NBA fans everywhere have been blessed this season with the opportunity to witness the historical greatness of the 65-7 Golden State Warriors. The squad from the Bay Area, led by sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, have dazzled on the court since the moment the 2015-2016 season tipped off, capturing the hearts of fans from Oakland to Japan. But while the historical dominance with which the Warriors have performed this season has been immeasurably beneficial for the NBA and its fans, there is one significant downside to the attention surrounding Golden State’s play that should no longer be overlooked. 

Though each year, basketball pundits count the Spurs out as too old or too tired, the squad finds a way to remain not only competitive but potential champions. With the offseason addition of five-time all-star LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs all but ensured they will remain in contention for the next decade, if not longer. In his first season with the Spurs, Aldridge is averaging an impressive 17.7 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game. Playing alongside MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard, whose meteoric rise has fans and analysts alike marvelling at his brilliant play, Aldridge has revitalized a franchise that previously appeared to be on the cusp of teetering into a state of mediocrity. 

Though some remain in awe at the Spurs’ ability to remain elite on a year-to-year basis despite its aging core of has-been superstars, their consistency should no longer come as a surprise. With one of the most functional, methodical front offices in the league, the Spurs have bred a winning culture that starts with management and trickles all the way down to the team’s training staff. 

Beyond a culture of success, the Spurs are unlike any other team in the modern NBA in that it has returned the same core — Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili — for almost 15 seasons. Duncan, who upon retirement will be considered the greatest power forward of all time, has amassed five world championships in his tenure wearing black and white. Parker and Ginobili have been along for the ride for four of those titles. Though talk of the core calling it quits emerges every offseason, the allure of adding another championship to their collective resumes consistently proves too powerful to resist. 

What makes the Spurs great this season, however, is not the core of aging veterans that once led the team from mediocrity to perennial contention. What makes the Spurs great today is Aldridge, Leonard and three-point expert Danny Green. Though Duncan, Ginobili and Parker remain significant contributors to the Spurs’ success, their new trio of budding superstars has them poised to take down the mighty Warriors in what could possibly be a Western Conference Finals for the ages. 

Though almost no one could have predicted Leonard’s emergence as a superstar, blessed with unmatched physical gifts and a skillset that grows more refined by the day, the Spurs believed in him enough to trade point guard George Hill, once a part of the team’s future plans, for the raw 19-year old from San Diego State in what was then deemed nothing more than a risky gamble. 

In just his fourth season, Leonard has become the NBA’s best two-way player, winning defensive player of the year just a season ago, and currently averaging a career and team-best 21.0 points per game. That said, Leonard’s statistics alone do not do his brilliance justice. Those who have seen the Spurs play know that Leonard’s ability to affect any play he’s involved in — on defense or offense — makes him the dark-horse MVP candidate he has become. With the youthful energy of Leonard, Green and Aldridge, paired with the experience of veterans Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, the Spurs are sure to make a deep playoff run not only  in this spring but in many springs to come.