Last time Spurs were in Finals, Cowboys were as close as ever

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates after winning game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 30, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The San Antonio Spurs are back in the NBA Finals. It really is amazing. As a Spurs fan myself, it is particularly amazing. Even some non-Spurs fans are at the very least impressed with what the team has done, especially given how young they are.

In the few days since San Antonio punched their ticket to basketball’s ultimate stage there has been a lot of equating them to the Dallas Cowboys of the early 90s. At that time the Cowboys were almost too young to possibly be as good as they were. All of that led to them dominating the NFL for the decade and establishing themselves as one of the greater groups of all time.

We all know that the franchise has been chasing those days ever since, but the good news (if you don’t mind reaching a bit) is that the Spurs being back in the Finals would suggest (maybe!) that our abyss might soon be over.

Last time the Spurs were in the Finals, the Cowboys were as close as ever

As noted the Spurs are back in the NBA Finals. It has been 12 long years since that was the case. Imagine a drought that was only that old!

San Antonio appeared in consecutive Finals in both 2013 and 2014 against the Miami Heat. LeBron James and Co. took the first battle in a series that went the distance, but a year later Gregg Popovich and his group dismantled the Heatles as basketball fans had come to know them.

Obviously our focus is on 2014 since that was the last time that the Spurs were in the Finals. At that time:

• The Seattle Seahawks were defending Super Bowl Champions
• An elder-statesman quarterback was reigning MVP on his second team (Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos)
• The Dallas Cowboys had not been to the playoffs in multiple seasons (2010-2013)
• The team’s quarterback was into double-digit seasons individually (Tony Romo)
• Dallas’ second pick of the NFL sraft was a pass rusher with the last name Lawrence (DeMarcus)
• The Cowboys finished (arguably) a play short of the NFC Championship Game

If we wanted to we could also add that it was a World Cup year, but that is the other kind of football.

As it relates to this football and this year…

• The Seattle Seahawks are defending Super Bowl Champions
• An elder-statesman quarterback is reigning MVP on his second team (Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams)
• The Dallas Cowboys have not been to the playoffs in multiple seasons (2024-2025)
• The team’s quarterback is into double-digit seasons individually (Dak Prescott)
• Dallas’ second pick of the NFL draft was a pass rusher with the last name Lawrence (Malachi)

In case you are unaware as to why 2014 is such a benchmark of hope for the Cowboys, that season was among the closest that the Cowboys have been to finally reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1995. You can make arguments for other years (many suggest 2007 was the most talented team, but you get the overall point here), but in terms of reaching goals we all thought (or at least allowed ourselves to think) it was really going to happen when Dez Bryant came down with it near the goal line.

Now does any of this actually mean anything? Obviously not. But when you have been wandering in the desert for as long as we have throughout The Drought™ then even the most remote sign of water is worth throwing a party over.

Here’s to hoping we are going to see a 2014-like season from the Cowboys this year.