It's not easy to remember now, but the Spurs weren't always the Spurs we've come to regard with a mixture of respect, gratitude and general awe. Twenty years ago, this was still a franchise without a title, one of those classic teams that couldn't quite get over the hump. Then, of course, came the 1997 NBA Draft and the arrival of Duncan. After a year of straightening the bearings, winning 56 games and challenging the Utah Jazz in the West semifinals, the Spurs officially took over the league during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. With a lineup led by Duncan, an aging David Robinson and an impressive cache of role players -- Sean Elliott, Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, etc. -- the Spurs captured their first championship by beating the eighth-seeded New York Knicks in five games. And if you think the Spurs beat up Miami this year, check out what the team did 15 years ago. First round? Beat the Timberwolves in five. Second round? Swept Shaq and the Lakers. West Finals? How about another sweep, this time against Portland. And then came the Finals, where the Knicks were dispatched in five.