Tim Duncan gives the injured Spurs the advice and humor they need.
SAN ANTONIO: During the Western Conference finals, there was a frantic rush at the Spurs practice to set up cameras and prepare recording equipment in order to capture what amounted to a white whale sighting.
The most reticent player in the NBA, Tim Duncan, appears to have agreed to speak in public for the first time since his silent retirement during the off-season.
Duncan’s excitement increased with every stride he made. Then, without pausing to acknowledge the cameras, the former Spurs All-Star carefully unwrapped a right knee brace.
“Is there a bathroom back there?” Speaking with the same grim demeanor he had during his 19-year career, Duncan delivered the punchline.
Staff members from San Antonio, such as Becky Hammon, Ime Udoka, and Monty Williams, let out a rare laugh after the Spurs lost a conference finals game that Golden State was expected to win handily and advance to the NBA Finals.
As much a part of Duncan’s Hall of Fame career as his leadership, his sense of humor and composure gave the Spurs a little boost after they trailed the Warriors 0-3 with injured players Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard for a large portion of the game.
Duncan steps in to offer some humor and, more crucially, some defensive pointers.
Spurs guard Danny Green stated, “Having Tim in the facility is always good.” “Even just having him around helps other guys see what he sees on the tube, which helps us refocus and relax a little bit more mentally. He is able to identify and indicate what the bigs must perform.
Duncan has assisted the Spurs informally as an assistant coach since he retired, sharing the skills that made him one of the best power forwards of all time. Over the weekend, he worked with a number of players, but in especially with Patty Mills and LaMarcus Aldridge, who have both had difficulty versus Golden State.
Up until Game 3, Mills was only scoring 5.7 points on 2-for-14 3-point shooting on average. However, Aldridge has taken the brunt of the blame for the team’s poor offensive performance. Against the Warriors, Aldridge is only scoring 18 points on 22 of his 52 shots, despite having signed a big contract in the off-season.
The Spurs are in need of something because they are without their top scorer, Leonard, their starting point guard, Parker, and their dynamic reserve post, David Lee. Sadly, Duncan is not the one.
After winning five titles, three NBA Finals MVP honors, and two league MVP citations, Duncan announced his retirement in July. Time and knee issues caused “The Big Fundamental” to call it quits.
On Saturday, head coach Gregg Popovich mockedly said, “Tim can’t help us a lick.” “He is no longer able to act dead. He only shows up to get the free lunch.
However, that hasn’t prevented Duncan from making every effort to assist. Throughout the season, the 6-foot-11 forward has visited the practice to offer advice to the players and help with drills. He has maintained communication with Popovich.
After a practice in November that Duncan attended, Popovich remarked, “We’re like in love, we text all the time.”
The sardonic admission was unexpected. Popovich text messages? Does he make use of emoticons?
“Only the ones where you blow kisses,” joked Popovich.
Even though Duncan can no longer play a significant role on the floor, the Spurs still benefit from his positive spirit.
After Game 4, they probably could use another boost of encouragement.
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