ESPN The Magazine proclaims Spurs second-best sports franchise in 2013

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Sustained excellence, perennial title contender, a fan base second to none and quality players on and off the court are just a few ways to describe the San Antonio Spurs franchise.

With Tim Duncan, Gregg Popovich and owner Peter Holt setting the tone, the Spurs have become the envy of sports franchises which has netted the team four NBA titles, winning regular seasons and consistent playoff appearances during the "Big 3" era.

And because of this and more, ESPN The Magazine has ranked San Antonio the second-best sports franchise trailing only the Memphis Grizzies.

More than 60,000 fans nationwide filled out a survey that covered 25 categories and evaluated teams on items such as ”has players who act professionally on and off the field” to “makes it easy to buy tickets through the team website.” Then, ESPN conducts financial analysis to see which of the four major sports — NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL — offers the greatest rewards for their fandom.

This commitment to professionalism and excellency on the court is what makes the Spurs the best in the NBA. Other teams pluck from San Antonio's front office (such as Sam Presti with the Thunder) and coaching staff (such as Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta).

Not to mention taking in a Spurs home game is quite affordable with the team offering great ticket deals.

The Spurs will embark on what could be one of the few finals seasons with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker on the court at the same time in the next few weeks. So it goes without saying that all NBA fans need to soak in the play from Hall of Fame bound players before it is too late.

Four NBA titles, five NBA Finals appearances, consistent 50-plus winning seasons, and more. Not bad for a small-market team deep in the Lone Star state.