It’s the usual suspects left fighting for an NBA title. Since 1983, only seven different NBA franchises have housed the Larry O’Brien championship trophy, and four of those franchises (San Antonio, Los Angeles, Boston, and Detroit) comprise the Final Four that are battling for an opportunity to add to their already storied collections.

One of those teams has been the pillar of consistency over the last decade. They follow the same recipe for success every single season.

The San Antonio Spurs piss a lot of people off. They don’t have flash. They don’t run and jump you out of the building. They don’t always make it look pretty, but they don’t seem to lose, and guess what? They don’t care.

 

Year after year, the Spurs are in the hunt. It started with the 1997 #1 Draft Pick that brought Tim Duncan to the Alamo Dome and continues with the top-tier international talent they’ve attracted to the River Walk.

 

Their success begins with their coach and ends with the last player on the bench. Everyone contributes, everyone knows their role. Gregg Popovich makes sure of that. He also makes sure that every player on the team understands that defense wins championships.

 

That premise was clearly recognized in their first title run in 1999. En route to a 15-2 playoff record, the Spurs allowed their opponent to eclipse 90 points just twice in 17 playoff games.

 

They brought in experienced players to compliment the Twin Towers of Tim Duncan and David Robinson, while keeping veteran core players such as Sean Elliot and Avery Johnson. They had fundamental post men, clutch shooters in Elliot and Steve Kerr, championship experience in the form of Mario Elie, and a hustle player in Malik Rose.

 

When Popovich saw how magical the makeup of that fundamental and defensive-minded team was, he knew to duplicate his strategy to achieve the same success.

 

After a mini dry spell during the Shaq and Kobe era, the Spurs climbed back to the mountain top in 2003. They won every series in six games by locking opponents down on the defensive end of the floor, allowing 100 or more points just four times in 24 games, and holding the New Jersey Nets under 90 points in every game of the Finals.

 

The faces of that team had changed, but the roles were the same. Tony Parker stepped in as the heady floor general and Bruce Bowen became the defensive stopper. Stephen Jackson was their hustle player, Manu Ginobili was “Mr. Clutch,” and Tim Duncan was his usual consistent self.

 

After a heartbreaking loss to the Hall Of Fame studded Lakers in the 2004 NBA Playoffs, the Spurs bounced back to retain the title in 2005 and 2007. Had anything changed? Not on Popovich’s watch. Defense was again the emphasis in both those title runs.

 

While many teams revamp their rosters in the summer by looking to the fountain of youth, Popovich and company go hunting for experience. In ’99, they welcomed Steve Kerr and his three rings. In ’03, they picked up Big Shot Bob whose championship experience was vital to their third and fourth rings.

 

Brent Barry brought invaluable basketball knowledge in ’04, Jacque Vaughn has brought 10 minutes per game of in-your-face defensive effort since ’06, and Michael Finley was happy to sign in ’05 and sacrifice individual statistics for the good of the team. All of them bring different skills to the table, but all of them compliment the stars of the team beautifully.

 

Critics always point to their age, but the Spurs keep pointing to their fingers, which now hold four rings. Going for their fifth this year seemed impossible just a few weeks back as they faltered (by their standards) down the stretch and received the three seed, meaning only one series with home court advantage.

 

But their championship pedigree has taken them back to the Western Conference Finals. Phoenix didn’t stand a chance in their first round series after dropping a heartbreaking Game One in San Antonio that crushed their spirits and drained the energy needed to stay competitive.

 

In the second round, New Orleans had every opportunity to advance, but the Spurs buckled down on defense - like champions do - by limiting the Hornets to 15.6 fewer points per game over the last two games than they had given up over the first five.

 

Now they’re back in familiar territory fighting for a berth in the Finals. I’m not saying they fly under the radar. The Spurs are the Spurs. Everyone knows this group is a championship team, and one of the best we’ve seen in a long time.

 

But here they are, again, rightfully thinking they are the underdog because everyone is talking about the revamped Celtics, the deep Pistons, and a scary Laker team featuring Kobe Bryant with something to prove.

 

The Lakers are the slight favorites because they own home court advantage. The Spurs wouldn’t want it any other way. It takes the pressure off and lets them concentrate on what they do best - playing defense and winning championships.