In "Year 17", Brandon Ingram won consecutive League MVP, as Spurs defeated 76ers, 4-1.

Watch "Year 17" here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJO5DpXWDeY80OGtizn-2zwjfTt2lGWHY

It was an experimental summer by the Spurs front office, taking fliers on the likes of Gary Trent, Jr., Dennis Schröder, Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Clarkson & Romeo Langford to varying degrees of success. The season win/loss record was the worst in five seasons, but still an amazing 77-5, epitomizing "why we play the games" to see if "on paper" really is as good as it sounds. Coach Popovich's swan song season was spent mostly on different lineups and trying to maximize every player's talents cohesively.

Most impressively, Brandon Ingram defended the League MVP title against a fierce effort by Luka Dončić, becoming the first Spurs player to accomplish this feat since the Spurs great, Tim Duncan. Andre Drummond also won himself a 4th Defensive Player of the Year crown.

Once the Spurs reached the playoffs, the true test began without Dejounte Murray, who was injured in the final week of the season. Josh Richardson earned his keep, one season removed from outplaying Spurs icon, Fred VanVleet, taking Shai-Gilgeous Alexander's best shot and rising up to the spotlight in crunch time, leading the Spurs to a sweep of the OKC Thunder. Next, the Lakers, who had beaten the Spurs twice in the regular season, did it again before ultimately falling 4-2 to the silver-and-black squad, with its fearless leader, Dejounte Murray, back in action. For the Western Conference Title, the Mavericks strong duo of Luka & Kyrie just wasn't enough to avoid the 4-0 sweep.

In the NBA Finals, Philly did their best and came within a single shot of taking two wins against the Spurs for the first time ever in the Finals, all thanks to ex-Spur, Buddy Hield. Even in the closing seconds of OverTime for Game 5, Hield could've tied the game, a la Shake Milton of past heroics, and forced a second extra period. Tyrese Maxey had a solid Finals, as did Kelly Oubre, Jr, and Joel Embiid of course. It was fitting to see all the faces of this dynasty collide once again on the biggest stage. It took Kelly Olynyk hitting a 3PT bombshell at the buzzer in Game 2 as well for the Spurs to gain a stranglehold on the 76ers.

Who knows what lies in store this coming summer, but surely it can't get much sweeter than it's become.

Prologue

For the 5th time in the past seventeen seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers have conquered the Eastern Conference to reach The NBA Finals, where they will meet the San Antonio Spurs, a familiar foe.

These two staples of conference supremacy, last meeting three and four seasons ago, have actually, surprisingly so, undergone significant roster overhaul over the years. Buddy Hield, the renown sharpshooter, was part of both San Antonio iterations that bested Philadelphia, but now he’s on the other side. The same goes for Robert Covington, a former 76er alum.

The respective eras of Ben Simmons and James Harden may be over, but one constant remains in Philly: Joel Embiid, starving for that elusive NBA Championship ring. “I still remember that double overtime game. Shake hit that crazy shot. I had like 40-something, and then Ben fouled out. I just feel very blessed to be here again. I’m proud of our team, and Tyrese, Kelly, all our players, and back when we had James. We want to be the one team to beat these guys. I know we can do it. I can’t play forever, man.”

Embiid’s jovial nature is the calm before the storm because undoubtedly Joel and Andre Drummond will have another titanic clash on the glass. Now given the keys to the floor, Tyrese Maxey’s moment has finally arrived. In those precious four face-offs, Philadelphia has fared 2-16 against the Spurs, but to their credit, they are the only team to net two Ws against them; conversely, the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers, have fared 1-12 and 1-16 respectively. Philadelphia & San Antonio’s two regular season meetings were won by the Spurs.