David Lee joined the Spurs last summer with a résumé that included two All-Star selections, an All-NBA nod, and one absurd 37-20-10 triple double. He was by most accounts a high-character guy, helping shore up a frontcourt that had just been fundamentally rocked in the wake of Tim Duncan’s retirement. And yet, there wasn’t much buzz when he signed for a bargain, two-year deal worth $3.1 million (in the Summer of Mozgov, no less).
Maybe it was his eventual obsoletion in Golden State, or his forgettable stint in Boston. Either way, Lee soon became a key part to the Spurs’ new rotation.