If Twitter existed in 1999, Spurs fans probably would have been just as uptight and protective of their championship team’s legacy as Lakers fans are of their 2020 one today. As many may remember — or for our younger crowd, be aware of — 1999 was in a lockout-shortened season. You never hear about the 1998-99 season, just the 1999 one because it began in February after a new CBA was reached, with 50 games crammed into three months before the playoffs began in May. (Player safety wasn’t as prevalent back then.)
Another fun fact about that team: Gregg Popovich came extremely close to being fired before that squad put it all together.