Spurs-Thunder: best basketball of all time?

Blur Ball meets Bully Ball

Over the last few years, the NBA playoffs have evolved to be dominated by teams playing with unmatched intensity. Add to that: Victor Wembanyama. ALEX SLITZ/GETTY IMAGES

There are at most three games left in the 2026 Western conference finals–Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Savor them–this might be the highest level basketball that has ever been played.

DAVID: Back when it happened, I saw the Spurs beating the Heat in 2014 and felt it was the best NBA team in history.

I have watched this series very closely. We’re well past that. It’s remarkable. The Thunder and Spurs are so young. But this is the highest-level basketball of all time.

New York is built like a lot of old-school great teams, lots of experience, lots of skill. They’re playing at a very high level, defensively, physically, but to be able to withstand the pressure and the athleticism and speed on the depth of one of these two teams is a test they have nowhere nearly faced. The closest thing they have seen to this kind of team…