Duncan Era Ends

Below is a re-post that I did on Tim Duncan in 2012.  Duncan leaves after 19 seasons, never missed the playoffs, never saw a season with a winning % below 60%, ended up with 5 rings.  I looked up a few stats; Duncan was twice league MVP, 3 times finals MVP, 10 times first-team all-NBA, 13th all-time in career PER, and if you believe any defensive metrics, 2nd all-time in defensive win shares.  I heard Avery Johnson talk this week about how shocked the team was in Duncan's rookie year when he showed up at camp and began outplaying David Robinson in practice.  He was boring, so we tend to forget the talent.  I'm not sure where I rank him; top 15 certainly, not sure about top 10.  But, who cares?  An all-time great any way you cut it and the most humble superstar we'll ever see.

I just read the new article in SI about Tim Duncan. It really made me think about how we choose our favorite players. We gravitate toward the mega-talents with big, exciting games who do the fantastic things; like Josh Hamilton, Kevin Durant, etc. The funny thing is I sit down and watch my favorite players and typically get frustrated. Hamilton swings at anything he sees despite the game situation. Durant too easily settles for long jumpers. But when I watch Duncan, I just shake my head in appreciation of how he does everything right.


Imagine a player coming along with these attributes:

1. Supremely gifted athletically – 1st team all-pro talent
2. 7 feet tall
3. Concentrates on fundamentals
4. Has little ego
5. Can put up any numbers necessary but doesn’t care about stats
6. Works to improve all facets of game, not just the flashy ones
7. Leads quietly and by example
8. Is proficient as a scorer, passer, rebounder, defender
9. Has no use for the trappings of fame and adulation
10. Never undermines management

I would challenge you to look at Duncan’s run in San Antonio and compare to any player/team/coach situation ever. Since Duncan arrived, SA has the best winning % of any team in any American team sport. They built that organization around Duncan and have a .700+ winning % and 4 championships to show for it. In truth, Duncan is the holy grail of athletes. Someone who has hall of fame talent, cares about winning, is a leader, is loyal, works hard, and doesn’t chase money/fame.

As a sports fan, I’m kind of embarrassed that we put any other type of player above Duncan in our attention. He is the guy we should all value the most, especially in this age of 24/7 news and twitter. He hit the league, made all-NBA and all-Defensive 13 years in a row and won 4 championships. His game is a training video waiting to happen and he does it all exactly right. No commercials, no twitter, no tabloids, no drama, just hoops.

S