ESPN contributor Charley Rosen is a basketball lifer. A veteran player, coach and author -- famed for his friendship with Phil Jackson -- he has spent decades discussing the wrinkles of the game. And among those he talks to, the San Antonio Spurs' championship after playing one of the most uplifting series in memory -- one that put smiles on the faces of legendary players and coaches -- was seen as a victory for the game. He assembled the following testimony on the Spurs ahead of the official start of their title defense.
PHIL JACKSON (Hall of Fame coach, current Knicks president): "The way the Spurs played in the Finals was a beautiful demonstration of team basketball. That's how the game should be played."
BOB COUSY (Hall of Fame player, six-time champion): "In terms of their collective psyche, and their willingness to make personal sacrifices and accept their roles, the Spurs were similar to the Celtics of my era. Like Red Auerbach, [Gregg] Popovich was the undisputed leader. ... All things considered, I thoroughly enjoyed the Finals."
WILLIS REED (Hall of Fame player; two-time champ and Finals MVP): "The way the Spurs played tough defense, and the way they always hit the open man on offense, reminds me of how the old Knicks used to play."
PAT WILLIAMS (longtime GM of 76ers, current senior VP of Magic): "John Wooden never liked NBA basketball because he thought the players were too selfish and lacked the proper fundamentals, but he would have been pleased with the way the Spurs played."
KEVIN LOUGHERY (former NBA/ABA coach, ABA player): "The Spurs gave away the championship in 2013, then they had to start all over last season. Revenge was their motivation all season long, and you have to admire their resolve."
JACK MARIN (11-year NBA veteran, two-time All-Star): "During the regular season, none of the Spurs played as much as 30 minutes a game. Pop rested his veterans and trusted his younger players."
JIM BARNETT (11-year NBA veteran, current Warriors TV analyst): "Back when I played in the '60s and '70s, we played team offense and individual defense. On offense, we moved the ball and moved the bodies. As a result, we got more shots per game, shot a higher percentage, and despite not having the 3-point shot we scored more points than they do now. One-on-one play was rare. ... The priorities are reversed -- individual offense (which takes longer to execute) and an attempt to play team defense. But the Spurs play team-oriented ball on both ends of the court. That's why their performance against Miami was so refreshing and so beautiful."
JIM CHONES (10-year NBA/ABA veteran, current Cavs radio analyst): "If a team takes 10 2-point shots and shoots 50 percent, they'll score 10 points. If the top 3-point shooters make over 40 percent of shots from behind the arc, they'll score 12 points on 10 shots. So Pop's system is based on his personnel. Last season, Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli all shot [around] 40 percent and more. Plus, Manu Ginobili was at 35 percent. The key is getting open shots. Over the course of a season, there's a 20 percent difference in accuracy between open versus contested shots. Movement and spacing are the basics here. Because of San Antonio's success, there'll be plenty of teams that will try to imitate their offensive game plan. In that respect, the Spurs' championship will be good for the league."
TOM HEINSOHN (Hall of Famer, 10-time NBA champion as Celtics player, coach; current Celtics TV analyst): "How much will the Spurs' game plan influence how everybody else plays? Ha! Even after we won 11 championships in 13 years, none of the other teams began to play team basketball. So I don't think the successful example set by the Spurs will make a difference. Teams will still play to their stars."
TONY FIORENTINO (longtime Heat assistant, current Heat TV analyst): "The Spurs were a better team than the Heat. No question about that. They were so good that they could possibly have beaten Michael Jordan's Bulls. But in the past four seasons, the Heat played 87 playoff games, more than any other NBA team played in a stretch like that. Eighty-seven games. That's more than an extra season. Not to take anything away from San Antonio, but Miami was mentally and physically exhausted."
JERRY REYNOLDS (Kings executive and former coach): "I'm old school so I really appreciate five-man offenses. Of course, to be successful here you've got to have great players and they have to buy into their coach's philosophy. And you've got to give Pop credit for changing his style over the years. He used to advocate a half-court game, but it's remarkable how he's adapted to the specific skills of his current players. Along with this, give credit to [Tim] Duncan for accepting a new role that doesn't make him a featured scorer. I certainly hope that the rest of the coaches try to mimic what the Spurs do, but I wouldn't bet on it. Most coaches are afraid to cross a threshold into unfamiliar territory. That's too bad for them, for the players, for the league, and for discerning fans."
MARIN: "From time to time, Pop will scream at Duncan during a game. Really light him up. But where some superstars will respond by pouting or cursing, Duncan processes what Pop says. 'OK,' Duncan thinks, 'he's telling me what I'm not doing and what I need to do for us to win.' When a guy who's been the league's MVP twice and a 14-time All-Star responds to harsh public criticism like that, then all the other guys have to follow suit. It's fun to watch this team play."
HUBIE BROWN (former head coach, current ESPN analyst): "There was one sequence when Green made a pair of 3s, then missed a rotation. When he made another 3 and missed another rotation, Pop pulled him and unmercifully chewed him out. Two or three possessions later, Pop put the kid back into the game."
HEINSOHN: "The Spurs' victory proved again that you don't need to rely on one player to carry your offense. Elgin Baylor used to score 60 against us and we'd still win. The Spurs play up-tempo just like we did, but to do this you've got to be nine or 10 deep on the bench."
BROWN: "No team ever won a championship series by so many points per game. But look at the guys on the team. Parker has a motor like John Havlicek, and once Patty Mills lost weight, he was nearly as explosive. Ginobili is fearless. And then there's the big guy; Duncan stayed at Wake Forest for four years, was a psychology major and a straight-A student. Even in the twilight of his career, Duncan was the heart and soul of the team.
"All in all, the Spurs' most recent championship brought beauty back into the game."
MIKE FRATELLO (former head coach, current NBA analyst): "I loved how the Finals unfolded. But the best thing about it was that even casual fans were talking about the Spurs. And that's good for the NBA."
Charley Rosen is the author of 20 books about basketball and a coach in the CBA for six years. His latest book, Perfectly Awful: The Philadelphia 76ers' Horrendous and Hilarious 1972-1973 Season, is available now.
