Countdown: Top 5 Spurs moments vs. LeBron James
As we count down the days until LeBron James finally makes his free agency decision, it seemed like a good time to count down the Spurs’ top five moments against the 23-year vet.
#5 – Ginobili gets gold; Pop makes an impact
Just a few months after LeBron split his first two games against San Antonio as a Cleveland rookie, he joined Tim Duncan on the USA roster in the 2004 Summer Olympics. The Spurs’ Manu Ginobili, of course, stole the show as Argentina downed the United States in the semifinals and Italy in the gold medal game. Despite the Americans’ third-place finish, that Olympic run forged LeBron’s longtime vocal respect for San Antonio legend Gregg Popovich, a U.S. assistant coach in 2004.
#4 – LeBron laments Kawhi sub
Late in the second quarter of Game 5 in the 2013 NBA Finals (which the Spurs won to go up 3-2 in the series), James famously grimaced at the free throw line when Kawhi Leonard checked back into the game. The clip became a popular GIF and spoke to Leonard’s burgeoning impact, which reached its apex a year later when the Spurs won their fifth championship with Kawhi as Finals MVP.
#3 – LeBron can’t stand the heat
In Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals, the Spurs began their romp through the series with some help from the broken air conditioning in the AT&T Center. With temps in the arena exceeding 90 degrees, James cramped up and missed the last 4:00 of the fourth quarter. Leading just 94-92 when James left the game, the Spurs turned up the heat and won going away, 110-95.
#2 – Timmy’s ‘trash talk’ caps Spurs’ sweep
The Spurs claimed their fourth championship by sweeping LeBron’s Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. After Game 4, Tim Duncan joked with LeBron, “This is gonna be your league in a little while … but, uh, I appreciate you giving us this year.” The future Hall of Famers shared laughs and backslaps as Duncan prophetically poured salt in the wound: James would later appear in eight straight NBA Finals (and nine of 10), winning four titles … one less than Timmy!
#1 – Sweet revenge!
LeBron’s missed three-pointer that would have tied Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals definitely would be in our top 5 had the Spurs grabbed that rebound. But alas … we know what happened after that. The “Beautiful Game” Spurs wouldn’t be denied the next year, however, dominating the Heat 4-1 in the 2014 Finals rematch. The Game 5 clincher saw Miami jump out to a 22-6 lead before the Spurs went on a 59-22 run. Ginobili’s poster dunk to cap a 14-0 second-quarter run was the biggest of many highlights as San Antonio won its fifth NBA title.
Overall, the Spurs are one of just two teams LeBron has a losing record against. He’s 30-33 vs. San Antonio (including playoffs) and 28-34 vs. Denver.
