to figure out who they are at that point, whether we really want to bring them or not. Cause we've always thought you know "People are who they are. You're not going to make a competitor, non-competitive or vice versa, you're not going to make a guy a team player, if he's not." 

Selfishness is pretty much not even a topic with the guys that we bring in. and if it shows itself minutes are the best equalizer. [...] A selfish person since, no matter what the talent level and it works. You got to be willing to sit the guy. He's got to know that you're willing to do it. or you're held hostage and it doesn't work. If i didn't sit that guy, you guys would be angry at me. that's what I'm getting paid for. You guys gotta play. And if i didn't do the right thing in that sense. I would hear it. as i do from each of you guys now and then for sure in certain situations.”

On relationships

Pop: “You have to enjoy being on that bus [...] the people you're with are important and you guys care about each other”

On quality of life over money

Pop: “It's always been something I wondered about. It's like at what price point does quality of life become more important than getting that extra 5 million. if you don't get that certain number, everybody else will look at you in a different way and a lot of people will put themselves in that situation even if they're miserable, day after day after day, and lose and lose and lose.”

Reflections

Tony: “me first thing, comes in mind, i feel like im very blessed. and very lucky to have a career like that with you guys cause i think its very rare like that in sports what we're doing cause right now it’s so much like a business that you know teams break up like really fast […] i always felt like family like coach when you come and invite us to dinner and we always felt like family we always enjoyed going to dinner with TD or lunch with the international group and stuff like that all those moments i think, that's what i remember”

Manu: “it's hard to tell what i'll remember, besides the situation (that's) so unique. and i don't think it ever happened before so many years with the same coach and all that but besides of-course the championship winning but I, it happened to me that sometimes i remember the losses very well.and not on a depressing way, but i remember how we felt together, and we cried together, and what you say after the game, what you'd talk, what you'd communicate, how you felt. is really strong and i think that that togetherness is what i'll remember”

Tim: “i think i'd explain to people it's like an evolution, we all changed along the way and we went through different periods. Were we better than the other one but no matter who was at their best or who was leading us we found a way to still win and we all do it together.”

Pop: “When I sit back, which I'm able to do now since I've been here so long and think about these guys and the teams that we've had. I think the memory that i'll enjoy the most is when they celebrate with each other after each championship. I've got a lot of pictures that i framed at the house and most of them involve a great photo of them making a play and celebrating with each other because that joy is pure, there's nothing else like it. and i can still see them at the end of each championship hugging each other, jumping up on each other, crying and laughing at the same time so to speak. Those are the most vivid in my mind.”

It’s an incredible ton of heart at the center of the Spurs organization. Themes of togetherness, staying humble in a win or a loss, being in the moment, the importance of relationships, things that really matter in life etc. It’s a great way to model life as a whole.