Michael and Jeff break down the Spurs loss to the Orlando Magic. We unfortunately went quarter by quarter, noting positives and negatives for each, gave out the box score, gave out shiny and rusty Spur awards, looked at the upcoming schedule and took your call.

Our next live show (#199B) will be next Wednesday for the Spurs-Lakers game and we'll have Don from With Malice on live to preview the game.

Earlier today, Jordan Rivas, presented his reasons why the Spurs title run in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007 does not place the franchise among the great NBA dynasties. 

Next is Lance Fell who will give his reasons why the Spurs should be considered a dynasty after winning the title four times since 1999.

Throughout time, there have been great dynasties all over the world. From 1550 thru 1292 B.C. the 18th Dynastyof Egypt helped usher in a new era of economic prosperity for the Egyptian people. Perhaps the most famous of all Egyptian Pharaohs, Tutankhamen became ruler of Egypt during the 18thdyansty at the age of nine, and died before his twentieth birthday. The Argead Dynasty was another great dynasty that ruled all of the Greek Empire from 700 to 310 B.C. Lead by none other then Alexander the Great, The Argead Dynasty was able to expand all the way from Greece to India, and conquer one of the greatest empires of all time, The Persian Empire. The last great Chinese Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, lasted from 1644 all the way till 1912. 

But what is a dynasty? And what factors have to be involved for the label dynasty to be used? Webster defines dynasty as a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time. Bing dictionary said a dynasty is a prominent and powerful family or group of people whose members retain their power and influence through several generations. So after reading and going through an assortment of different definitions, I found the most common things needed for anything to labeled as a dynasty is it has to be a family, it has to have power, influence groups of people, and last for long period of time.

From 1999 to 2007, no other team in professional sports displayed those four qualities needed to be a dynasty like the San Antonio Spurs.

Family

There is no other team in the NBA that is more like a family then the Spurs. From the owner Peter Holt all the way to the players, every member of the Spurs franchise is a member of the family. Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan have the type of connection that is rarely seen between coaches and their superstars. It's almost a Father-Son relationship. The same could be said about Tony Parker's relationship with Pop. Sean Elliott, who has been retired since 2001, still commentates games and continues to be a vital part of the organization while David Robinson, who has been retired since 2003, still goes to every game, and even has a stake in the franchise. Once you're a member of the Spurs family, you're always a member.

Power

Power is a necessity if your family is to be labeled a dynasty, and since 1999, the Spurs have been one of the most powerful franchises in all of professional sports. From 1999 to 2007, the Spurs had a winning percentage of .709, which is the highest of any team, in any professional sport during that time. In fact, in that span of time the Spurs won a total of 503 regular season games, which is 37 more then the second closest team, the Dallas Mavericks.

Influence

It's because of how successful and how powerful the Spurs have been, that they fulfill the next requirement of being a dynasty: the ability to influence other groups of people, and no team in sports has influenced their respective league like the San Antonio Spurs. It is because of the Spurs that the Phoenix Suns acquired Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers obtained Pau Gasol so they could have a big man that could compete with Duncan and the Spurs. Former assis tant general manager Sam Presti is now the general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they look like they might be competing for a ring in a couple years. Former Spur Steve Kerr is the general manager of the Suns and Danny Ferry, now the general manager for the Cleveland Cavaliers, once worked in the front office for the Silver and Black as well. Teams throughout the Association have been influenced by the Spurs to build their teams through the draft, and find key role players through free agency to help compliment their superstars.

Time

The last thing needed to qualify as a dynasty is "time." A dynasty should influence other groups of people or organizations that surround it for a considerable amount of time. And the Spurs have done just that. For more then ten years, the Spurs have held their place at the top of the NBA, and in the world of sports, ten years can seem like an eternity. Not even the Great Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen of the 18th Dynasty was King for ten years. Some might argue that they aren't a dynasty because the Lakers won three in a row and the Spurs never repeated. But the Spurs have maintained a level of greatness that is unsurpassed in modern sports. When the Lakers won their three titles, the Spurs were right their with them. Only in 2000 did the Lakers win more games then the Spurs. When the Lakers fell to pieces in 2005, it was the Spurs who continued excel and be the premiere team in professional sports.

All great dynasties leave behind a legacy. The legacy left behind from the Argead Dynasty will be one of Alexander the Great and his conquest of the Persian Empire. To this day he is still the measure in which all great generals compare themselves. The legacy left behind from the Spurs Dynasty will be one of "Tim Duncan the Great" and his conquest of the NBA. When Duncan retires, he'll be the measure by which all big men compare themselves.

However, Duncan's greatness won't be the only thing we remember about the dynasty. It will also be remembered for its commitment to the team concept. That no one player is bigger then the whole, and the idea that all the right pieces are needed if there is to be a parade in San Antonio. In sports, where egos often collide and money talks more than championships, every member of the Spurs organization, from 1999 till now have never put themselves before the team, and that's how great sports dynasties are defined.

They are defined by the great athletes and coaches that make up the franchise. Players like Michael Finely and Robert Horry, who were willing to accept the position of role player. Or a player like Manu Ginobili, who could start on any other team in the league, but understands his importance off the bench and does whatever is necessary not for himself, but for the team. That's how the Spurs Dynasty will be remembered.

I'll remember the Spurs Dyansty for so many things. The wins, the loses. The bitter rivalries withother teams and the emotions that every game brought out of me. Emotions I never thought I had. I'll always remember after we lose in 2006 to the Mavericks, I was eating at Taco Cabana (a local San Antonio fast-food chain) with my girlfriend at that time, when I broke down. I just started crying, right there in the middle of Taco Cabana, tears falling over my delicious fajita taco, when a man, who also had a Tim Duncan jersey on, came up to me and said, "It's going to be okay. There's always next year." I looked up at him, streams of tears large enough to raft pouring from my eyes, and I smiled. I smiled because I knew he was right. There is always that chance that next season we can take it.

That's what I'll mostly remember from the Spurs Dynasty. The excitement it brought to my hometown. The anticipation right before the season starts and the enthusiasm of each and every Spurs fan. The best memory of the Spurs dynasty for me was in 2007. Standing at the intersection of 24th and Commerce in San Antonio, in the middle of the street, embracing my uncle Gino, with a broom in one hand. Tears of joy this time, running down my face. The guy at Taco Cabana was right. We did it.

The Spurs Dynasty will be viewed in many different ways depending on where your from or what team you root for. Some people say its not a dynasty at all. To those people all I can say is fine. The statistics are there for anyone to see. No other team has had the immense success the Spurs had during their dynasty. They are a dynasty in every way possible. From 1999 to 2007 they were the most powerful team in the league and influenced a plethora of teams to make moves that could help them compete against the Spurs. But understand this, it's not over. As long as Tim Duncan is in a Spurs jersey, there's always the chance that the Spurs could win another championship. Then maybe that title will quiet all the doubters.

Today Project Spurs will be looking back at the Spurs' title run beginning in 1999 and ending in 2007.

Many say the Spurs' championship run places them among the great NBA dynasties, while others say the Spurs' championship run should not be considered a dynasty. To discuss this topic, Jordan Rivas and Lance Fell will present you their reasons the Spurs should be considered a dynasty and why they shouldn't.

First will be Jordan Rivas to state the reasons why the Spurs winning the NBA title in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007 does not place the franchise among the great NBA dynasties.

The sports world has co-opted a term it doesn't understand. Talk radio and sports columnists have independently elected to riddle themselves in conjecture. They are content – some are even enamored with the idea – to substitute logic and definition for bias and subjectivity. Not satisfied with holding command over issues of sound opinion, they have opted to ascend to lofty Adamic proportions, naming whatever they choose, however they like. With pedantic demeanor and resolve amusingly, albeit obnoxiously, built of ignorance, they have re-purposed and brazenly redefined words plucked seemingly at random from the English language, with little regard for reality in their defining process.

The odd adoption, and ridiculous re-imagining, of the word 'dynasty' within the sports world holds no more validity than if I chose to select the noun 'cupcake', and assert that its definition is someone who wears a funny hat, but only on Sundays.

Sports media and clever marketing have led us to believe that the term "dynasty" is a malleable thing, that its definition is subject to debate and susceptible to change at the whim of whichever ESPN commentator holds the most clout or whichever blogger has the highest view count.

As the Zhou dynasty clearly demonstrates, a true dynasty, historically speaking, leaves itself no room to be questioned.

The application for the Spurs' admission into dynastic company reads unconvincingly. Immediately numbers jump out at you, like a haphazard grade school math problem, they read: '99, '03, '05, '07. The pattern is a telling one, and easily recognizable: the Spurs have never won consecutive championships.

In the gaps, years where the Spurs have not won titles, the story is most potent. They were ousted in the first round of the 2000 playoffs a year after their initial title win. They were embarrassingly swept out of the Conference Finals by the rival Lakers in 2001. Most recently, in 2008, the Spurs only won one game against the Lakers before again being denied a chance at repeating. If any part of the past decade could truly be called a Spurs dynasty, they would have to simultaneously be considered the most often humiliated dynasty in history.

Even the casual analysis of the last decade shows a distinct lack of unwavering dominance from the Spurs. The carefully applied execution of their fundamentally sound schemes took hold over the NBA in spurts, not stretches. Outside of a highly loyal South Texas fan base, even the casual NBA fans finds the titling of the Spurs as a dynasty a point of contention, not an accepted truth. The branding of the Spurs as a dynasty is often met with sound skepticism, at best entertained as an intriguing discussion on the effect of free agency and the salary cap, but almost never accepted outright.

Emphatic as Spurs fans might be, few others would agree that the Spurs are a dynasty. However inclined Spurs fans might be to declare themselves right, and the rest of the basketball world wrong, their assertion would lack a distinct sign of sound logic, that a majority of people lean in its direction.

If I, for example, were to claim that I am the world's greatest writer, however sure of it I am, if no one else agrees with me I would come off looking silly.

The further examination of the Spurs' qualifications as a dynasty reveals more peculiar occurrences.

First, let's establish that the run being considered for dynasty status took place between 1999 and 2007, a span of eight seasons. The Spurs have not won a title in two seasons, and seem highly unlikely to change that this season. Considering that eight year span between '99 and '07, let's look at some of these peculiarities.

In a span of eight years the Spurs totaled four titles. Meaning that during this run they were only the best team in the league half of the time. Shouldn't a dynasty be dominant all of the time? Considering the word has been stripped of any real meaning, its a hard question to answer. Even on the less demanding spectrum, however, couldn't we expect a dynasty to at least reign more than half of the time? Those who support calling the Spurs' run a dynasty want to claim one hundred percent of an era even though the Spurs were only on top of the league fifty percent of the time.

Most notably, and most damning, is that during the '99-'07 stretch, an odd thing happened – an entirely different, and more clearly verifiable, dynasty occurred: that of the Los Angeles Lakers. From the 2000 season through the 2002 season the Lakers won three consecutive titles, shutting out the Spurs for that time and etching their own name in league history.

For Spurs dynasty supporters that leaves a gut wrenching question: did two dynasties run during the same period of time? Did another dynasty happen in the middle of the supposed Spurs dynasty?

Allow me to assure you, that is impossible.

If we're going to hold the term in any regard, if any semblance of its former meaning is to remain intact, the term dynasty must remain historically exclusive to only one holder during any one stretch of time.

If you're going to define the Spurs' run from '99-'07 as a dynasty, then you must also definitively prove that the Lakers' run from '00-'02 is not a dynasty. Sirs and madams, if you can do that, then you will have exclusively captured my full attention as I await for you to deliver, from your magical bag of conjectures, the definitive proof that two physical objects may occupy the same physical space and that air molecules may be alchemized into solid gold.

In these matters, and in the larger issue of debate at hand, I eagerly await your rebuttals.

Today on WOAI San Antonio Living, Bob Gambert, aka Cyber Bob, gave out his list of the top local San Antonio blogs. Well Project Spurs made the list and he gave Project Spurs' very own Michael De Leon recognition for his years of efforts.  Thanks to Bob Gambert for recognizing Project Spurs and congratulations to all the other blogs who made the list. Well deserved!

"TD must play in a scuba outfit! 'cause he doesn't feel any pressure!"

With a quote like that, how can Spurs fans not like this 2004 graphic novel by TokyoPop all about Tim Duncan!

Back in June 2009, Project Spurs' friend, Rey Moralde of The No Look Pass, brought this to my attention. I never got around to bringing it to the Project Spurs reader's attention. My bad! However, better late than never!

This book is full of hilarious quotes about Duncan. But you've got to give it to the writers, they are very creative in their descriptions of Duncan's game.

The book is narrated by "Lil' Hops" and "T-Minus." Sounds like "Lil' Hops" should be Matt Bonner's new nickname and "T-Minus" should be Richard Jefferson's nickname since he has been "minus" a game all season.  Now sit back and enjoy the hilarity.

To see more pictures from this graphic novel about Tim Duncan, click HERE to visit The No Look Pass.

(h/t The No Look Pass)

Hola amigos fanáticos de los Spurs y bienvenidos a nuestra página de Project Spurs donde siempre encontraran la información mas actualizada sobre su equipo favorito de baloncesto.

Hoy estaré repasando los juegos de los Spurs de la ultima semana.

Comenzamos con el juego del pasado sábado 6 de marzo donde salimos victoriosos del FedEx Forum sin embargo con malas noticias ya que Tony Parker sufrió una lesión a uno de sus dedos durante este juego.  Lamentablemente Parker, guardia de puntos se fracturo su dedo anular durante el final de la primera mitad del juego y como consecuencia estará ausente de la cancha por las próximas 6 semanas. En este triunfo Richard Jefferson contribuyo con 18 puntos, Manu Ginobili anoto 17, mientras Matt Bonner ayudo con 13 logrando de esta manera que Los Spurs vencieran a los Grizzlies de Memphis 102 a 92.

Y de ahí continuamos con la única derrota que sufrieron Los Spurs de San Antonio en lo que va de la semana el ultimo lunes 8 de marzo contra los Cavaliers de Cleveland.  El enfrentamiento tomo lugar en el Quicken Loans Arena donde Manu Ginobili y George Hill se lucieron ya que fueron los mayores contribuyentes al pontaje. Ginobli contribuyo a este juego con 38, Hill con 23. Desafortunadamente no fue suficiente ya que lo Spurs fueron derrotados esa noche por tan solo puntos, ganando los Cavaliers 97 a 95.

Seguimos con el triunfo que vivieron los Spurs en el AT&T Center el miércoles 10 de marzo, donde no solo se enfretaron a los Knicks de Nueva York derrotandolos si no que también celebraron La Noche Latina del la NBA. Nuevamente nuestro jugador mas esencial Manu Ginobili fue el mas grande contribuidor, anotando a su equipo un total de 28 puntos esa noche, Tim Duncan con 18, y Keith Bogans con 13. Ayudando así que lo Spurs salieran victoriosos de este enfrentamiento con un puntuaje total de 97 a 87.

Y afortunadamente al viernes siguiente, el 12 de marzo, los Spurs también derrotaron a los Timberwolves de Minnesota 103 a 85 en el Target Center. Para este juego sorprendentemente Richard Jefferson ayudo aportando al puntuaje total con 19 puntos y 9 rebotes. Esperemos que este sea el principio de un triunfante patrón para Jefferson ya que su pobre presentación sobre la cancha a dado mucho de que hablar en recientes entrevistas.

Bueno y por ultimo repasamos el victorioso juego que tuvieron los Spurs en contra de los Clippers de Los Angeles en el AT&T center el pasado Sabado, 13 de Marzo donde los Spurs le ganaron a los Clippers por una diferencia de 30 puntos! En este juego Matt Bonner contribuyo con 21 puntos, Malik Hairston con 12 y Roger Mason con 12.  Richard Jefferson tambien se lucio en este juego anotando un total de 18 puntos y 9 rebotes ayudando asi a los Spurs derrotar a los Clippers 118 a 88.

Actualmente los San Antonio Spurs aun sostienen el sexto lugar de la conferencia oeste.

Bueno amigos y fieles seguidores de los San Antonio Spurs fue un placer compartir con ustedes el día de hoy. Les recuerdo que visiten con frecuencia nuestra pagina de Project Spurs para mantenerse actualizados e informados en el mejor sitio de blog.  No olviden que nuestro próximo enfrentamiento tomara lugar en Miami manana contra el Heat.

Arianné Villanueva and I are back for the latest Spurscast in Spanish. In this episode, Arianne tells us of her first Spurs game, recaps the last games for the Spurs, and we discuss Richard Jefferson's play for the Spurs this season.

Remember, Project Spurs was the first Spurs blog to have a Spurs podcast and the first to have a Spanish podcast for Spanish-speaking fans.

Arianné Villanueva y yo estamos de regreso con el Spurscast en Español mas reciente.  En este episodio Arianné les informa sobre su primera visita a un juego de los Spurs en vivo, repasa los juegos de los Spurs y discutimos como esta jugando Richard Jefferson esta temporada.

Y recuerden que Project Spurs fue la primera página de Internet en tener un podcast de Los Spurs y la primera en tener un podcast en español para los fanáticos de habla hispana.

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For those of you who don’t know me, allow me to summarize myself in a few words.

I’m a poor-but-employed-student loan-paying-college grad working in journalism who has a serious affinity for all things sports, namely football, basketball and hockey.

I’ve been a Spurs fan for a very long time, but I’ve never been able to scrape together the money to sit close to the court. While most of my game experiences have been either in front of the TV or sitting in the rafters of the AT&T Center, my closest moment to the team was sitting in front of the throng of fans lining the Riverwalk for the 2005 River Parade after the championship win.

Well, that was my closest experience until the evening of Friday, March 5.

That was the evening that I joined the ‘elite’ fans as I sat (and stood on occasion) in the sixth row of Section 101 in the AT&T Center as the Spurs faced the New Orleans Hornets.

To say I was giddy is an understatement; I was elated. Thrilled. Completely and totally psyched. With perfect seating in the corner between the Spurs’ bench and the basket - all thanks to a friend/sorority sister with excellent job perks - I was ready to enjoy the fan atmosphere that is exclusive to those lucky enough to be there in the moment.

In a moment of focus while watching the teams warm up, I noticed the father-son duo sitting behind us. Clad in a black and white jersey, the young boy of no more than five listened intently as his father explained the Jumbotron and pointed out players on the court.

As the lights went down and the teams were introduced, it was easy to sense his excitement grow as he cheered on the players. His enthusiasm reminded me of why I love sporting events: they’re exciting and bring people together - no matter how old you are or where you’re from.

Being the outgoing individual that I am, I decided to take advantage of my location and make encouraging comments to the team on occasion. Let’s be honest: the majority of us as sports fans have found ourselves yelling at players as if they can hear us, whether we are sitting in our living rooms, at the bar or even in the nosebleed section. This was my chance to say “Come on, Timmy” and know he could probably hear me.

It took my friend a bit longer to realize this, even after she had commented that she could “hear them slap the ball,” but when I decided to give Timmy an extremely succinct pep talk in a moment of otherwise dead silence from about 45 feet away she caught on.

Knowing that I’d have friends watching, I also decided to make ‘friends’ with the ESPN cameraman. For those of you who’ve attended previous games, you may have noticed that some camera operators have their favorite fans - see the older attractive woman sitting in front of me who was on the Jumbotron at least twice and is in the Spurs’ season ticket commercial. I’m sure I’m not as easy on the eyes as she is, but I have personality so when the guy from ESPN walked up with camera in tow, I asked if he was going to put us on national TV - too bad he didn’t know that I know the red light is on when the camera is operating. The first time he wasn’t recording/live, I looked at him, told I expected him to return and put me on TV.

I’m not sure if I made ESPN, but he did come back - he winked at me and yes, the red light was on. Note to all who want to make it on TV: if your seat is close enough, just be convincing. I should also note here that I know I made it on KENS-TV’s (the local CBS affiliate) local game feed thanks to my mom’s forethought to DVR the game.

I took photos pretty much throughout the first half, so when the team headed for the locker room I tried to snap a few quick pictures. No such luck, but just after I’d turned my camera off I caught a glimpse of former Spur-turned-TV analyst Sean Elliot making his way towards us. Having met Sean at an organ donation event in high school, I know he is a pretty easy-going guy and would probably at least say hello. Sure enough, when I turned and said “Hi Sean! How’s it going!”, he responded with “Hi! Good, thanks!” as he walked out. The lady next to me seemed convinced for a split-second that I knew him. No, he just knew my name for all of five seconds about five or six years ago.

In addition to the chance to see the Spurs up close and in action, I had the chance to ‘meet’ one Project Spurs friend as well as be spotted by another Project Spurs friend. First, I got to meet Ben Hunt of spurs.com during halftime - it was nice to put a face (other than an avatar!) with a Twitter name! During the game, I recognized Jason Arredondo from his avatar when he appeared on the Jumbotron with his kids.

Later on, he found me (from all the way up in Section 219 - eagle eyes!) and caught me dancing as well as getting mad about a foul. One of the additional ‘in the moment’ things I love about being at a game: I can actually enjoy the music that’s played rather than just play ‘Name that Tune’ at home. I was in a great mood so I started dancing in my seat and Jason busted me. I’m not sure if he was exaggerating, but apparently he may have pointed me out to other people. As for being mad at the refs, all I remember is that it had to do with a David West foul in the second half… but I’m a verbal person, so of course I reacted.

It was a great game; I was disappointed that Chris Paul a.k.a. CP3 didn’t play, but overall the experience was awesome. I was happy to have been so close to my favorite team for a great win in the company of so many Spurs fans: a home sell-out crowd of more than 18,000 people.

Whenever I make my millions as a famous journalist, I intend to have courtside season tickets - in my opinion, there really is nothing like being right there for a win on home court.

(Photos by Emily Allen/ProjectSpurs)