When discussing dominant teams, the San Antonio Spurs are often overlooked. Under Gregg Popovich, their quiet dominance in the 2000s and 2010s was remarkable. With Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili leading the way, the Spurs won four championships, relying on a European-style approach.
While the league emphasized isolation and star power, the Spurs focused on ball movement, unselfish play and precision. Their bold approach contrasted sharply with the typical NBA style, reflecting European influences.
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On the recent episode of the “Mind The Game” podcast, LeBron James gave his two cents on the Spurs’ play he had to go against.
“A lot of it came from, I think, a lot of the European scouts that they had, being able to see the European game, and knowing sometimes they didn’t have a lot of guys that can just come down and break defenders down. We gotta do this as a team, but we gotta do it with a lot of space, and a lot of pace,” James said.
“I think that Pop, and those scouts, and those coaches did a great job of kind of bringing that game to the NBA, and it caught us all off guard,” he added.
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The Spurs’ style
Under Popovich, the Spurs blended fundamentals with creativity, prioritizing constant ball movement over heavy isolations and individualism. What made them unstoppable was their attack as a unit, rather than as individuals.
​The whole team worked together, taking advantage of every possession and every player contributing to their best abilities until the best quality shot opened up. What made it work was Parker’s unremarkable ability to penetrate and distribute the ball, Ginobili‘s unpredictable fakes and drives, and Duncan‘s quiet yet unstoppable fundamental dominance in the post, along with his precision, timing and IQ.
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​The Spurs’ unique style is what made other teams lost on defense. Their disciplined, fluid and selfless approach led them to dominate championship teams like the Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, the Detroit Pistons, and James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat teams.
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The influence
It’s undeniable that the Spurs were ahead of their time, with organizations today taking a page out of their book by focusing on team-oriented basketball, extra passes, constant movement and spacing. They reshaped how modern basketball is played, along with the large influx of European players, showcasing that skills, fundamentals and IQ are what set you apart from the rest, influencing teams like the Golden State Warriors and even aspects of James’ later Cavaliers squads.
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The most noticeable example of this is their 2014 Finals performance against the Heat. To this day, it is regarded as the pinnacle of team basketball, which helped revolutionize the game with the significant increase in 3-pointers in the 2010s. Teams are no longer looking for the best athletes; they’re looking for players who have an all-around game, who thrive in all areas of the court, with or without the ball in their hands.
The Spurs proved that basketball can be glamorous beyond explosive poster dunks, broken ankles or deep shots from behind the arc. For them, it wasn’t just about beating other teams, but making everybody else realise that effective basketball is built on chemistry and trust, not just star power.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.