So yesterday I got this itch to revisit the legendary 2013-14 Spurs championship squad. You know how it is – just wanted to remember who exactly was on that roster and how crazy deep that team really was.
Started simple by trying to recall names off the top of my head while washing dishes. Got the obvious ones first:
- Tim Duncan – duh
- Tony Parker
- Manu Ginobili
- Kawhi Leonard
But then I completely blanked on like half the rotation players. Couldn’t for the life of me remember Boris Diaw’s first name! Kept thinking “Boris something… Boris Johnson? No that’s wrong.”
Phase two: memory lane
Dug out my old game notes from the basement (still got boxes from college days). Found scribbles about Patty Mills draining threes against the Heat in the Finals but guess what? Zero roster details there. Frustrating.
Hooked up the dusty 2010 laptop hoping to find old spreadsheets. Turned out my stat tracking back then was just playoff plus-minus numbers scribbled on takeout menus. Total fail.
The stats hustle
Figured stats sites wouldn’t be accurate after all this time. Decided to cross-reference physical media instead:
- Flipped through 2014 championship merch pamphlet
- Checked newspaper clippings in scrapbook
- Even scanned DVD case of Finals highlights
Finally pieced it together – that roster had FIFTEEN guys:
- Starters: Parker, Green, Leonard, Duncan, Splitter
- Bench mob: Ginobili, Mills, Belinelli, Diaw
- Deep cuts: Baynes, Bonner, Ayres… even Cory Joseph saw minutes!
Craziest discovery? Tim Duncan averaged nearly a double-double at 38 years old! Tony dished out 5.7 dimes per game while Patty Mills went nuclear from deep shooting 43%.
Last reality check – compared my handwritten notes with old media guides. Stats actually matched up! That bench mob outscored opponents by 10 points per 48 minutes. No wonder they blew out the Heat in five.
Conclusion? That team was literally perfect basketball. Role players knew their jobs, stars sacrificed numbers, and Pop glued it all together. Might frame this roster list above my TV honestly.
