When Boris Diaw was rumored to be bought out by the Charlotte Bobcats, rumors swirled about where he'd end up.
The San Antonio Spurs were one team that was very interested in the versatile big man and his friendship with Tony Parker also played a part. He ultimately signed with team midseason last year, but the history between Diaw and the Spurs hasn't been forgotten.
Diaw was acquired by the Suns during the 2005-2006 offseason from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Joe Johnson and some draft picks. Diaw would immediately become a contributor during Amar'e Stoudemire's absence that year and became an often loved and also criticism player on the team. He was also inserted into a rivalry the next year with the Spurs, one that was brewing for the past couple of years that saw the Spurs eliminate the Suns in an embarrassing manner.
In 2007, the feud seemed to reach a boiling point during their second round series when Robert Horry hip checked Steve Nash at the end of Game 4 of the series. When the hip check happened, Diaw and Stoudemire decided to get up and get on the court, which is against league rules during an altercation. They were both suspended for Game 5 and that allowed the Spurs win the series.
After those events and a feud that was alive up until two years ago, it might've been a little odd for San Antonio fans to picture Diaw on the court in a black and silver jersey. In fact, it's still is for Diaw himself as he said during a Spurs Mailbag interview with Spurs.com:
A little bit, but it's not like we hate one another. We want to win, but it's always in a gentlemanly manner. I kind of knew about the team from Tony already.
Boris has been a great team player so far and said he's learned about the team and its schemes from the French National Team, who uses some of the Spurs' plays. He's been playing the way Suns fans remember him in Phoenix. He's a great passer and shooter, who can play just about every position on the floor if given the opportunity and play it well. It's a good thing Diaw didn't feel "too weird" about signing with San Antonio or else the Spurs would've missed out on a great player who's been filling in the void that's been left over from Spurs who've left the name years ago.
