Dr. Giganto

The Spurs swept the Lakers in 1999 (the third year with Shaq and Kobe together). Glen Rice also averaged 17.5 points for the Lakers that year. That team also had an effective Eddie Jones (13.6 ppg), and respectable role players in Rick Fox, Derek Harper, Derek Fisher, and Robert Horry. This was the strike-shortened season, but they had the best record in the Western Conference a year earlier.

The Spurs also swept the top-seeded Blazers in the Western Conference final.

Then the Lakers went nuts for a few years and dominated the West...can't blame the Spurs for that.

The Spurs then beat the three-time defending champion Lakers in 2003, and were a miraculous Robert Horry shot away from taking a 3-2 lead in their 2004 match-up.

Sure the 2000-2004 Lakers teams were overall better than the Spurs, but that doesn't mean the Spurs aren't legitimately good.

Let's also remember that despite the overall weakness ofthe NBA, the bulk of the talent is in the Western Conference. So, the few legitimately good teams (like the Suns and Mavericks) have been losing out to the Spurs these last few years.

The 2000-2007 Spurs aren't on the same level as Russell's Celtics, or Bird's Celtics, or the Showtime Lakers, or Jordan's Bulls, or the Shaq-Kobe Lakers. But they're certainly on par with, if not better than, the "secondary dynasties", like Hakeem's Rockets, the Bad Boy Pistons, the Knicks of the early 70's, etc.