The Demise of the Spurs and Patriots Twin Dynasties

If you had to make a list of the most consistently great sports franchises over the last decade, chances are that you’d include the San Antonio Spurs and New England Patriots on them. They’ve combined for six championships in the last ten years, as well as three Coach of the Year awards, three MVP awards, and sixteen playoff appearances. By any measure, they’ve created dynasties in their respective sports.

Nothing lasts forever, though.

The Spurs and Patriots have been on top for a while, but all things must come to an end.

Despite an impressive run of greatness from both teams, their time on top looks to be at an end. In fact, one could argue that both teams’ runs have been done for three years now.

I’m not trying to say that neither team has been great since 2007 (although I’m sure you’ll let me hear about just that in the comments), but I am trying to say that neither team has been a serious championship contender since that time, and really, isn’t that what a dynasty is all about? Winning championships?

Both teams’ title runs are well-documented. New England started their reign by pulling off a miracle upset in Super Bowl XXXVI over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. Led by quarterback Tom Brady, they proceeded to steamroll the league for the next several seasons, at one point winning 21 straight games. The Patriots juggernaut, masterminded by head coach Bill Belichick, was feared throughout the NFL.

San Antonio, led by twin towers Tim Duncan and David Robinson, notched their first title of the decade in 2003. They too held a stranglehold over the league for the next few seasons, winning at least 56 games every season until 2008-09 (and they won 54 that year). Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich seemed to have a mind meld, understanding each other perfectly and forming an unstoppable duo.

Both teams followed parallel arcs. Anchored by a superstar and a genius coach, each rose from the dominant conference in their league (the AFC and Western Conference, respectively). Each had determined rivals that they met every year in the playoffs (the Colts and Steelers for the Patriots, and the Mavericks, Suns, and Lakers for the Spurs). Each had an air of invincibility at their peak.

And for both, 2007 would be the year that would end it all, although we didn’t know it at the time. The Spurs cruised to a 58-24 record, dropping only three games in the postseason en route to their NBA Finals sweep over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brady’s Patriots found their swagger in the wake of the Spygate controversy, rolling to a perfect 16-0 2007 season and blowing apart scoring records in the process.

And then came the bombshell.

The Patriots, despite being two touchdown favorites, lost Super Bowl XLII that year in one of the greatest upsets in sports history, thanks to David Tyree’s famous circus catch for the New York Giants. The Pats came back hungry for revenge in 2008, but Brady tore his ACL and MCL in the opening quarter of the opening game. New England fought valiantly, winning 11 games, but missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

The Spurs, meanwhile, looked as strong as ever, posting a record of 56-26. However, they fell in the playoffs to the burgeoning Lakers juggernaut. A lingering injury to star sixth man Manu Ginobili didn’t help, either. The Spurs fell to the Lakers in that year’s Western Conference Finals, 4-1.

Here’s the kicker, though – while both teams were impressive in 2008, neither was particularly seen as a serious title threat in the end.

Don’t believe me? Try to find someone outside of the greater Boston area who seriously believes that the ‘08 Patriots could have won a Super Bowl with Matt Cassel at QB. Try to find someone outside of San Antonio who believes that Duncan’s creaky kness and an injured Ginobili could have beaten the talent-heavy Lakers in the WCF, let alone the near-invincible Boston Celtics in the Finals.

2009 wasn’t any better for either of these teams. New England got back to the playoffs with a healthy Brady (and a 10-6 record), but was ambushed by the Baltimore Ravens in the opening round, losing 33-14. San Antonio kept their playoff streak alive but were thumped by the 6th seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round, bowing out 4-1.

For the Patriots, this was the beginning of the end.

When you thought of title threats in those years, you thought of Los Angeles, Boston, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Minnesota. Not San Antonio or New England.

Again, that doesn’t take away from what they’ve accomplished, or what they’re still accomplishing. The Spurs’ win percentage over the past decade was an impressive .705, for an average season of 58-24. The Patriots were equally impressive, posting an average season of 11-5, and if you exclude their horrific 5-11 season in 2000, their average season goes up to 12-4.

Take just a moment to wrap your head around that.

In the last ten years, we’ve only seen 41 NFL teams post seasons of at least 12-4 (out of a possible 510), and only 20 have done better. Four of those teams were the New England Patriots (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007).

In the last ten years, we’ve only seen 22 NBA teams post records of at least 58-24 (out of a possible 480), and only 16 have done better. Six of those teams were the San Antonio Spurs (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007).

Holy mackerel.

Both teams remain among their sports’ elite, no questions about it. But there’s a price to sustained greatness. For the last ten years, both the Patriots and the Spurs have had consistently low draft picks, making rebuilding difficult. While there are gems to be found buried in the draft (DeJuan Blair and Laurence Maroney come to mind; Tom Brady himself was an improbable 6th round pick), they are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Without an influx of young talent, teams rely on their established talent to continue to produce. Duncan and Brady have proven durable, but each are showing signs of wear and tear. Duncan still puts up All-Star level numbers, but he no longer plays back-to-back games. Brady still carves up opposing secondaries, but doesn’t inspire the same level of fear as he did before his knee injury.

Interestingly enough, both teams are set to be surpassed by the same rivals they dominated at their peaks. The Lakers won the 2009 NBA Finals, and look likely to win another this year. The Colts won Super Bowl XLI, and are on track to win Super Bowl XLIV.

Together, the Spurs and Patriots dominated the nameless decade of the 2000s. Their ascension and peaks coincided nearly perfectly. It only seems fitting that their falls should come at the same time, too.

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