“We've got four more to win. We'll do it this time.”

Those words were uttered by San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan following the Spurs' thrilling series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2014 Western Conference Finals, a series win that ensured an NBA Finals rematch with the Miami Heat.

You know, the same Miami Heat that ripped the Spurs' hearts out of their chests in the finals the year prior.

Duncan, who was doing his best Joe Namath impression, was ready for revenge and to right the wrongs from 2013. So were the Spurs as a whole.

And my goodness, did they do just that, dismantling the Heat in a five-game series that was, at the time, the most lopsided NBA Finals victory in history (the 2018 Golden State Warriors edged out San Antonio with their thumping of the Cleveland Cavaliers).

San Antonio's destruction of Miami (a team that featured a prime LeBron James as well as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) changed the way basketball was played forever, and yet, people still seem to forget about those 2014 Spurs and that prophetic statement from Duncan.

No, San Antonio wasn't flashy. It didn't have any high-fliers or freakish athletes. But it had a ton of really, really good players. Duncan was still top five in the league at the time. Tony Parker was an elite point guard. Manu Ginobili clearly had quite a bit left in the tank. Kawhi Leonard was a budding superstar. Danny Green was a marksman. Boris Diaw was Draymond Green before Draymond Green (well, without the attitude, anyway). Tiago Splitter was one of the most underrated bigs in the game. Patty Mills was a microwave scorer. Marco Belinelli was a long-range bomber.

Oh, and the Spurs had arguably the greatest coach in NBA history in Gregg Popovich.

Make no mistake: that team was stacked. I know the common theme for the 2014 Spurs (also known as “The Beautiful Game Spurs”) was that they were a team full of role players that simply played incredibly well together and functioned like a well-oiled machine, but that is a disservice to just how talented that club was.

San Antonio could beat you in a plethora of different ways. Duncan could abuse just about anyone down low (ask Bosh, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem how things worked out for them in the finals that year). Parker would break down any defense. Ginobili was as crafty as they came. There were shooters everywhere. And defensively? Good luck scoring on that group. Duncan, Kawhi and Green? Are you kidding me?

I know we like to heap praise upon the Golden State Warriors for their five-year run, and while they absolutely deserve massive props for their run, let's also keep in mind that recency bias is a thing.

Twelve of the Spurs' 16 playoff wins in 2014 came by double figures. They pounded the Heat by an average margin of 14.5 points per game in the finals. They won 62 games during the regular season, best in the league.

You are sorely mistaken if you don't think that San Antonio squad could have at least put up one heck of a fight against even the Kevin Durant-led Warriors, and I personally feel that those Spurs would have stomped Golden State in either 2015 or 2016 (the 2016 Cavaliers that beat the 73-win Dubs were not as good as the 2014 Spurs).

I'm not sure if I've ever seen a team move the ball as well as those Spurs, nor have I ever seen a team that in sync. For lack of a better phrase, it was honestly like the basketball equivalent of a symphony, and not even a peak LeBron stood a chance.

I don't know why people outside of San Antonio tend to forget about those Spurs, but then again, people also frequently leave Duncan out of top-five all-time discussions when, in fact, he has a legitimate argument for top three. So why am I surprised?

But I remember that Spurs team vividly, and I will never forget it. Call it good triumphing over evil or whatever, but the 2014 NBA Finals were more than just the forever lovable Tim Duncan slaying public enemy No. 1 in LeBron James.

This was a team rebounding from arguably the most heartbreaking defeat in NBA history. This was a team that eviscerated everything in its path. This was a team that was unfairly deep. This was a team on a mission.

Duncan and the Spurs wanted the Heat that year. Duncan said it himself prior to those finals. They didn't just want to hang another banner; they wanted to do it at Miami's expense. They wanted to tear the Heat limb from limb, and they did just that, so much so that LeBron bolted South Beach for the Cavaliers that ensuing offseason.

At that time, the world rejoiced. The Spurs had just completed one of the greatest redemption stories in sports history. They had beaten the most hated team in the land. Duncan, one of the most beloved figures in the history of the game, won his fifth ring.

But gradually, the hype faded, and here we are, in 2020, and I am one of the only non-Spurs fans who genuinely remembers that 2014 team and just how dominant it was.

I can still remember specific moments of those finals like it was yesterday. Ginobili's ferocious dunk on Bosh. Splitter's vicious block of Wade (talk about poetic justice after Splitter was swatted by LeBron in 2013). Mills exploding for a million threes in the second half of the series-clinching Game 5. Duncan embracing his children as the confetti at the AT&T Center was falling.

And I can recall Duncan's guarantee.

Now, much time has passed. Duncan is an assistant coach for the Spurs. Parker and Ginobili are both retired. Leonard and Green have played for two more teams.

But for me, a dedicated basketball fan who appreciates greatness, the memories haven't faded.

The 2014 Spurs changed basketball forever, and for some reason, no one else seems to remember.