Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson famously branded the Spurs’ first title team in 1999 as an “asterisk” team because they won the championship after playing in a shortened 50-game schedule after the lockout.

"With a shortened season you get all kinds of crazy things," Jackson said while taking a break from a commercial shoot at the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State on Tuesday.

Jackson mentioned the Jazz and Pacers as teams that had a chance to win the 1999 title, but failed perhaps because of the heavy schedule.

"With the asterisk season back in '98, San Antonio and New York certainly weren't on the listed teams that would be in the Finals. You had all these teams, Utah and Indiana, that were all prepped to be there and these shortened seasons make a big difference to players."