Cleveland – Former San Antonio Spurs great David Robinson hugged current stalwart Tim Duncan. Seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry beamed for the cameras while holding up seven fingers. With his first NBA title after 12 years in the league, Michael Finley wouldn’t allow the game ball to leave his hands. And NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker kissed his fiancée, actress Eva Longoria, as she handed him the French flag.
Although the Spurs won their fourth NBA title since 1999 by completing a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in an 83-82 victory Thursday night, they celebrated as if it were the first.
“Four in nine feels great,” Spurs owner Peter Holt said. “I assure you that it never gets old. … Once you get one, you want another.”
San Antonio’s sweep was the eighth in Finals history and first since the Los Angeles Lakers swept New Jersey in 2002. The Spurs rank fourth all time in NBA titles behind Boston (16), the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (14) and Chicago (six).
“You’ve got to give San Antonio credit,” said Cavs coach Mike Brown, a former Spurs assistant. “They did everything they were supposed to do in order to win basketball games tonight and the three games before.”
Duncan was the MVP when the Spurs won titles in 1999, 2003 and 2005. But this time, the honor went to Parker, who averaged 24.5 points and shot 56.8 percent from the field.
“I’m going to thank God, go to church when I get back to San Antonio,” Parker said. “I’ve been very, very blessed.”
Despite major hype, Cleveland star LeBron James couldn’t lead the franchise to a win in its first Finals or vault poor television ratings. The NBA all-star averaged 25 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists, and Duncan called James the future of the league.
“It definitely could’ve been better,” James said.
So are the Spurs a dynasty or not? With the possibility of five titles in 10 years in mind next season, a title-thirsty Holt said not yet.
“No, no,” Holt said. “Until we repeat, we’re not a dynasty. No way. We’re not there yet. We’re getting close.”
The Spurs’ star threesome – Duncan (31 years old), Parker (25) and Manu Ginobili (30) – will return next season, and in their prime. San Antonio may finally sign European star forward Luis Scola, a 2002 second-round pick playing for Spain Tau Ceramica, for next season.
Finley is expected to exercise his $3.1 million option for next season, and forward Fabricio Oberto has a player option for $2.5 million next season. One major question is whether Horry, who has a $3.6 million option for next season, will retire after winning yet another title.
From the 1999 NBA title to the present, the Spurs have had solid all-around teams fit to win titles thanks to solid ownership and management and one of the NBA’s top coaches in Gregg Popovich.
“Oh, man, I love it,” Robinson said. “I love it because it takes such a long process to build up champions, and now we have a championship mentality. We have a great organization, the management, bringing in phenomenal guys to fill all the roles….And our leaders are just phenomenal.”
Although some questions remain about the Spurs’ future, the focus on this night was a fourth title fiesta.
“Guys like Mike (Finley) is what it’s all about, to win a championship, to see how much he appreciates it,” Duncan said. “To see Jacque Vaughn and even Robert Horry, to see the looks on their faces and the understanding of how special and how tough it is to get here, it makes it all worth it.
“Not that it’s not worth it by itself. But those guys epitomize and define what it is about a journey to get here and how hard it is to get here.”
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-954-1098 or mspears@denverpost.com.
