SAN ANTONIO, Texas, 18 June 2003 — After a night of celebrations the NBA champions San Antonio Spurs and its supporters awoke to a new dawn on Monday, one that holds the possibility of many more titles and talk of a dynasty.
With twice league and finals MVP Tim Duncan at the peak of his considerable powers and a cool $16 million to throw at free agents, Spurs fans have reason to believe the road to more championships will go through the home of the Alamo for years to come.
San Antonio’s 4-2 series win over the New Jersey Nets may have lacked the dismissive tone the Los Angeles Lakers displayed by breezing past the same opponent 4-0 a year earlier, but throughout there was always the hint the Spurs had more to offer.
Some of that potential was on display in Game Six on Sunday when the Spurs staged a stunning fourth-quarter rally, going on a 19-0 run to storm into the lead and secure an 88-77 victory.
At times throughout the postseason the Spurs looked like a high performance car with no one to drive it.
That could all change in the next few weeks, the Spurs having targeted New Jersey Nets free agent Jason Kidd — the Michael Schumacher of point guards — as their off-season priority. The Spurs have made no attempt to hide their interest in the 30-year-old Kidd, the consummate floor general rated among the best playmakers the NBA has seen.
Thinking is, if San Antonio can land this season’s prize free agent and unite him with Duncan it would give the Spurs a one-two punch that would rival the Lakers’ dynamic duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
A magician with the ball and a natural born leader at the peak of his skills, Kidd, who earned $10 million last season, will be certain to demand a king’s ransom by any team coveting his services.
But with future Hall of Famer David Robinson retiring after Sunday’s deciding game, the Spurs have plenty of room to maneuver under the league’s salary cap and, with $16 million to throw around, are one of the few teams in a position to afford Kidd.
Kidd’s addition could create an embarrassment of riches at guard for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, with flashy young Frenchman Tony Parker having a breakout year while Argentine Manu Ginobili, Stephen Jackson and Speedy Claxton all made key contributions.
