NBA NEWS

The 1970s were a weird decade for the NBA. Elite talent like Julius Erving,
George "Iceman" Gervin, Rick Barry, Artis Gilmore, David Thompson, George
McGinnis, Moses Malone and others spent time in the ABA, the NBA's rogue, rival
league. The last half of the decade was forgettable as the league battled an
image and drug problem and iconic greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Dr. J and
"Pistol" Pete Maravich wasted virtuoso years on teams that ranged from middling
to poor.


The
league rolled into the 1980s without one player or team that truly defined the
previous decade. The '70s are the only decade thus far that didn't feature a
clear cut Team Of The Decade. The three-peat Minneapolis Lakers defined the
'50s; Boston ruled the '60s; the L.A. Lakers pulled away from the Celtics and
emerged as the team of the '80s and Chicago dominated the '90s. But the '70s?
Who knows. New York began the decade with a title, lost in the Finals in 1972
and won it again in 1973, but tanked the rest of the decade. Boston won it all
in 1974 and '76, but also missed the playoffs four times. Including Golden State
in 1975, five different teams (Celtics, Blazers, Bullets, Sonics) won the title
to close the decade.
Why spend two paragraphs yapping about the '70s? We're a
couple weeks away from closing out the first decade of this millennium and have
the same issue at hand. Who's the team of this decade? The Lakers or Spurs --
the only teams in the discussion. The reason for this debate, however, is
significantly different. It's not that neither team submitted a fitting resume,
it's that both organizations are each deserving. The Spurs were more
consistent.. But the Lakers were more dynamic and transcendent. It's a tough
one, so I had to get on my Dr. Jack/Bill Simmons/Nick Bakay game and break it
all down. Seven categories, worth a cumulative, completely subjective 60
points.