Two factors have really lessened my disdain for the Spurs. Obviously, sweeping them two years ago really helped. The other factor is that since Bruce Bowen retired, they aren't nearly as dirty as they used to be imo. He was the worst at doing things to try and hurt people, and he's so desensitized the refs to his style of play, he'd get away with stuff that nobody else could. So, while I don't like the Spurs now, it's much easier to watch and respect what they do.
Maybe I'm a weird Suns fan, but I don't feel your nostalgia for the days when the Spurs would beat the Suns. I'll guess that most Suns fans were very excited to see the Spurs get bounced.
I'm a lifelong fan, but I still love watching the Spurs fall just as much as the Lakers. Totally agree with AJ1, once Bruce left, a lot of my anger did (dirtiest player OF ALL TIME). But I don't feel badly for them at all. We need to be a bad team for a few years to get good draft picks and rebuild - i.e. the Thunder. You don't draft Westbrook, Durant and Harden because you're a good team.