The San Antonio Spurs did something surprising Tuesday. They utterly failed to close out the New York Knicks in a 104-100 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden. It’s the kind of performance you don’t associate with the Spurs, particularly at a stage in the season when they need to build momentum for the playoffs. Head Coach Gregg Popovich was neither amused nor impressed after the game. From ESPN.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk:
“We didn’t respect the game, we didn’t respect our opponent,” said Popovich, whose Spurs led by as much as 13 in the third quarter. “It was a pathetic performance and I hope that every player is embarrassed. Not because ‘we are supposed to win the game’ but it is about how you play the game.”
This isn’t just about “any given Sunday” and “the sanctity of the game.” There’s a very important message here, or at least a moderately important message masquerading as something hipster-profound, and it’s a point that doesn’t get talked about enough.
The odds of making it to the NBA as a player or a coach are near insuperable, and those who do are, by degrees, the cream of the crop. Regardless of record and what anyone thinks of their roster, the New York Knicks are an NBA team. The entirety of their professional focus and energy was dedicated to beating the Spurs on Tuesday, and that’s exactly what they did. If you’re an NBA player and you can’t respect the work your opponent put in to get this far, and the effort they’re prepared to put into a game, then you’re going to have problems. Just ask the Spurs.
When people ask if the Kentucky Wildcats could beat the Philadelphia 76ers, this is the bit they’re missing. As much talent as the Wildcats have, and it is considerable, they have not yet had to exert themselves as professionals. Suggesting a college team could beat any NBA team conveniently ignores the work required to make that leap in the first place.
It can be frighteningly easy to underestimate someone – although not half as easy as it is to overestimate them – but you can save yourself a lot of bother by simply giving him or her as much respect as the situation warrants. If the Spurs’ players approached the game against the Knicks the way they would a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, they would’ve left Manhattan with a relatively easy victory.
So, there you have it. Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches in the history of basketball, teaching us all a lesson, even when he only meant to let off some steam following a loss.
Photo: USA Today