According to Deveney, Peter Holt is the key compromising figure for what the owners bring to the table on this crucial day.

Either that, or the boredom is really getting to him...

Robert Horry's 17-year-old daughter has passed away. Prayers for the Horry family.

Nice Buck Harvey piece on ex-Spur great Mike Mitchell, who is now battling cancer. I still remember the playoff series when he lit up the Lakers. The current Spurs could really use his incredible mid-range game.

The comparisons have already broken down - Spurs rep Pia was just voted off of AI.

An interesting article on the challenges facing small market teams.

Last spring, when the Suns put the finishing touches on a 4-0 sweep of San Antonio in the West semifinals, virtually nobody could have envisioned the Spurs having the best record in the league the next season.

The contrast of individual (Carmelo) vs team (the Spurs). It's the NBA's dirty little secret.

Not only are the Spurs topping the league, they even have time to help get us in the holiday mood...

RJ gets props for the comeback category, Pop doesn't in the coaching one. And Manu doesn't make the top 10 for MVP...

"The Spurs are the best team in the league."

A nice (though inconclusive) article contrasting the attitudes of LeBron and TD, including this revealing quotation:

This from ESPN.com last week: "Two opposing GMs, without citing specific examples, said they know James has vetoed deals (Danny) Ferry would have made over the past few years."

It makes one wonder who would have been involved in those deals...

The key excerpts:

I have Spurs-Suns 2010 ranked as the second-most entertaining/memorable/dramatic NBA playoff sweep ever. All four games stood out for different reasons, each game was supremely entertaining, the subplots in the series were sublime, and the overriding theme (Phoenix finally lifting that Spurs monkey off its back) was tremendous.

To the Duncan-era Spurs: Four titles, 13 straight 50-win seasons (I'm including the stupid lockout season) and a boatload of fantastic memories. OK, not really. But we got to watch Duncan (the best power forward ever), Ginobili (the best international guard ever if you're not counting Nash, and you shouldn't, since Canada isn't really "international"), Parker (who perfected the celebrity relationship), Popovich (the best coach of the past 15 years), and two really fun rivalries (Spurs-Suns, Spurs-Mavs). Look, you can't stay on top for more than a decade without getting a top-three lottery pick or having Chris Wallace trade you a top-three lottery pick. That's just the way this league works. So hold your head up high, Spurs. Fantastic run. When players are bawling in their locker room because they finally beat you (like Nash did after Game 4), you know you accomplished something great. And you did.

A decent read in which Pop opens up a bit.

They really have those championships. They really did that. If anyone ever earned the right to die with their boots on, the Spurs have.

As I was watching this I was thinking, "What important team is left out of this discussion?" Then Skip Bayless stepped up to the plate (even as he was being mocked) - the only one with the huevos to say it...

Are y'all ready for this? Here's Dirk (and other North Texas athletes/celebrities) singing Faith Hill's "This Kiss". Who do you like best (or dislike most)?

As Duncan grows older, it's easy to imagine him being productive into his 40s, not just because his game relies on skill more than athleticism, but because he's proven himself remarkably able to deal with change. And even if his game deteriorates, the Big Fundamental carries himself with such dignity that he could stick around as a backup big man for several years without embarrassing himself.

C.P. at the top? How about Andrew Bynum being ranked higher than his much-more famous teammate? Our Big Three are bunched together at #'s 12-14.

David Robinson going out as a champion (on Father's Day!) in 2003 is surely #1 on this list. Wait - you mean it didn't even make the top 10? What?!?

I'm surprised that no one put this one up yet in the midst of the cycle of David Robinson stories that are currently circulating. I really liked this one because Pop emphasized David's character, even in comparing him with the great MJ. (There's also a nice photo of Pop with the Twin Towers.)

A re-visit of the issue featuring the first young talent to make the jump - Moses Malone.

Bill Simmons attended the recent USA-Mexico World Cup qualifying match in Mexico City. Afterwards, he wrote an excellent piece on the incredible pride and emotions of soccer at this level, and even included a couple of TD/Spurs (and LeBron) references:

It comes down to a catalyst and a mindset; if you're missing both, you can't pull it off. In basketball, think of the teams that play beautifully together (like Duncan's Spurs or Nash's pre-Shaq Suns) versus stagnant offenses that stand around watching their best player go one-on-four (like LeBron's Cavs).

The second TD reference was when Simmons waxed eloquently about Jozy Altidore, the young, talented USA forward:

Jozy made his bones in the Confederations Cup, where he posted up a Spanish defender like Tim Duncan, hauled a long pass into his body, shielded the same defender, whirled around (and inadvertently flung the defender to the ground by sheer force), then whipped a bullet by Spain's goalkeeper for a game-altering goal. If you saw it, you remember it, a LeBron-like, uber-athletic moment for an American team normally habitated by realistically talented, ultimately forgettable athletes.

One point of disagreement: the USA is actually better than Mexico, as has been proven over the last few years. Of course, in Mexico there is a lot more passion for their team, but as Simmons indicates maybe the times are finally changing in the US as well. Well worth the read.