The issue with the "Jordan, Kobe, Shaq didn't win before Phil" argument is that Jordan, Kobe, and Shaq with an average to good coach have a waaaaaaaaaaaay better shot at winning titles that Phil with an average to good team. I'm not gonna act like Phil didn't play his part but the NBA is a players league. His way of doing things was completely contingent on having the best player in the league and ATG complimentary players. Yes Pop had Tim but he never had a Kobe level or even a Pippen level complimentary player to go along with him AND he had to deal with Shaq and Kobe every year for the first half of the century. You put a T-Mac or Vince or even Pierce in SA and history looks a whole lot different.
Pop's ability to remix the Spurs like this can't be overstated. Phil or Pat probably leaves after the CF loss to the Lakers or most definitely the 1st round loss to the Grizzlies. They looked completely done then. Neither one of them ever showed the patience/willingness/ability to stick around build a team back up. To rebuild around an aging core like Pop has is no small feat in the NBA. I'm not sure Phil or Riles could do that or would even be willing to try.
Last but not least when you talk about rings we can't just ignore the refs. If Pop's teams were got some of the benefits that Phil and Pats teams got the Spurs probably win 4-5 straight in the mid 2000's.
I remember that exact moment. It was opening night in PHX and right from the tip Pop had them foul shaq as a joke bc they were going at in the media bc shaq didn't like that hack a shaq shyt
and slamming the phone down? Would you even trade prime Pip for that? 
