I can only hope to see a Duncan statue outside of the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and to celebrate a city-wide “Tim Duncan day” at some point in the future, because you deserve it and more.
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San Antonio were eliminated in the play-offs this past season by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Duncan has achieved virtually everything throughout his career.
No other all-time great superstar spent more time with one team and had said team competing at the level the Spurs did during Duncan’s tenure.
“I would not be standing here if it wasn’t for Tim Duncan”, Popovich said, via ESPN.com.
The Spurs, meanwhile, would go on to win three more championships with Duncan as Tony Parker manned the point instead.
Popovich, a former three-time coach of the year victor, has won 1,089 out of 1,574 games as head coach of the Spurs.
His presence was what allowed Gregg Popovich – now considered one of the greatest coaches of all time – to coach the team the way he wanted. “People who grew up with me know me”, Popovich explained.
With Duncan now retired, we can rehash a “what if” scenario. He won five National Basketball Association titles, his first and last an astonishing 15 years apart.
I think it will be a seamless transition for the team, former National Basketball Association coach and current television analyst Jeff Van Gundy said.
Duncan is leaving. Other than that, nothings changing.
Sounding as if he were choking up at times and wearing a T-shirt with Duncan’s face printed on the front, Popovich spoke at the Spurs’ practice facility in San Antonio. Fans would’ve loved one more year with LaMarcus Aldridge, and to see him play with Pau Gasol.
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Selected by San Antonio with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 National Basketball Association draft, Duncan has the distinction of being the only Spur to play on all five of the franchise’s championship teams. Let’s put it like this, Tim Duncan played 19 seasons and never missed the playoffs. To think that he’s going to be gone makes it really hard to imagine walking into practice, going to a game, getting on the bus, taking him a piece of carrot cake – whatever it might be. Even though his numbers have fallen off in recent years, Duncan was still an elite defender even at age 40, so Popovich also stated that they have to figure that out. He collects 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and eight blocks in Game 5 of NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets, clinching his second of five championships in the process.
