Nice Guys Finish First

If you're a sports fan (and even if you're not), you probably know that the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA title Sunday night. Please pardon me while I indulge in a little gloating.

Spurs Win Fifth Title, Cementing Dynasty Across Decades

SAN ANTONIO — The arena rumbled. It was only the first half on Sunday night, but there was already a growing sense of inevitability with each passing possession. Having withstood the best that LeBron James could offer, the Spurs were closing in on another championship.

Tim Duncan backed down an opponent before throwing in a baby hook. Manu Ginobili raced end to end for an emphatic dunk that nearly blew the top off AT&T Center. And James, the Miami Heat’s resident superstar and the best player on the planet, was rendered powerless by the Spurs’ slow march to history.

With their 104-87 win in Game 5 of the N.B.A. finals, the Spurs celebrated their fifth championship in 16 seasons as black-and-silver confetti fell from the rafters. San Antonio turned the series into a coronation by winning four of five games, including the last three, with the bonus of snuffing Miami’s well-publicized quest for a third straight title in the process.

Sadly, after many sports championships, fans often engage in an orgy of rioting and destruction. For the most recent example, one need only look back as far as last February's Super Bowl.

Seahawks Fans Run Riot After Super Bowl Victory

In another shameful reminder of how Americans care more about sports than the future of their own country, Seattle Seahawks fans reacted to their team’s Super Bowl victory by behaving like animals – lighting fires, damaging historic buildings and ripping down street signs during raucous scenes last night.

While the scenes were not on the same level as some of the post-Super Bowl riots of recent years, Seahawks fans didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory...

Riot police watch over a crowd of out-of-control fans in Seattle

But just as the Spurs are different from typical NBA teams, so are their fans different from other teams' supporters.

Celebrating Spurs Fans Mob Downtown to Clean Streets, Check on Well-Being of Fellow Citizens

Moments after the San Antonio Spurs won the fifth title in franchise history Sunday night, fans began to fill the downtown streets to celebrate and volunteer in the community.

“Wooooooo! We’re the best in the world!” said Spurs fan Gilda Sanchez, while picking up some trash that had spilled out of a waste receptacle and putting it back inside. “It’s so exciting to celebrate in a manner befitting our champions! Excuse me. My voice got a little loud there for a second.”

More than 500 Spurs fans overran a downtown homeless shelter to donate canned goods, while several hundred more were nearby putting fresh coats of paint on storefronts. Video of the celebrations shows dozens of fans converging on police cars to hand-wash and wax them.

“Just a good group of fundamentally-sound fans,” said San Antonio police chief William McManus. “Almost too good. I don’t know what I’m going to do with all of these apple pie and cookies they baked me.”

After about 90 minutes of celebrating and serving the community, Spurs fans were joined in the street by Spurs players and they all together stormed the streets of the city getting cats out of trees and helping old folks across the street.

“I’m glad the series is over,” said Tim Duncan. “Being out here with the people, doing wholesome things — this is the kind of stuff I really love.”

Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But the folks down here really are, for the most part, respectful and considerate. And the Spurs organization - players, coaches, and staff - contributes a lot of time and resources to the community. It's gratifying to see good guys finish first for a change.

Speaking of Tim Duncan:

Go Spurs Go!!!