San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford has laid claim to the NBA’s 2015-16 Executive of the Year award. It is the second time he’s earned the honor, and it is most definitely well deserved.
Just ask head coach Gregg Popovich, per Melissa Rohlin of the San Antonio Express-News:
Pop on Spurs' GM RC Buford: "We'd be lost without him. Those few words say it all."
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) May 9, 2016
Pop on RC: "We would have had a hard time keeping this together for this long if he wasn't here."
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) May 9, 2016
Coach Pop has a point. The pay cuts some of the Spurs’ stars have taken over the years, mixed in with the team’s draft and free-agency success, is not to be overlooked. Everyone involved is responsible for creating a culture that transcends individual egos, and that includes Buford—now more than ever.
See, while some wanted Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey to take home the front office hardware, Buford is no less deserving. Yes, Olshey has an equally strong case, the key word here being “equally.” Just because the Spurs were so good to begin with, it doesn’t undercut everything he did to improve upon a well-oiled machine.
This sums it up nicely:
https://twitter.com/colezwicker/status/729740383123480576
See what I mean?
And don’t expect Buford to stop there.
If the Spurs, as anticipated, enter the running for Kevin Durant this summer, and then, as they did last summer with LaMarcus Aldridge, get their guy, you might as well give him the 2016-17 Executive of the Year honor as well.
He’ll have earned it.
