[Editor's Note: It's not often that one of PtR's own gets an opportunity* like this, so I felt it necessary to move this to the front page. Enjoy. -jrw]

Hello, Pounders! I am pleased to bring this interview to you. The Spurs are surging as the season is winding itself up, and I thought it would be a real treat to let all of you hear from one of the most consistent and ardent pro-Spurs voices on ESPN.

***

SRJ: Now, I want to talk Spurs, but first I must say ... you got my attention about a month or so ago when ESPN was discussing a road loss by the Miami Heat, against the Utah Jazz, Jon Barry, Mike Wilbon and Magic Johnson were discussing the final play where LeBron James drew a double team and found a wide-open Udonis Haslem at the top of the key for the game-winner, but he missed. Now, Wilbon and Barry were unequivocal that LeBron should be the one to shoot that shot come what may, and Magic Johnson was almost embarrassed to admit that LeBron made the right play, saying "It was the right basketball play", suggesting with that emphasis that basketball wasn't the best rationale for turning down a low-percentage shot in favor of a wide-open look by a teammate. But you were the only one on that set that day strongly supporting LeBron's choice, and that just took me aback. Can you reiterate what you said that day?

Nobody:

Certainly. On the road, you want the best shot you can get, and a double-covered LeBron can't be a better option than a wide-open Haslem. That was a shot Haslem can make, and you certainly don't want to put a player out on the floor who isn't ready and capable of making that shot. It reminded me of Matt Bonner's first season as a Spur when the Spurs were in Minnesota. He wasn't playing much yet, but he was actually on the floor for the final play and he missed a game winning three. I suppose my ESPN colleagues thought Tim Duncan should have taken that three?

SRJ34:

Well, he did make that one back in '08...

Nobody:

True. But [Spurs head coach Gregg] Popovich knew that Bonner could really shoot, and he wasn't worried about the reputations of his stars. And Popovich trusted a 27-year old rookie [Gary Neal] to extend the 2011 season, and he delivered. If you've got teammates and they're on the floor with you, you have to trust them to do what they're capable of. LeBron did that night, and it was absolutely the right play.

SRJ34:

That's the way I saw it. Anyway, preparing for this interview, I noted that the Spurs are an eyelash away from the overall #1 seed right now. Unlike your ESPN colleagues, you predicted that the Spurs would win the Western Conference -

Nobody:

I did.

WEST CHAMPION

OKC Thunder Marc Stein ESPN.com	OKC Thunder J.A. Adande ESPN.com	OKC Thunder John Hollinger ESPN.com	LA Clippers Chris Broussard ESPN The Mag	OKC Thunder Chad Ford ESPN.com
OKC Thunder Chris Palmer ESPN The Mag	OKC Thunder Michael Wallace ESPN.com	OKC Thunder Brian Windhorst ESPN.com	Dallas Mavericks Jalen Rose ESPN	OKC Thunder Larry Coon ESPN.com
OKC Thunder Henry Abbott TrueHoop	OKC Thunder Kevin Arnovitz TrueHoop	OKC Thunder Scoop Jackson ESPN.com P2	OKC Thunder Justin Verrier ESPN.com	OKC Thunder David Thorpe Scouts Inc.
OKC Thunder Maurice Brooks ESPN.com	OKC Thunder Keith Lipscomb ESPN Fantasy	OKC Thunder Chris Ramsay ESPN.com	OKC Thunder Tim MacMahon ESPN Dallas	OKC Thunder D. McMenamin ESPN LA
OKC Thunder Tom Haberstroh ESPN.com	LA Lakers Zach Harper Daily Dime Live	OKC Thunder R. Shelburne ESPN LA	OKC Thunder Chris Forsberg ESPN Boston	LA Lakers Nick Friedell ESPN Chicago
OKC Thunder Jon Barry ESPN	OKC Thunder Tim Legler ESPN	OKC Thunder Jeff Caplan ESPN Dallas	OKC Thunder A. Kamenetzky ESPN LA	OKC Thunder B. Kamenetzky ESPN LA
Results: Oklahoma City Thunder (26 votes), Los Angeles Lakers (2 votes), Dallas Mavericks (1 vote), Los Angeles Clippers (1 vote).

SRJ34:

- and you also predicted that the Spurs would win the NBA title?

Nobody:

Yes.

NBA CHAMPION

Miami Heat Marc Stein ESPN.com	Miami Heat J.A. Adande ESPN.com	Miami Heat John Hollinger ESPN.com	Miami Heat Chris Broussard ESPN The Mag	Miami Heat Chad Ford ESPN.com
Miami Heat Chris Palmer ESPN The Mag	Miami Heat Michael Wallace ESPN.com	Miami Heat Brian Windhorst ESPN.com	Miami Heat Jalen Rose ESPN	Chicago Bulls Larry Coon ESPN.com
Miami Heat Henry Abbott TrueHoop	Miami Heat Kevin Arnovitz TrueHoop	Miami Heat Scoop Jackson ESPN.com P2	Miami Heat Justin Verrier ESPN.com	Miami Heat David Thorpe Scouts Inc.
Miami Heat Maurice Brooks ESPN.com	Miami Heat Keith Lipscomb ESPN Fantasy	Miami Heat Chris Ramsay ESPN.com	OKC Thunder Tim MacMahon ESPN Dallas	Miami Heat D. McMenamin ESPN LA
Miami Heat Tom Haberstroh ESPN.com	Chicago Bulls Zach Harper Daily Dime Live	Miami Heat R. Shelburne ESPN LA	Miami Heat Chris Forsberg ESPN Boston	Miami Heat Nick Friedell ESPN Chicago
Chicago Bulls Jon Barry ESPN	OKC Thunder Tim Legler ESPN	Miami Heat Jeff Caplan ESPN Dallas	Miami Heat A. Kamenetzky ESPN LA	Miami Heat B. Kamenetzky ESPN LA
Results: Miami Heat (25), Chicago Bulls (3), Oklahoma City Thunder (2).

SRJ34:

What I find interesting about that ... members of the media have drawn parallels between the New England Patriots and the San Antonio Spurs over the years, but analysts at ESPN were rather enthused about the Patriots' chances in 2011.

Nobody:

Oh, I wasn't the only one over there on the Patriots' bandwagon.

SRJ34:

Can you explain why your colleagues didn't have a problem with the Patriots, but seemed allergic to picking the Spurs?

Nobody:

On the whole, my colleagues do fine work. I think it's best that I make my case on the air, in the studio, every Sunday. And I always do.

SRJ34:

True. You know, most analysts are kind of skeptical about the Spurs because of their age. And what I'm getting at is, Tim Duncan is 35. Manu Ginobili is 34. Tony Parker is 29 with ten seasons behind him. But in 1998, Michael Jordan was 36, Scottie Pippen was 33, Dennis Rodman was 35, and back then you were saying that the Bulls' age was a big problem.

Nobody:

It seems I'm always at odds with my fellow analysts. These days, I don't believe that the Spurs' age is a big problem, and just as it was in 1998, my colleagues disagree.

SRJ34:

Do you think perhaps people don't take your predictions seriously because of your bias?

Nobody:

Excuse me??

SRJ34:

Let's not pretend you aren't a huge New Jersey Nets fan...

Nobody:

(rips out lapel microphone, slaps SRJ) That's it. I don't have to take this from you! THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER!!

*This is a work of fiction