This city is still glowing from the excitement of winning the N.B.A. championship. The franchise won its second title since 1999, but that title was won during a lockout-shortened season. After Sunday's victory over the Nets, an usher proudly proclaimed, "No asterisk on this one."

The snapshot I will take from the finals was a scene at the SBC Center on Sunday night as time ran out and multicolored confetti poured from the rafters. Hard-driving soul music rocked the house and unadulterated celebrations broke out. The place was in an uproar. Fans danced and hugged in the aisles. On the court, Spurs players, team officials and family members celebrated.

The one incongruent moment was when the Nets' Jason Kidd stood in the midst of the celebration as he waited to be interviewed. His mind must have been racing; mine was.

Kidd will be a free agent in less than a month. His destination was the underlying theme throughout the playoffs and the refrain intensified during the finals. His destination of choice is supposedly San Antonio. Through the pain and disappointment of a second straight defeat in the finals, Kidd probably took note of the excitement. This was a great scene, a nice place to be. The Spurs were like the local college team and this was like a college town. With no National Football League team, no Major League Baseball franchise to steal the Spurs' thunder, San Antonio is theirs.