Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images Honoring the greatest rivals in the Spurs’ quest for glory. The San Antonio Spurs have been a roadblock for elite teams since they became operational in 1967, then as the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA. Fifty-seven years later, the Silver and Black are five-time NBA champions and one of the envied organizations in pro basketball. Stacking up those titles was not easy. The Spurs had to defeat great teams led by exceptional players to get there, but they still came up short many other years because of the greatness of their rivals. Some of those opponents are the best players in the sport’s history. On top of smashing Silver and Black hearts, battling them made the Spurs better and brought further excitement to those seasons. Let’s review the foes who gave the Spurs the deepest cuts. Honorable Mention Ray Allen Ray Allen’s trifecta is the most catastrophic moment in Spurs Playoff history and one of the defining highlights of the NBA Finals. Late in Game 6 of the 2013 championship series, the outcome appeared so bleak for the Heat that the NBA had already surrounded the court with restrictive tape to prevent fans from storming the court. Yet, the Spurs’ mistakes left them with a pulse, starting with Duncan out of the game. Next, the Spurs were ahead by three points and should have fouled to send the Heat to the line. Anyways, LeBron James missed a left-wing 3-pointer and Chris Bosh, an underwhelming rebounder, kicked the miss to the corner and Allen shot over Tony Parker to tie with five seconds left. Allen averaged 10.3 points, making 54.5 percent of his 3-point attempts in that series and 9.8 points on 40.9 percent deep shooting in the following Finals. Derek Fisher In Game 5 of the 2004 second round, Fisher hit one of the most heart-shattering and jaw-dropping game-winners in NBA history. With 0.4 seconds left, Gary Payton inbounded from the sideline to Fisher, who instantly fired on the catch over Manu Ginóbili while turning. Fisher and the Lakers ran for the locker room as the crowd stood in numb surprise. This shot is why most people don’t remember the long fadeaway Duncan swished over Shaquille O’Neal on the play before. Tracy McGrady On Dec. 9, 2004, Tracy McGrady’s hosting Houston Rockets were down double-digits to the Spurs in garbage time. Then, he started firing trays, racking up 13 points in the last 35 seconds to snatch a win from the grips of defeat. It’s one of the most outrageous endings to a game ever. 10. Elvin Hayes Elvin Hayes was one of the standout big men of his era. In 1978 and 1979, he led the Washington Bullets over the Spurs in the Playoffs. He punished the Spurs on fastbreak plays, timely cuts, putbacks, and post-ups. Game 2 in 1978 was his finest moment playing the Spurs. The Bullets had lost the previous match at HemisFair Arena, but Hayes got payback, scoring 28 marks on 13 of 21 attempts, recovering 11 boards and denied six shots in a four-point victory. He was the top player in the closeout Game 6, too. In 13 postseason games (8-5) versus the Spurs, Hayes recorded 22.7 points on 48.6 percent shooting, with 14.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. 9. Steve Nash Steve Nash was one of the most intelligent ballers the Spurs ever competed against. He was a rival eight times, emerging victorious once. Who knows what would’ve happened if Robert Horry hadn’t hip-checked him into the broadcast table when the Suns were contenders in 2007? The action caused Boris Diaw and Amar’e Stoudemire to breach “the immediate vicinity of their bench,” getting them suspended for Game 5. Nash played 45 minutes in the next match in a close loss. The 2010 Suns later broke through, sweeping the Spurs in round two. Nash led that unit and uncorked that encounter with a 33-point outburst in Phoenix, lighting up the weak perimeter coverage with his jumper and dribble. He also outplayed Tony Parker as a scorer and facilitator. In 37 postseason bouts, Nash collected 284 dimes as opposed to 108 turnovers. 8. Moses Malone The Chairman of the Boards (Malone) was an unsolvable problem for the Spurs while he played for the Houston Rockets and was whooping them before they got Artis Gilmore to work as the center. He caught all the schemes up close, opening the floor for his teammates and averaged 7.3 offensive rebounds in 10 matches in two triumphant series in 1980 and 1981. The worst damage he did to the Spurs was in the close out Game 3 in 1980, a 21-point win. He destroyed everything in his path, accumulating 37 points on 14 of 22 attempts, with 20 rebounds. 7. Karl Malone The Mailman challenged the Spurs in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2004, helping the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers win each time. At 6 ‘9, with a 250-pound steel body, Malone was a face-up and post monster. Even for Duncan or Robinson, Malone was not an easy matchup to contain because his jumper extended to mid-range. In the first round versus the Spurs in 1994, Malone was a better big man than Robinson, outscoring and outworking him on the glass. Malone’s strength helped him beat Robinson for her positioning, too. Additionally, the Spurs’ lack of offensive options in that encounter allowed the Jazz to load up on Robinson. The Admiral logged 20 points per game, making just 41.1 percent of his field goals in contrast to Malone’s 29.3 marks on 48.2 percent shooting. In 24 prior Playoff games, Robinson averaged 56.1 percent of his tries. Then the Lakers signed Malone for his last ride in summer 2003 after the Spurs beat them and did the same to the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets for the title. The reason Malone appealed to the Lakers and became one of their most valuable players that year is because of his pick-and-roll defense. The Purple and Gold needed a high-level big man defender for that set because O’Neal was notoriously bad at covering this action, and Parker and Duncan exposed him in round two in 2003. Malone’s record versus the Spurs in the Playoffs is 15-6. He elbow is also 1-0 vs. Robinson’s head. 6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar The Tower of Power recorded 21.1 points per game on 55.3 percent accuracy, with 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists, never losing a series against the Spurs in four tries. Even as age slowed him down, Abdul-Jabbar would establish position on the low block and spin for a layup or shoot his trademarked cruise missile if he couldn’t back down his man. Defensively, he created chaos with help side blocks and contests that sparked showtime’s fastbreak. Abdul-Jabbar didn’t just play well against the Spurs, he outperformed the A-Train Artis Gilmore in the 1983 and 1986 Playoff matchups. Gilmore, one of the strongest men who ever played pro basketball, was acquired to neutralize him in 1982, but the plan failed. 5. Shaquille O’Neal Shaquille O’Neal led the Lakers past the Spurs thrice between 2001 and 2004. The Spurs swept his Purple and Gold squad in 1999 and ended their quest for a fourth straight title in 2003. For a time, O’Neal’s offense was so dominant it could offset his shortcomings on defense. He was the hub of the triangle attack. He could pivot to the rim or overpower anyone at close range. Even Duncan caught a few elbows trying to wall him up. Stopping O’Neal required constant double-teaming, but he was a smart player who could get the pass off before getting in trouble. His top showing against the Spurs was Game 3 of the 2001 West Semifinals. He was unstoppable at the hoop, combining for 11 of 13 attempts in the first and third quarters. O’Neal registered 22.4 points on 53 percent accuracy, with 12.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.8 blocks across 30 Playoff games facing the Spurs. And aside from tormenting the Spurs’ defense, O’Neal fabricated a story in his book, Shaq Talks Back (2001), about Admiral David Robinson denying him an autograph as a young man, which he later admitted he made up for attention. 4. Kobe Bryant Kobe Bryant and O’Neal played the Spurs in five series, winning three. In Game 4 of the 2002 West Semifinals, Bryant hit the game-winning shot after nearly losing the ball on an isolation set against Bruce Bowen. Fisher recovered the ball and bricked a mid-range jumper. To the horror of the home crowd, Bryant leaped for an offensive rebound, snatching it one-handed, landed, and went back up for a floater in Admiral Robinson’s face. After the Diesel (O’Neal) and Black Mamba’s (Bryant) break up, the latter led his Lakers past Duncan’s crew in five games in the 2008 West Finals. He feasted inside the arc in that series, converting 58.3 percent of his two-pointers. Bruce Bowen, a First-Team All-NBA Defender that year, was locking and trailing well and contesting on time but was helpless when Bryant got in the zone. Bryant famously took over the fourth quarter of Game 5, amassing 17 points on a flurry of jump shots and rim assaults. That performance catapulted his team to the NBA Finals. 3. Kevin Durant The Slim Reaper’s all-time Playoff record against the Spurs is 18-9, averaging 28 points on a 62.3 true shooting percentage, with 7.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. His mark against Tim Duncan is 10-8 across three series in the postseason. The Spurs were in contention for a title in 2012 and 2016. Durant and his crew stopped them both times. He had masterful performances in San Antonio in each series and was age 22 on the first occasion. The Silver and Black defeated his Oklahoma City Thunder team in the 2014 Western Conference Finals then went on to blast the Miami Heat for the NBA championship. At 6 ‘11, with a 7’ 5 wingspan, guard mobility and historical deep range, Durant was the Spurs’ biggest matchup nightmare aside from O’Neal and LeBron James. The release point and quickness of his jumper overmatched defenders because of its separation. He was also elite late in matches. Remember Game 2 of the 2016 Western Conference Semifinals at the AT&T Center. Durant was implacable, successfully firing over opponents and dunking on the break. It was an epic late duel between him and LaMarcus Aldridge. Durant countered LMA’s 13 points, scoring 10 fourth-quarter digits, finishing with 28 on 57.9 percent shooting and a victory to split the series going back to Oklahoma City. 2. Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Nowitzki and his Dallas Mavericks played the Spurs in six series, winning two and totaling a 15-18 record. He tattooed painful memories for the Spurs and its fans in Game 7 of round two in 2006 at the Spurs’ house. He denied the champs an opportunity to keep playing for the repeat. The German Race Car kicked off that contest by facing up Duncan, baiting him into a fake and blowing by for a dunk. As the game continued, Nowitzki attacked the basket on more face-up plays and connected on faders plus jumpers from the baseline and elbows. The critical play executed late to force overtime was his as well. As the Mavericks were down three points with 25 seconds left, Nowitzki attacked with Bowen on his hip, finishing a soft lay-in with contact. Then he stepped to the line and the ball kissed nylon to tie. Duncan had 41, Ginóbili added 23 and Parker dropped 24 marks, but it wasn’t enough. In that series, Nowitzki put up 27.7 points per game on 52.7 percent shooting, with 13.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. His last series versus the Silver and Black was the 2014 first round. Even at age 35, Nowitzki’s mid-range shooting gave the backline defense problems. 1. LeBron James The King and his court battled the Spurs in three championship rounds, winning the middle exchange in 2013. His speed, size and strength in a 6 ‘9 build made it difficult to stay in front of the ball or disrupt his drive quickly enough. His finest moment against the Spurs was the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the 2013 Finals. James led the Heat back from behind double-digits, scoring 16 fourth-quarter points and setting up two teammates. Without his work, there is no Allen shot to tie. On top of that, he had his only triple-double of the season that night. In the last minute of Game 7, Duncan missed a close-range shot with the much smaller Shane Battier guarding him and failed to make the tip-in as the Spurs were down two points. James responded, hitting the go-head mid-range jumper over Leonard on the next possession to secure back-to-back championships for the Miami Heat. James totaled 25.3 points per game on 47.6 percent shooting, with 10.9 rebounds and seven assists. Six years prior, Duncan told James that the NBA would be his league following the Spurs’ Game 4 victory to sweep his Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. In Duncan’s case, it hurts to be right.