Atlanta Falcons: High praise given from Spurs GM
By Randy Gurzi
San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford spent some time with Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff and came away impressed
How do you become a five-time champion in your sport? By never being satisfied. San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford showed that exact mentality by taking some time out of his schedule to visit with Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn to see how they run their organization according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.
Buford has been behind the scenes of one of the longest dynasties in all of sports as the Spurs have won championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. He’s a two-time Executive of the Year winner as well for the Spurs, including winning the title in 2016.
Still, he feels there are ways to improve the culture and took the time to visit with the Falcons during the second day of their training camp. Afterwards he had some high praise for how the Dirty Birds conduct their business.
"“It’s really fun to watch Dan and Thomas build their team and to see the energy that they show,” Buford told ESPN via McClure. “And then to see the passion of the players; it’s an impressive operation.”"
Buford apparently has become a close friend with Dimitroff, which means this meeting most likely won’t be the last. It’s a good opportunity for Atlanta as well as their decision makers could stand to pick the brain of a winner like Buford as well.
The Spurs are a constant contender and have been able to overcome losing championship games to come back and be better than before. Their 2014 title came just one season after losing in heartbreaking fashion to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. They came back strong the next season and won it all. That kind of perseverance is impressive to say the least.
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Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson was also on hand, which had to make for a pretty interesting day for the Falcons brass. It also is a huge testament to the way the franchise is building their foundation.