There are two popular songs titled “Reason to Believe”.
The first was written in 1968 by a very underrated songwriter named Tim Hardin. His version of Reason to Believe has been covered by many artists, including Rod Stewart, The Carpenters and Johnny Cash. The most famous is the Rod Stewart version:
As Wikipedia describes it: “The lyrics to ‘Reason to Believe’ center on the painful paradox of maintaining hope, affection, and trust even when faced with overwhelming evidence that you are being deceived
or that hope is in vain.”
Tim Hardin’s version is one of those songs where the melody seems upbeat, but the lyrics tell a different story. The most famous example of those songs is Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”.
The key lyric in Tim Hardin’s of the song, about the lies he has been told, encapsulates this dichotomy:
“If I listened long enough to you
I’d find a way to believe that it’s all true
Knowing that you lied
Straight-faced while I cried
Still I look to find a reason to believe.”
Springsteen wrote the other version of “Reason to Believe”, on his dark and brooding Nebraska album. In his version, Springsteen sings about people with absolutely no basis to believe that things will get better — but they believe anyway.
The song has been described as “a profound comment on the resilience of our species”. Wow, the first time the words “resilience of our species” have appeared in my decade plus of writing at Pounding the Rock. This is the key lyric of the Springsteen version:
“Struck me kinda funny, funny, yeah, to me
How at the end of every hard-earned day people find some reason to believe.”
For Spurs fans like me, I will go with Bruce. At the end of the hard-earned day, including the day that ended with the painful Game Two against the Knicks, I can find some reason to believe.
We were told that these Spurs were just too young and inexperienced in the Way of the Playoffs to expect to win this season. We were told that the Spurs could not go down 2-0 before heading the basketball’s Mecca — Madison Square Garden. The Spurs are down 2-0 heading back to MSG.
It strikes me kinda funny, funny, yeah to me, that Spurs fans were told the same thing when they went down 3–2 to OKC in the Western Conference Finals. Even after winning Game Six, the Spurs had to go “on the road” to one of the roughest toughest places to play Game Seven against the defending champs. OKC was 34–7 at home this season, 35-6 last. Checking my notes… Spurs won Game Seven in OKC. They also won Game One in OKC in a classic, one of the best games I have ever seen. Checking my notes again… that is two road wins in Oklahoma City — the same number of times the Spurs will need to win in New York City.
OK, that was my pregame speech. Let’s step back and look at the facts.
The Spurs led most of Game One against the Knicks, and even led by two with two minutes left. In Game Two, the Spurs trailed most of the second half, but mounted a furious comeback and actually led by two with less than a minute left – and had the ball with the score tied with ten second left. (We don’t need to discuss the last ten seconds in this post.) The point is – THE POINT IS – the Knicks have not established that they are the better team. The Knicks have won two games, but could have easily lost two games. Put another way, the Spurs lost two games, but could have easily won two games. One of buddies asked me this morning what the Spurs needed to do differently to turn it around. My answer: “Win.”
The Finals began with two talented teams who could win or lose any game. That has not changed. Even with the truly heartbreaking loss in Game Two, the last ten seconds of that game would not have mattered if the Spurs had done better than 19 for 27 from on their free throws. Or if the Spurs had not bailed out two Knick shooters who were shooting desperation threes from the corner with the shot clock about the expire. Those two fouls cost the Spurs six free throws and five points.
My super-wife says I am an optimist, and she is right. I recognize that the Spurs are down 2-0, and we can’t change that. I also recognize that the Spurs are going on the road, but that does not concern me at all. The Spurs are fine playing on the road.
We have all seen the record of teams who are down 2-0 in a playoff series. But we have also seen the number of teams with three of the key players aged 22, 21 and 20 — zero. This is a unique team, in many ways. Each game this young team plays, they learn more about the Way of the Playoffs.
Throughout this remarkable season, the Spurs have given me Reason to Believe.
And I still do.
