NBA: No Respect for the Spurs?

By Keith Antigiovanni

If you have followed the NBA the past two weeks then you know who Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks is by now while he has help lead the Knicks to their current 7-game win streak. It’s a great story but as usual the so-called “National” media is ignoring the San Antonio Spurs who are on a 9-game winning streak of their own or the perennial last-place Los Angeles Clippers now first place in their division.

The “National” media believes a rookie player who plays in New York is the top story despite that the Knicks are only a .500 (15-15) team at this time while ignoring the “Small-Market” Spurs who are 21-9, 1.5 games behind in the Western Conference, lead their division without one of their top players, Manu Ginobli, for the past six weeks.

You might say so what, the Spurs win every year which is exactly the point of why they should get more coverage and respect but not when you take into account that the “National” sports media is not really national it is regional specifically the tiny northeast part of the country and the Spurs are perceived as a bunch of boring professionals who only go out and win basketball games.

 In other words they are only known for winning, the same way legendary professional sports teams such as the 1950’s Boston Celtics or 1960’s Green Bay Packers are known for. Since the 1990-1991 season San Antonio has posted the best regular season record in the NBA (1127-563 .67%), qualified for the playoffs 21 of the past 22 years and won 4 NBA titles while the Knicks have not won an NBA title since the Watergate Hearings. Instead of the “National” media giving these guys some respect after winning for the past 23 years they are obsessed with the latest “flavor-of-the-week” coming out of NYC.

If you want to ignore the Spurs and look at an underdog story then how about more Los Angeles Clippers coverage. Even with Chris Paul in the lineup it was a stretch to think this team could ever turn their fortunes around after four decades of futility. The Clipper franchise began in Buffalo, NY back in 1970 then moved out west to San Diego between 1978 and north to Los Angeles. In all that time the Clippers have only posted 6 winning seasons and have never won even won a division title. 2012 could be the year that all changes if they can hang on to their lead in the Pacific and hope the Lakers do not make a second-half run. The Clippers are currently 19-9 and have the third seed in the West.

Tonight, Friday February 16, 2012 the Spurs and Clippers will be playing at the Staples Center. The “National” media needs to focus on this game as their top story or it might be time to turn in their press credentials.