Goodbye to the Spurs for Now, and Maybe Tim Duncan Forever
If Thursday night’s loss away to the Oklahoma City Thunder was Tim Duncan’s last game ever in the NBA, it was certainly an awful way to finish one of the greatest careers of all time in any sport. It was a 113-99 win for the Thunder, and they will go on to the Western Conference Finals to play the Golden State Warriors. Duncan, no matter if he retires now or plays another year, will go down as one of the best power forwards in NBA history, if not the best.
Over his 19-year career, the life-long Spur has averaged 19 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, with his best single-season being 2001/02, where he averaged 25.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. The former Wake Forest University player averaged more than 10 points per game in each season he played except for this past one, but that is excusable because he was 39-years-old for the majority of it, but he turned 40 during the playoff series against the Thunder.
What set Duncan apart throughout his career was his demeanor on and off the court. He played with the same facial expression whether he was being shut down or if he was dominating. He never spoke out against anyone, whether it was a teammate, coach, or referee, which happens all too often in today’s NBA.
Additionally, Duncan valued fundamentals over flash. Sure, he would have an emphatic dunk or block once in a while, but he would much rather find a teammate for a better shot than try to make the highlight real all the time.
Duncan was as great a teammate as anyone could ask for, and this current Spurs team shows that he was a great leader by example. Kawhi Leonard, known as the Silent Assassin, clearly learned some tips from Duncan, regularly called the Big Fundamental, because the former has great fundamentals, never says anything noteworthy for bad reasons, and is taking the league by storm.
Whether he was playing alongside the legendary David Robinson in the post or had Patty Mills running the pick and roll with him, Duncan always found a way to win and win with class. The former first overall pick collected five rings over the course of his illustrious career, and he always was efficient and effective. He never shot too much, he never hogged the ball. Tim Duncan was the last of his kind, and the NBA will miss his sensational mix of kindness and ability.