Тони Бачелло
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2 минуты назад, Suriken сказал:

спасибо за разъяснения по ПИ. учитывая расклад, я бы танковал за 11 пик и в ПИ не выпускал бы Милза и Гэя ни на минуту, а Дерозана чисто символически для статы.

в финальном спаде и текущей ситуации больше всего виновата травма Уайта, а не количество трешек за игру и отсутствие полноценного комбофорварда в старте. Мюррей слабее Уайта однозначно, а у Уайта еще одна тяжелая травма и он выигрывает пожизненную хрустальную сову.

Да наверно так и есть но ты глянь вокруг - больше половины Нба команд страдают от травм их лидеров или очень важных игроков . Так что это оправдание  не очень убедительно звучит

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9 минут назад, larryJonson сказал:

Да наверно так и есть но ты глянь вокруг - больше половины Нба команд страдают от травм их лидеров или очень важных игроков . Так что это оправдание  не очень убедительно звучит

но мало у каких команд такое тяжелое расписание в последних 15 играх. и надо быть крайним задротом, что бы всерьез ожидать высокий результат от такой команды в этом сезоне. очередная попытка Поповича поэкспериментировать со смолболлом с крайне ограниченным составом. а вот в следующем посмотрим кого выберут на драфте из топ-13 и как распорядятся одной из самой большой суммой под кепкой в лиге. а НЙ молодцы, до сих пор не понимаю, как можно было САС упустить Рэндла, когда он стоил 10 млн...

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4 минуты назад, Suriken сказал:

но мало у каких команд такое тяжелое расписание в последних 15 играх. и надо быть крайним задротом, что бы всерьез ожидать высокий результат от такой команды в этом сезоне. очередная попытка Поповича поэкспериментировать со смолболлом с крайне ограниченным составом. а вот в следующем посмотрим кого выберут на драфте из топ-13 и как распорядятся одной из самой большой суммой под кепкой в лиге. а НЙ молодцы, до сих пор не понимаю, как можно было САС упустить Рэндла, когда он стоил 10 млн...

Никс случайно сделали умную вещь . Они не только взяли Рендла  но и фактически сделали его лидером команды . А он оказался одним из тех кто расцветает под грузом ответственности . СОКРОВИЩЕ А НЕ ИГРОК

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глянул против финикса. чет прям физически больно. А вайт в ПИ будет?

 

В 14.05.2021 в 20:45, Suriken сказал:

и как распорядятся одной из самой большой суммой под кепкой в лиге

та обосрутся как всегда

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16 часов назад, Тони Бачелло сказал:

А вайт в ПИ будет?


Не будет похоже  :(  Подобная травма обычно заживает не меньше месяца. 

16 часов назад, Тони Бачелло сказал:

глянул против финикса. чет прям физически больно. 

Так половины состава и главного тренера не было же. САС несколько дней назад обеспечили себе десятую строчку, а потому Поп покинул команду на матч, чтобы присутствовать на введении в Зал славы своего главного подопечного Данкана.

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Тим Данкан на церемонии включения в Зал славы произнёс сдержанную, но трогательную и содержательную речь (с субтитрами на русском языке)
https://vk.com/sa_spurs?w=wall-53931403_88889&z=video-53931403_456244418%2Fdcf32e7820f28e4a32%2Fpl_post_-53931403_88889 

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сан-антонио - мемфис, 1 четверть: как проебать сезон за 6 минут

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Всё , отмучались ? Ну что я скажу ..

Якоб Шикльгрубер   Пёртл , Дежанте   Бломанже  , Пати ХАХАХА  Миллс , Ленивый Уокер , Руди Гомик  -  эту пёструю банду даже Дерозан с Поповичем  не смогли в ПО  вытащить . Сожалею ..

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1. Дерозана не подписывать. 

2. Два-три года собирать таланты с драфтов и бегать с  геем и пэтти милцом в старте

3. Выходить на рынок свободных агентов

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Сегодняшний матч - как логическое завершение истории, когда ученик в конце фильма сражается с учителем и побеждает (тем более, что Дженкинс действительно пришел из системы "Сперс"). И итоговый разрыв в счете не должен смущать. Когда все твои лучшие кадры, все молодое ядро и будущее франшизы весь матч насасывает в разных позах, а спасать отечество поднимаются два деда со скамейки, доставшие пыльные винтовки со Второй мировой - это торба.

Это просто было больно смотреть, когда три лучших твоих игрока не могут сделать буквально ничего против более или менее организованного соперника. 

Все уже привычно поливают Трэя Янга, но Джа Морант такой же лупень в защите, который 95% ленится и в 5% остального времени не может ничего сделать физически. Просто на фоне классной системы с правильными кадрами вокруг это не так заметно. А тут еще и соперник, где разыгрывающий не может отыгрывать никого в лоб, а попытки поймать размен на более крупного оппонента терпить фиаско - Джа тупо дропает и не разменивается. 

Ну а хрен ли - бояться дальнего броска от Джонсона или ДеРозана? Вперед, попробуйте. 

Поднимает ДеМар центра для высокого пик-н-ролла - Брукс не торопясь обходит его по широченной дуге и успевает еще кофе бахнуть, встречая соперника под кольцом. Причем это в четвертой четверти. 

Про быстрые отрывы вообще молчать надо. Эта история длинною в сезон. Было очевидно, что против неуниверсальной команды Поповича один из самых бегущих коллективов будет рвать с места - так оно и случилось. Пельтль в такие моменты может просто оставаться на чужой половине площадки. Все равно он либо не успевает вернуться, либо добегает назад и тут же в него атакуют, пока остальные не успели встать. 

Переход на игру в три винга в этом сезоне - это гениально, никто не спорит. Но фактически это выглядит как твой дед, освоивший кнопочную Нокию, когда все уже со смартфонами и умными вибраторами (которые, возможно, даже умнее тебя).

Следующая заруба с "Голден Стэйт" обещает быть дико интересной. На днях "мишки" уже згорели своим соперникам, но не думаeтся, что так будет и сейчас. Хотя инструментов для взлома защиты соперника даже у хромых на обе ноги "Уорриорз" всяко больше, чем у таких "Сперс".

А "Сан-Антонио" нужно бы двинуть куда-то вниз, да только захочет ли Попович уходить именно на такой ноте?

Проще продолжать поиски нового Кавая в Лонни Уокерах, Дэвинах Весселлах и Келдонах Джонсонах.

P.S. Да, однозначно - возвращение Уайта все изменит, сразу все заиграет новыми красками.

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13 часов назад, Тони Бачелло сказал:

1. Дерозана не подписывать. 

 

Согласен , вместо 12 места без него , с ним займут 10 . Не стоит таких денег

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ситуация конечно в стиле траст зе процесс. типа говорят, что Демара убрать...он лучший плеймейкер в команде на сегодня и лучший в нападении один на один. если нет Демара и Уайта, то это просто боль. говорят убрать Поповича...а кто-то сможет лучше с таким составом? Уокер и Джонсон хорошие, но мега нестабильные и в принципе есть шанс, что они заиграют намного лучше, но только на АЗ и ЛФ. то есть Демар не нужен для их раскрытия сразу же. теперь расклад с Мюрреем нарисовался - он не умеет играть на ПГ в нападении. Уайт, Миллз и даже Джоунс организаторы атаки лучше. учитывая его контракт, любовь Поповича и защитный скилл, то Мюррей, если останется, то ему нужен полноценный ПГ. Уайт отличный вариант, но он очень травматичен (пока что) или опять возврат к варианту с Демаром в старте, что очень не плохой вариант, но тогда Уокер или Джонсон идет на лавку и в старте очень нужен звездный ТФ с броском. вариант с Джоунсом в старте мало вероятен. а вот вариант без Демара отличный только при условии здорового Уайта со звездным ТФ. получается на лицо перебор с атакующими защитниками без трешки и только один надежный полноценный ПГ, но травматичный. и дикий недобор качественных бигменов. из СА самый нормальный вариант по ПГ - это Шродер или Бол. из бигменов кроме Олийника вообще никого. другими словами рынок СА очень скудный и только трэйд машина может улучшить ситуацию.

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  • 2 недели спустя...

небольшой материал, для прочтения, где Олд Бридж в рамках конверсации с Шаранией высказываетьця в том чиссле об САС (by @Элли)

Quote

Shams: Then you go to the Spurs, have back-to-back 60-plus win seasons and reach the Western Conference finals in 2017. How do you reflect upon your five and a half seasons in San Antonio? (The Spurs were up as much as 25 points against the Warriors in Game 1 of the West finals before losing Kawhi Leonard to an ankle injury. Golden State went on to win the series.)

LMA: I had fun. You join a family when you go to the Spurs. When they bring you in there, they bring you into the family.

They take good care of you, and once you’re in, you’re in. I had fun playing with Hall of Famers. Tim (Duncan), Manu (Ginobili), Tony (Parker). Those guys make the game easier for you and being a part of their story is cool for me because we had those back-to-back 60-win seasons. It was fun for me being from Dallas. I always thought of playing for the Mavericks or the Spurs so to actually get to the Spurs and be a part of that dynasty of those three guys, I definitely enjoyed my time. We were right there if Kawhi doesn’t go down. You don’t know what can happen. That series still wakes me up at night sometimes. We’re up (25) points in the first quarter and the first half we’re up and in control, then Kawhi goes down. They double me and it’s easier to take me out of the block when I’m by myself. We end up losing that day, but if Kawhi stayed healthy and we finished that game off, anything was possible that year. So that year was definitely a tough year to walk away from. I never won a ring, but this was definitely my chance. It just slipped away. The run to get there was fun, you had great seasons, guys had fun.

We left it good on both sides. Pop (Gregg Popovich) and I talked a lot in the end, and he called me after I retired. And he said, ‘Are you OK? If you need anything, let me know.’ Pop and I talked the whole time through. He wanted to play Jakob Poeltl and go young, and I wasn’t ready to like take a big drop in minutes as far as not playing as much anymore. We both agreed it was better for him and the organization if they went with the young guys. We were on the same page with that, and we communicated and we had a bunch of great discussions about it. I feel like I had a great run there. I enjoyed my time there. We had some unbelievable seasons. Toward the end, it wasn’t ideal, but we had some great moments and great times. I feel it’s no hard feelings on either side. Every team has to pick at times to go young. That was kind of their time. And I ended up joining a team that was kind of more fitted for my stage of my career. So nothing but love and respect from me.

пс полноценная статья также представляет собой немалый интерес, как и для болелов нетс и дайхард фаннов л-трейна, таких например размышляющих о том как спустя 14 лет, хоть и на две лишь игр (из 5), были таки объединены два великих ЛМА и КД в одной команде (best duo in the history of basketball) то чего не удалось затупкам из портленда (щас бы спокойно брали подряд 14ый кубок)

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A conversation with LaMarcus Aldridge: On the scary night that ended his career, battling depression, his biggest NBA regret and more

Shams Charania Jun 1, 2021 53 

After abruptly retiring due to a heart condition in mid-April, LaMarcus Aldridge is finding peace alongside his family. Aldridge played his entire 15-year NBA career with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which can cause a rapid heartbeat, but when he felt his heart race in an irregular fashion during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 10, Aldridge had to re-evaluate everything.

The seven-time All-Star (19.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, two assists per game across 1029 contests) officially stepped away from the game with which he fell in love, the sport that he still loved and performed at a high level. He retired on April 15 as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, whom he joined via buyout this season, and he chose health and family over the game.

“I’ve been depressed, and I’m trying to figure out how to navigate through not competing on the floor, learning not to be depressed,” Aldridge told The Athletic. “I still love basketball. I still feel like I have a lot to give. But even now, I’m still trying to find myself. When you go from doing something you love for so long and you lose it overnight, it’s a shock. Even though I knew it was the right decision, those next couple days there was a lot of back and forth with my family, my agent, with the Nets, and they definitely supported me either way. They were upfront and I thought they were great with (saying): ‘This is on you; we don’t know how you felt and how you feel, so we’re going to follow your lead.’ I thought that was awesome of them. I never felt any pressure to come back or make a decision based on the season. It was always: We fully understand what you’re going through, and so if this is what you want to do, you have our support.

“It was tough because I felt I was at a location and with a team that embraced me. I embraced them. We all had a common goal and we had chips on our shoulder to prove something. It was bitter for me. I had finally found the cohesiveness that I had wanted for a while in a group. And then all of a sudden I can’t play anymore. I felt if I stayed with the group, we definitely could get to the Finals and do something special. Those guys rooted for me just as much as I rooted for them. That’s what makes the game fun; when you have a bunch of guys with no egos and everyone’s cheering for each other to do well.

Aldridge is feeling good and has resumed regular testing on his heart condition, including wearing a Holter monitor for further examination. He intended to rejoin the Nets for the playoffs and spend time around his former teammates and coaches, but the league’s coronavirus protocols made it tricky for his return on a consistent basis. Aldridge, 35, said he will consider a coaching role after the season. For now, he is finding his footing in life during the early days of his retirement.

In his first wide-ranging interview since ending his basketball career, Aldridge discussed with The Athletic his decision to retire; the most frightening night of his life; his stints in Portland, San Antonio and Brooklyn; the only regret of his career, with Damian Lillard; Brandon Roy and Greg Oden; and much more.

Ultimately, what went into your decision to retire after the career you had and the way you were still playing?

It was very tough. I definitely wasn’t ready to hang it up and I still felt like I had more to give to a team and I feel I had a lot to give to the Nets. I feel like they needed what I brought to the table, so it was really tough to walk away. They needed an inside scorer and a rim protector, and that’s what I do, especially at this phase of my career. I’ve dealt with WPW, a heart condition, my whole career. I found out about it in 2006, my first year, so I’ve had some reoccurrences over the years and we’ve done studies. The doctors would do research to make sure nothing has changed. I had a weird game against the Lakers, my heart was just beating weird and out of rhythm. I had irregular rhythm the whole game, and I hadn’t experienced that before. Normally when I get on the court, my case study is that I would go into regular rhythm as I got my heart rate up. It had never been out of rhythm in a game and then it was out of rhythm for the Lakers game and I was just off and couldn’t get no energy. I just couldn’t get myself going. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. And later that night, I honestly had a scary night. My heart was beating different or as weird as it has ever been before. I never experienced how slow, fast … it was just crazy how it was going that night. I wanted to wait until the morning to get to the doctors to see what was going on.

Basically, that night being so freaked out — and knowing I have kids, my mom, a lot of people depending on me and a lot of people that I want to see going forward — I just felt like I was blessed by God to play 15 years with this condition, and I didn’t want to push it anymore.

When did you first feel the irregular rhythm on April 10?

I felt it first the morning of the game, but we had done the case study and it said that I should be OK, because once I get on the court, once I start running, once I get my heart rate up, it would go back into regular rhythm. It never would kick back in. During the game, no one knew because I was just thinking: Hey, if I just keep playing, it’s going to turn, it’s going to turn, it’s going to turn. Even one of the assistant coaches, Ime (Udoka), who I’m really close with … I was thinking that if I could just ram into him, shoulder-to-shoulder, I was trying to get excited and get myself going. My case study said as I get my heart rate up, it would come back to normal. So I was just running into him, ramming into him trying to change rhythms. After the game when we talked, he realized why I kept doing that because I had never done it before. I was trying anything to just get my rhythm to come back to normal and it just wouldn’t and it didn’t. It was a long game of just not feeling like yourself. Can’t get your body going, your heart is beating weird, and that’s on your mind and you can’t get your energy up.

How did your night proceed?

It was still off after the game, but at like two, three in the morning, it got really, really crazy. My heart was beating really crazy, and that’s when it got really bad for me. From two to five in the morning, I was just trying to evoke some breathing and then around 5:30 or so, I texted the team doctor and I went to the hospital. It was probably the scariest night ever.

That’s what’s tough about my condition — it can be really, really bad, and then it can be normal again. I made it through the night, and by the time I got to the hospital, they ran EKGs and everything to see my heart rhythm and by then I had gotten back to my regular rhythm. That’s what made me even more worried about my condition. I felt terrible all night and then all of a sudden I get to the doctor … it’s like taking your car, which is making a noise, to the dealership and then the noise isn’t there anymore. I said: You know what, if I could feel that bad last night and then come here and they can’t see traces of it, then that worries me even more because they can’t see what the issue is. The only real way to see what the issue is, you put (on) a Holter monitor for two, three or four days, and you pinpoint when you’re out of rhythm.

If you see it, then OK, you can figure out how to get it to calm down and it makes sense. But when you get there and they can’t find anything and what you experienced, that’s what’s tricky. I can be in rhythm one second and out of rhythm the next second. No one can pinpoint when it can happen. It’s very unpredictable, and I didn’t want to keep playing and feeling the way I felt that night anymore and risk … no one knows for 100 percent if you can have something bad happen. My first time in 2006, I blacked out on the bench. That’s when we first found out that I had this condition. So what if I’m on the court and a big guy is coming down the lane, my heart is beating funny, and then I black out? He runs into me, and I can hurt my head on the floor. I can be paralyzed. What if I’m going for a dunk and I black out? There’s so many things that can happen in a bad way.

How emotional was informing the team of your decision to retire?

It was tough, man. I talked to Kevin (Durant) right away, I wanted to give him the respect because when I hit the waiver market when I got my buyout, he was the first guy to hit me. So I felt like I wanted to hit him first, because he was owed that. And I think he was more in shock in the beginning because he didn’t really believe or understand what I was saying. And then we talked again. I felt like those guys were really excited to have me. So I didn’t get emotional on the phone, but afterwards I was a little emotional. Every time you say, ‘Hey, I’m retired’ to someone, when it just happened, I would definitely get emotional. I’m still trying to figure out ways to be happy now. I definitely was depressed and was trying to figure out how to bounce back from it, because it was so dramatic that I didn’t know how to re-find myself. I talked to James (Harden) also; he just wanted to know what happened. I was like, ‘You remember I kept saying I can’t get my body going?’ He’s like: ‘Yeah, I thought you meant rhythm, like shooting?’ I said: ‘Nah, like my heart.’ He said: ‘Man, I didn’t know that.’

They all seen signs that something was off. But they didn’t know what it was. So after I explained to them why I was saying that, it made sense for them. It was them trying to understand what happened from me being on the floor to leaving and retired.

Going back to your decision to join Brooklyn, how did you settle on that? For a lot of people on the outside, it didn’t even look like an option.

I didn’t choose Brooklyn because I was trying to get there and make a super team. I chose them because if you look at what they need, what they needed and what they were trying to do, I fit exactly what they wanted. The only thing they wanted to get better was having a big that could score, and that’s what I do. And they wanted a shooter at the end of the games, but also a big that could guard bigger players. That’s who I am. So the fit of what they wanted and needed was who I am. I picked them because what they needed and what I am. From Day 1, they were like: We want you to post up; we need you to score down there and shoot 3s and be at the rim. And so it wasn’t a hard fit for me because they were saying come be you and we need you. So I was like, why not go here? I know everyone’s gonna say it’s a super team, but I think it’s funny how I was sitting at home in San Antonio because the Spurs were younger, which I totally get. And Blake (Griffin) wasn’t playing for Detroit, because they wanted to go younger. So it was like I was washed up, he was washed up. But then when we get on the same team, the (discussion was) was they were cheating. I just feel like you had two guys that weren’t playing for their teams, and their teams wanted to move on. So then they go join this team. So a week ago, I was washed up, a week before Blake signs with them, he was washed up. And all of a sudden, now we’re cheating. It was just funny to me to watch this whole narrative play out.

I chose them because it was an opportunity for me to do what I do and not have to tweak or change anything. They wanted a guy to be able to open the floor for James and Kevin and Kyrie (Irving), and that’s who I am. I can also guard the bigger guys on the floor. When it’s fourth quarter, last five minutes, and they have a dominant big on the other side, you can have me in the game and still keep scoring and not have to sacrifice scoring to be able to guard a bigger big.

Is that the hardest part, not being able to be part of this postseason run to compete for a championship?

That was the hardest part. Being in a position to get to the Finals and have an opportunity to be on that stage and be a part of history and make my mark. I had never been to the Finals. I’ve been to the West Conference finals, but not the actual NBA Finals. So it was a chance for me to make that next step, a chance for me to add to my legacy and see what it feels like. I’ve always prided myself on embracing moments and trying to grow and learn from every moment. I wanted to get there and see what it’s like, help those guys win and be a part of the journey. And then if we got there, hopefully we would go back two or three more times. So that was definitely the hardest part for me.

You played your first nine seasons in Portland, you made four All-Star teams and were part of several playoff contenders. How do you look back on your stint there, and do you have any regrets as far as your exit?

They say hindsight is 20/20. As you get older you get more wiser and you see things more clear. I think as you get older, you have less of an ego, you’re less sensitive. Maybe all those things are true. The only thing I look back on is I wish I would have worked at it better to have a relationship with Dame (Lillard). I feel like we both had our circles talking to us. Maybe that helped stifle our relationship, but we definitely have gotten a better relationship since then. But I think just trying to get a better relationship with him. It’s just tough because people see the career I had, but people don’t realize how I got there.

I was picked No. 2, but (team people) said I was an actual project. So they didn’t pick No. 2 and say, ‘Hey, he’s our guy, we’re going to play behind him.’ I was No. 2, and I didn’t even play much my first year. I missed camp. They jumped behind Brandon Roy. I was the No. 2 pick, which I thought, hey, I’m No. 2, they’re all in. But they weren’t really all in. I was on the back burner. And then we got Greg (Oden). So then when Greg was playing well, I was on the back burner again. And they tried to trade me. So I wasn’t the guy that they believed in right away. That’s why at times things were a little iffy there, because every time we were healthy with Andre Miller and Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, it was like … OK, I was more of the guy that they would put on the back burner or try to trade. And then all those guys got hurt, and I was thrown to the front out of a necessity. That’s when I finally got my opportunity to be who I became. It’s just funny to me how when you’re a No. 2 pick, most of those guys come in … Hey, you’re a part of this and have opportunities. With me, it was like … I was a project and I was like, well, who picks No. 2 as a project? I understand they have Zach Randolph.

So my start wasn’t ideal. I was always the easy one to try to get rid of. Unfortunately, those guys got hurt, and I became the man. And it was like: Oh, man, he’s good. I feel like if they would have gave me the opportunity earlier, we could have been even better earlier. My role wasn’t as easy as everyone might think it was. I had to really go earn this thing of having your own team. I had to go fight for that for a bunch of years. When I got it, it was a proud moment for me.

I just feel like I wish Dame and I would’ve talked more and tried to develop a better relationship. Part of it was he was young, trying to find his way, and I had worked so hard to get to this spot I was at. I wish I would have worked harder … the only regret I have is I wish I would have worked harder to have a relationship with Dame.

As you mentioned, you, Brandon Roy and Greg Oden played on the floor together for parts of two seasons, but health cut short the staying power of you three. How often do you look back on that ‘big three’?

I look back all the time with B. Roy and what if Greg and B. Roy stayed healthy. We definitely could have gotten to the Finals. I feel like if those guys stayed healthy, we probably would all still be there right now. I just feel like that group had so much potential there. I definitely think like, man … with Greg, Brandon and myself, we were 50-12. So I definitely think about that group and what could have been.

And with Dame too, I feel he’s definitely grown a lot. He’s definitely one of the most clutch, elite players in the game right now. So I definitely have wondered if I would have stayed and kept doing what I was doing. And him growing who he is now. That’s a good one-two punch. And CJ (McCollum), who’s been killing it too. So you put us all three together, and the sky could definitely be the limit.

I’m more of a realist too, though and I feel like me leaving was great for Dame because then he wasn’t having to share it with me anymore, a dominant personality. It was his. Then he really exploded and took off and really started to put his stamp on the franchise and his stamp on the game. So things happen for a reason. And him and CJ, playing off each other, take turns it. It took out the guy down low. If we would have stayed together, some special things could have happened, though, for sure.

Related Reading:

Mending fences: Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge find a connection on the precipice of a Blazers milestone

LaMarcus Aldridge and the Trail Blazers: A legacy of hurt

Then you go to the Spurs, have back-to-back 60-plus win seasons and reach the Western Conference finals in 2017. How do you reflect upon your five and a half seasons in San Antonio? (The Spurs were up as much as 25 points against the Warriors in Game 1 of the West finals before losing Kawhi Leonard to an ankle injury. Golden State went on to win the series.)

I had fun. You join a family when you go to the Spurs. When they bring you in there, they bring you into the family.

They take good care of you, and once you’re in, you’re in. I had fun playing with Hall of Famers. Tim (Duncan), Manu (Ginobili), Tony (Parker). Those guys make the game easier for you and being a part of their story is cool for me because we had those back-to-back 60-win seasons. It was fun for me being from Dallas. I always thought of playing for the Mavericks or the Spurs so to actually get to the Spurs and be a part of that dynasty of those three guys, I definitely enjoyed my time. We were right there if Kawhi doesn’t go down. You don’t know what can happen. That series still wakes me up at night sometimes. We’re up (25) points in the first quarter and the first half we’re up and in control, then Kawhi goes down. They double me and it’s easier to take me out of the block when I’m by myself. We end up losing that day, but if Kawhi stayed healthy and we finished that game off, anything was possible that year. So that year was definitely a tough year to walk away from. I never won a ring, but this was definitely my chance. It just slipped away. The run to get there was fun, you had great seasons, guys had fun.

We left it good on both sides. Pop (Gregg Popovich) and I talked a lot in the end, and he called me after I retired. And he said, ‘Are you OK? If you need anything, let me know.’ Pop and I talked the whole time through. He wanted to play Jakob Poeltl and go young, and I wasn’t ready to like take a big drop in minutes as far as not playing as much anymore. We both agreed it was better for him and the organization if they went with the young guys. We were on the same page with that, and we communicated and we had a bunch of great discussions about it. I feel like I had a great run there. I enjoyed my time there. We had some unbelievable seasons. Toward the end, it wasn’t ideal, but we had some great moments and great times. I feel it’s no hard feelings on either side. Every team has to pick at times to go young. That was kind of their time. And I ended up joining a team that was kind of more fitted for my stage of my career. So nothing but love and respect from me.

Dame has advocated for your No. 12 jersey to be retired by the Trail Blazers, and I’m told the organization will look into that this offseason. How would you feel about having your jersey retired in Portland?

First of all, Dame is a real one. Everyone already knew that. I knew it. But I want to go on the record and say he’s a real one for how he advocated for that right away. He didn’t have to do that, it doesn’t do any value for him to fight for that. But it just shows how real he is and how he appreciates what I’ve done there in my time.

It’d be an honor, man. I grew there. I went there a little bit with a chip on my shoulder. People said I wasn’t going to be good and that they could have drafted me at No. 13. So I walked in there with a chip on my shoulder. I had to practice against Z-Bo and Joel Przybilla. I have nothing but great memories there, great times there. That’s why I became who I am today as far as on court and off court. I became a man in that city and learned how to live on my own and develop into who I am today.

So I would love for them to retire my number. It would be a great honor for me to be up there and be part of that great history.

(Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images) 

What did you think of this story?

MEH

SOLID

AWESOME

Shams Charania is the Senior NBA Insider for The Athletic. He is also an NBA analyst for Stadium. From 2015-18, Shams was the national NBA Insider for Yahoo Sports. Follow Shams on Twitter @ShamsCharania.

53  COMMENTS

Ian R.

Jun 1

35 likes

I cannot wait for the day that Portland retires that man's jersey.

Scott E.

Jun 1

6 likes

Judging by the comments from Portland fans when he retired, I’m not sure many agree with you

Dylan E.

Jun 1

4 likes

What're you talking about? We all love LMA

Ed O.

Jun 1

8 likes

@Ian R. Ugh. No way. I'm a lifelong Blazers fan and he didn't accomplish much when he was there and he flaked out when Dame ascended. He should not have his jersey retired in Portland.

Luke M.

Jun 2

1 like

LA haters are louder than fans, which is fitting considering LA himself and how he carries himself.

Chris W.

Jun 2

1 like

He also has a very interesting take on what went down in Portland. He never asserted that he wanted to be the man. Ever. Now he’s saying he wished Portland had made him the man?

Joseph F.

Jun 2

2 likes

Blazers fan here, and I’ll look to LA’s number in the rafters with pride and gratitude. He was awesome in Portland, and he left fair and square, as was his right. He never did Portland wrong, regardless of what the whiny soccer moms say.

Ronak P.

Jun 1

35 likes

A lifelong Spurs fan here, I hope and pray he continues to have good health and I thoroughly enjoyed his time on Spurs (despite ups and downs). Seems to be a class act and I hope Blazers retire his jersey.

Cody M.

Jun 1

10 likes

I believe LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant played together for KD’s lone season at Texas.

When I read KD was a first person to get in-contact with LA through the buy-out market I knew it was the college connection they made.

That small James Harden conversation that LA had I wonder what was racing through Harden’s head when LA said my heart..

LA will get his number retired with the Blazers and wish absolutely nothing but the best for the big-man that mean’t so much to the Blazers franchise.

Dylan Q.

Jun 1

10 likes

They didn’t play together, but they were only 1 year apart, so I’m sure they knew each other from recruiting visits and mutual friends/both being around the program

Paul Y.

Jun 1

4 likes

They played in back to back years so LMA would have been on the team when KD was being recruited.

LMA did play with PJ Tucker and Boobie Gibson (how about that for a throwback name)at UT

Nick B.

Jun 1

1 like

They didn’t but I watched a ton of Texas basketball those two years and they were both unbelievable. It would’ve been insane if LMA had stuck around for even a year.

Brian G.

Jun 1

2 likes

LA was there for KD's recruitment, but went pro the year before KD was on campus.

Had he (and others) stayed, the 2006 Texas team would have started Aldridge, PJ Tucker, Boobie Gibson, KD, and DJ Augustin.

Jake O.

Jun 1

9 likes

Excellent work, heartbreaking stuff

Gabriel R.

Jun 1

3 likes

Respect his game, really an unfortunate situation. Needs a ring if the Nets win.

Andrew L.

Jun 1

6 likes

They need to hurry up and retire Roy's number as well.

Joseph F.

Jun 2

Hear, hear

Damon S.

Jun 1

21 likes

Great interview & article. Thank you, Shams. As a die-hard Blazers fan among many friends who feel similarly, we needed to hear this... Like so many of us I’ve had mixed feelings since LA took off. We heard all the rumors so it’s good to hear those and more insights laid bare by LA now. After reading this I definitely hope they retire his jersey. He deserves a spot in the Rip City rafters.

Man, that brings up memories. That team w “The Natural” B. Roy, Dre the floor general, Oden was a beast when healthy enough to get in rhythm, LA & “The Vanilla Gorilla” Joel Przybilla was legit ?

The Spurs were always my second favorite team because Pop. What a freaking stud & seemingly great organization. The penultimate basketball comment I’ve ever heard was from Pop when asked how the Spurs stayed so good. He said he only wants to coach players that are “over themselves”... That also says something about LA that he stayed so long & still has a relationship w Pop. Love it when good players get over their ego & become better all around humans. Great honest answers from LA & i hope he finds peace in retirement.

Aaron F.

Jun 1

4 likes

Agreed on being ambivalent about his time with us and his manner of leaving putting a (temporary) damper on his legacy. I still maintain he’s an all time Blazers great, but I wish he and Dame could’ve made it work - sounds like two type A personalities that both wanted to be the face of the franchise and didn’t communicate enough. Refreshing to hear his honesty, and I think a lot of fans - myself included - took his departure the wrong way. And man, where the franchise could be without brutal injury after injury...

Ed O.

Jun 1

3 likes

@Damon S. It's great to hear it from him, but it's basically all the "bad rumors" that have been around for years--he just was too selfish and insecure to appreciate his time as a Blazer.

I don't think he deserves to have his jersey retired with Portland. With San Antonio? Maybe. As a Blazer? Nah.

Samuel P.

Jun 1

6 likes

It’s funny how people thought Blake Griffin was washed up when... he refused to dunk his last games as a Piston???

The dude quit on a team. Got his money. Chose the team he wanted and brought back no value.

Luke M.

Jun 2

1 like

Bruh he took nearly two weeks to recover before playing his first game. He also has far less bumping and grinding as a tertiary option in the offense, and can take many possessions off.

Steven A.

Jun 2

1 like

@Luke M. Luke, you gonna comment on everything?

Luke M.

Jun 2

Just did a quick pass for dumb takes on the thread :) unfortunately there were a lot

James S.

Jun 1

6 likes

I've always felt LMA was "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma," so it's good to hear him share his insights and outlooks regarding his career. Great interview

Phillip B.

Jun 1

4 likes

Great interview, great insight into a great player and great career. Wish you had a Spurs beat writer so we could get more of this stuff.

Nick B.

Jun 1

8 likes

I totally get why he went to Brooklyn but I just wish they could’ve swung it so he retired a Blazer. I completely remember the sentiment he’s talking about in his early years. Everyone called him soft and a project, and Portland had a toxic environment his rookie year with Z-Bo (maybe deservedly) bringing everyone down. And then he just turned into the man. Everyone talks about Lillard’s shot in ‘14 but LaMarcus was unstoppable that series and that entire season. I was devastated when he left but after Wes went down in ‘15, I get it. It just seemed like every time they had an opportunity something happened. LMA is the last of a dying breed. He’s a HOF and I hope Portland retires his jersey.

Aaron F.

Jun 1

5 likes

That break up of LMA, Dame, Wes, Nic (and Lopez) was rough. Just like that, 4 of 5 gone. Have to think that Wes’ injury played a major part in the decision to part ways with that core group. Feels like we’ve never been the same team since - talent and promise, sure, but there was a wholesome, OG feel to that team that hasn’t been replicated yet imho.

Chad C.

Jun 1

3 likes

@Nick B. I wouldn't be surprised if once his contract officially comes off the Nets' books, LMA signs a 1 day, $12 contract with Portland to officially retire as a Blazer

STEVE L.

Jun 1

1 like

Very good read. I learned a lot about Mr. Aldridge. Good job Mr. Charania.
Steve L.

Damon J.

Jun 1

3 likes

I wish him best battling through his depression and pray he stays healthy. I very mature interview. He also solidified the fact ( and everyone speaks on it) that Dame Lillard is a real one. A genuine dude. He is top 5 Favorite for me in the league.

Filip K.

Jun 1

1 like

wonderful article

Craig H.

Jun 1

4 likes

It’s refreshing when players are open and honest about what they have been through. I respect LMA admitting that he probably could have handled things better during his career. I think it’s great that he and Dame have developed a mutual respect.

Shawn Z.

Jun 1

1 like

As a Bulls fan. Trading him for Tryus Thomas was the worst trade in Bulls history.

Wesley C.

Jun 1

3 likes

As a diehard blazers fan (who can irrational from time to time) I have never been able to fully forgive LMA for leaving after saying he wanted to stay and be a blazer for life. I was glad to read him admitting his own faults in the relationship, but disappointed he cast blame on dame when according to Jason Quick's it was pretty much all LMA's fault.

If I LMA's jersey is retired before PNW legend B-Roy, Olshey and Allen will never live it down with blazers diehards. All that said, I hope LMA finds peace and happiness in retirement.

Luke M.

Jun 2

Not every Blazer die hard blames LA for leaving what was clearly a rebuild for instead a great situation in San Antonio.

Bob A.

Jun 1

LMA could never get over not being the center of attention. He really blew it when he couldn't meet Dame in the middle. By then, LMA was the veteran who could have set the tone for the young gun. Instead, he sulked like always. Based on accomplishment and popularity, he deserves his Portland # being retired. But he would never had led that franchise to a title. No heart.

Luke M.

Jun 2

LA had barely been the man for a year before we got Lillard. Franchise was still using Roy imagery until the day he signed with the Twolves practically.

Robert I.

Jun 1

3 likes

Seeing Wes Matthews, Nic Batum, Damian Lillard & Robin Lopez all getting meaningful playoff mins this week makes me feel some type of way about LA leaving Portland in 2015. Unfortunate that he simultaneously felt a) threatened by playing alongside talented players & b) that those 2015 Blazers weren’t talented enough to compete for a chip.

As Jason Quick noted at the time, those earlier Blazers were best when Brandon R.O.Y. was leading at an all-star level, and those later Blazers were always going to be in better hands with Damian Lillard’s team-first attitude at the helm. Aldridge was good enough that he got to make his own choice, and he let his teammates know what he thought of them by taking his own flight home after game 2 of that Memphis series. We had to live with it then; he has to live with it now.

LaMarcus did a lot of good in Portland, but how he handled his departure & the reasons behind it will forever complicate his legacy here. Even though I personally don’t want to see his #12 every time I go to a game, I’m appreciative of what he did here in helping us move past the Jail Blazers era & providing a high level of stable production on the court.

Wishing the L-Train a happy retirement & good health in the future.

Luke M.

Jun 2

Wes' minutes are because no one is left and no money is left for someone better. His time in Dallas was completely uninspiring and his contract was an albatross.

Nic is cuz the Hornets are inept and had no shot at winning, which is essential for keeping him engaged. Robin Lopez had one surprising game after proving throughout the season to somehow be worse on average than Alex Len, which is a tall order, plus the Bulls massively overpaid him that offseason.

So, what's up?

Jeff O.

Jun 1

"I didn’t choose Brooklyn because I was trying to get there and make a super team. I chose them because if you look at what they need, what they needed and what they were trying to do, I fit exactly what they wanted."
- - -
To be fair, Orlando and OKC could have used a scoring big too but I doubt they got a look after the buyout. I don't have a problem with ring chasing, but let's be honest about what it is.
I hope LMA can enjoy retirement and good health going forward.

Luke M.

Jun 2

This is so stupid, both teams did NOT want that and OKC actively sat Horford.

Jeff O.

Jun 2

@Luke M. Regardless, it’s still a decision to join a team that is favored to win a championship—commonly known as ring chasing. I don’t fault him for his choice, just the premise that it’s strictly about “fit”.

Luke M.

Jun 2

Imo few teams actually wanted him that bad as far as fit goes. LA was gonna start on the Nets, whereas the only other playoff teams that would start him would be the Celtics or Clippers and maybe the Knicks or Hawks. Clippers would still be called ring chasing and Knicks/Hawks aren't as good of scenarios, so why bother?

Luke M.

Jun 2

That is to say, I only considered teams above the Spurs in terms of positioning. You could argue Warriors and Lakers could've made sense, but idk how much they cared about pursuing someone in an off years re: Warriors, and idk if Lakers preferred Drummond.

Marcus R.

Jun 1

1 like

That 2017 Spurs team is a forgotten team. 61-21 in the season. Went through Memphis and Houston without any real issues. Best defensive rated team in the NBA that year. I think every Spurs fan plays "what if" more than any other fanbase, but that's definitely one that swung the entire landscape of basketball.

Chris W.

Jun 2

Take a step back, Marcus. Spurs fans - the fans that won so many rings I lost track - play the what if game more than any other fan base? Portland fans will forever ask “what if Sabonis comes to Portland when they drafted him?” and wonder how many titles the Blazers would have won.

David D.

23h ago

At the time Sabonis was one of the 5 best players in the world. People in the United States truly missed not seeing him at his best.

William B.

Jun 2

1 like

always nice to read this type of article.

Linda B.

Jun 2

Thanks for this article- he's so sincere and it's rare for him to open up this much! I hope he does get a chance to coach if that's what he decides to do next. LaMarcus has a solid character and I wish him and his family nothing but the best.

A.J. T.

Jun 2

Charania seems to do a lot of PR work on behalf of players and their agents. What a coincidence, on the same day an interview with Aldridge is published, Aldridge showed up on NBA TV as a guest analyst. As it turned out, a really lousy one, too. You flunked your audition, buddy.

Walter C.

19h ago

This is why I read the Athletic. And I'm a Celtics fan.

Joel S.

17h ago

As a former sufferer of WPW syndrome, I am surprised that Aldridge has never opted for cardiac ablation surgery. It's an outpatient procedure wherein the electrical pathway that is causing the symptoms is eliminated. It's a fairly common practice, and I hope it has at least been suggested to him. After years of dealing with symptoms, I finally opted for the surgery when I almost died from an atrial fibrillation episode. I only wish I'd done it sooner.

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  • Легенда

отличные инсайды. не знал, что у него были расклады с тем ПТБ. ну и Дюрант первый позвонил ему после вэйва, классика жанра)))

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8 hours ago, Suriken said:

отличные инсайды. не знал, что у него были расклады с тем ПТБ. ну и Дюрант первый позвонил ему после вэйва, классика жанра)))

имеетьця введу, если правильно понимаю, имеетьця введу выбор одена первым пиком (а не кд)

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  • Легенда
11 часов назад, Red Sonja сказал:

имеетьця введу, если правильно понимаю, имеетьця введу выбор одена первым пиком (а не кд)

я так понял, что он ушел из ПТБ из-за Лилларда и измены, что его постоянно хотели засунуть в трэйд машину

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оральные истории from Duncan's college days епохи (спизженно с вебсайте зеатлетик дот ком, за безплатными инвайтами обращяйтесь в личку за пять долларов)

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The never-before-told tales of Tim Duncan’s Wake Forest career, from ‘footnote’ to Hall of Fame

Brendan Marks and CJ Moore May 14, 2021 121 

One of the greatest players of all time was discovered via a pleasantry.

It was the summer of 1992, and Wake Forest graduate Chris King was visiting the Virgin Islands with a group of NBA Draft picks on an exhibition tour. When he returned to Winston-Salem and stopped by the basketball offices, coach Dave Odom inquired about his trip.

“You didn’t see anybody we ought to be interested in?” Odom asked. King said there was one kid. Tall. Thin. Maybe 6-9 and 190 pounds. Had good hands, good feet. King didn’t know his name.

Odom asked his staff if they knew anyone in the Virgin Islands. Assistant coach Larry Davis did, and he soon had a number and a name: Tim Duncan.

On Saturday, that kid from St. Croix will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a two-time consensus All-American, college basketball’s national player of the year, five-time NBA champion, two-time MVP and 15-time All-Star.

The journey began with Odom heading to the Virgin Islands to see if King had found a hidden gem.

Dave Odom, head coach: Sunday was the day that all of the island kind of converges on this one court. He goes out and shoots around a little bit and I watched. All of a sudden you hear this horn, this fog horn. Rerrrr, rerrrr! He’s sitting next to me now, and I said, “What was that noise?” He said, “That was Hess Oil. They let out Sundays around 3 o’clock; we won’t start playing until they get here.” A lot of the kids coming out there are young adults, and they probably were some of the best players, and they couldn’t wait to get down there. They had heard the coach is coming.

They go out and warm up, and next thing I know, Tim comes and sits next to me. I said, “Tim, what are you doing? I came all this way to see you.” He said, “Coach, if I go out there now, they’ll put me on the worst team. We may not win. If we don’t, I’ll be sitting out for over an hour. If I wait and get winners, then I can pick a better team and I’ll have a better chance of winning, and you’ll have a better chance of seeing me play.” That’s what happened. Exactly what happened.

He’s only 16 at the time. That to me showed a sense of awareness for others. Me being the others. A lot of the domestic kids — kids here in New York or Washington or Philly — they would have jumped right out there and got their tails handed to them, and here I was seeing nothing. But that showed that he had a sense for purpose.

Randolph Childress, guard: I got a call one morning we had a recruit in town. And they were like, “Hey, we need you to come have breakfast with this guy.” And I’m like, “Well, who is it?” This guy from the Virgin Islands. I’m like, “There’s no basketball players in the Virgin Islands. This kid can’t play. Get somebody else.”

Jerry Wainwright, assistant coach: When he was on his visit, I asked him, what do you think? He goes, “Well, you know. I guess I’ll come.”

Childress: In Tim’s class, all you heard about was Ricky Peral and Makhtar Ndiaye. Makhtar was on the No. 1 high school team in the country. He had played with (Jerry) Stackhouse and (Jeff) McInnis and those guys at Oak Hill, so he was supposed to be the guy. I remember hearing, “Timmy’s not gonna be ready. It’s gonna take him some time before he’s ready to play.”

Ricky Stokes, assistant coach: Tim was a footnote.

Wainwright: Our original thoughts were we might need to redshirt him.

Tony Rutland, guard: When I took my official Wake Forest visit, they were showing me the freshman dorms, and he was in the lobby by himself, and he had a big gallon of ice cream and one spoon, and he was eating a whole gallon ice cream. They were like, “Oh yeah, he’s got to gain weight.”

Makhtar Ndiaye, center: We were playing pickup at the small gym at Wake, and one day Randolph came in and said, “I’m gonna take the freshmen with me.” So that was me, Randolph Childress, Ricardo Peral, Tim, and I think Barry Canty or Stacey Castle — one of those two guys. And no one could have beat us. No one. Seriously. We just ran the gym that day. And from that point going on, I’m like, OK, there’s something going on with this kid right here.

Lynne Heflin, administrative assistant: Randolph Childress came down one day and said, “You might want to rethink redshirting him.”

Wainwright: Randolph wouldn’t say anything nice about anybody unless he was a pro.

Marc Blucas, guard: His learning curve was, like, straight up that first year.

Jerry Stackhouse, North Carolina guard: You knew, OK, man, this guy’s blocking a lot of shots, getting his hands on a lot of balls, getting a bunch of rebounds. I think for us, the first time really getting on the court, seeing a guy block (Rasheed Wallace’s) shot, forcing him to have probably his first off game. Don’t get me wrong, Sheed has his moments too — Sheed got up and dunked on his head, too — but at the same time, it was like, man.

Ernie Nestor, assistant coach: Ted Turner got involved in something called the Goodwill Games. They ran it like a mini Olympics, where the USA had a basketball team and George Raveling was coaching. He called sometime in June and said, “Look, we understand you have a freshman big guy. Can he come out here for about a week and just practice with our guys? Because we’re running out of big guys.” Timmy is at the island and he was cool with that, so he flew out there. About two days later, they called: “Do you mind if he goes to Russia with us? He’s pretty good.” So he went to Russia and played in the Goodwill Games.

Now they come back and they play against Dream Team 2 in two exhibitions. So now he’s playing against Shaquille (O’Neal). Dave and I flew to Oakland to watch the big fella play, and we’re sitting baseline. There’s Tim, all 205 pounds of him, and he blocked Shaquille’s shot — twice. I can still remember, he blocks Shaq, and Shaq is looking around to see who blocked his shot, and the ball of course is going in the other direction.

(Morry Gash / Associated Press)

Herman Eure, biology professor: Funny as hell.

Childress: Sarcastic. Smartass comments nonstop.

Deborah Best, psychology professor: He could be one of those dry-witted stand-up comedians.

Blucas: I kind of equate it to, do you remember when (Robert) De Niro did “Meet the Parents?” Or you see someone from “Goodfellas” doing comedy? It’s so unexpected that it makes it even funnier.

Tracy Connor, friend/Wake Forest women’s basketball star: Coach Odom used to tell them to pair up in threes … and Tim’s like, “That is impossible.”

Blucas: He takes me snorkeling (in St. Croix) and he’s like a fish. I’m from a Western Pennsylvania factory town. But I’m in that college-athlete-I-can-do-anything mode. I think I’m this experienced snorkeler, and I’m getting my ass handed to me out there in the ocean, and we’re laughing. I end up stepping on a sea urchin, and it’s stinging like hell. He’s like, “Hey, you know, you’re supposed to piss on your foot.” I’m like, “Haha, funny island boy. You’re not gonna trick the land lover into peeing on my own foot.” And he’s like, “No, seriously, the acid and the pH in your urine will neutralize the pain and it really acts like a pain relief. I’m not bullshitting you. Do it or not. Whatever.”

I’m like, “Well, I don’t have to go to the bathroom.” And he smiles. He’s like, “I do.”

Marc Scott, walk-on guard: One summer he took this class called “Mime.” It is what it sounds like, right? Mime. And his final project, they had to go do some presentation or whatever — and he put a bag over his head and drew a face on it, and went and stood up in front of everybody, and then went and sat down. And they’re like, “Tim, maybe we missed something. Will you do it again?” He’s like, no problem. And he did it again!

Connor: I’m on a ridiculous text chain with him and Marc Blucas and Randolph, so the jokes never end. It never ends. He said part of the reason he’s still working out, even with his bad knee, is he doesn’t want to have paparazzi take a picture of him and be like, “There’s the guy that ate Tim Duncan.”

Blucas: I go to do this movie, and it’s a total elevated chick flick; “Jane Austen Book Club” is the name. I’m playing Emily Blunt’s husband, who’s this French teacher who has never been to France, and she finally gets an opportunity. Well, I’m reading the script before I even audition for the job, and part of the story is that the Spurs are going to the NBA Finals, and my character has a whole speech that he cancels this trip to Paris for his wife who’s never been because he gets an opportunity to go the NBA Finals. But he’s like, “Don’t worry, because, you know, unless Tim Duncan gets hit by lightning, the Spurs are gonna win in four or five games, and we’ll still be able to make the trip.”

Well, Tim is my f—— best friend. So I call him up: “You’ll never believe this script I’m reading. I’m auditioning for it tomorrow.” I’m like, “Tim, I’m dropping your name in the room. It’s just happening. I’m sorry. And if you’re gonna give me work now as an actor, then I’m using you.”

I get the job and I say to them, “Look, he’s a friend. Let’s just make my character a Spurs fan.” So Tim signs a jersey “To Dean,” my character’s name. We put it in his office in the movie, and he helped us get the clearances with the NBA, like the whole thing. Like, he really helped out the movie. We shoot the scene and the day that we’re shooting it, I say to the writer and director, “Hey, if it’s OK with you, can I like do an outtake about Tim and just fuck with him a little bit?” They’re like, “Oh, you have to.” And I didn’t tell Emily Blunt that I was gonna do this. And so I’m telling her, “Oh, unless Tim Duncan gets hit by lightning …” and then I go on like a 30-second rant, where I’m just like, “or he just completely abandoned his jump hook. He’s just like, oh, I’m 6-11. I want to be a f—— guard. I want to shoot jump shots and dribble between my legs, and I can’t f—— jump at all. And I just hack people and foul.” I just dismantle his game. And I do this whole thing and Emily, she’s so brilliant and good, she turns around, like, “Is there something going on with you and Tim Duncan?”

Well, lo and behold Tim comes to town a month later. … They cut together the blooper and Tim comes, and we’ve got B-roll of him watching this. … And his face curves and he looks over at me. And he’s like, “You dick.” And the whole place starts busting out laughing. And he leans over to me and has one of the best lines ever.

He’s like, “I’m rich. And I’m patient. I am going to get you back. I will get you back. I got all the time in the world. But for now, touch?.”

Best: Tim used to come over and hang out at my house when my son was 10, 11. They’d built forts in either corner of the bedroom and were playing war with these stuffed animals, throwing them at each other.

Scott: He just lived for having fun and running around and being a goof. If you could ever get him out, he’d be the one doing the sprinkler.

Matt Simpson, walk-on guard: He loves video games. We used to battle at “Coach K College Basketball” because they had Wake Forest on it. And so we played Wake Forest versus Wake Forest.

Rusty LaRue, guard: “Mortal Kombat” was one of his favorites.

Rutland: He knew every hit combo.

Wainwright: Nobody could beat him. He was really good at ping-pong, too. The guy is 6-10 and he could do a double somersault. If you were keeping score in any way, he would want to win.

Rutland: He had a collection of swords his senior year. I came in his room one time, I’m thinking they’re dull swords or whatever — it was the sharpest I’ve seen. I just started putting them on his bed and it had slits everywhere. I was like, “Oh man, I could have cut you.” You never questioned it, because that’s who Tim was. That’s what he was into.

Blucas: When he was assistant coaching a couple of years ago, I was shooting a movie down in Atlanta and they were there playing. I was like, “Tim, I know you’ve got a game tonight, but I got a really good friend working on ‘Suicide Squad 2.’ You want to get on set?” He’s like, “Yes! What time are you picking me up? Make it happen.”

I’ve been around Tim for Finals wins, Finals losses, personal disappointments that have happened in his life and tragedy. I thought that I knew the full range of Tim’s emotional repertoire. I didn’t know giddy existed.

Connor: He’s still a big kid. Practical jokes, video games. His home now is a total playground, right? It’s dirt bikes and four-wheelers and regular bikes and basketball courts. He forces you to be a kid.

Joseph Amonett, guard: He’s the best player that any of us at any level ever, ever played with. But the thing is, he was also the best teammate we ever played with.

Simpson: He always treated me from Day One like I was 100 percent on equal footing with him, and always made me feel included.

Ken Herbst, walk-on forward: Right after Coach Odom told me I made the team, I went into the locker room and the only guy sitting down there at his locker is Duncan. He’s fiddling around in his locker, and he looks at me and he just introduces himself. “I’m Tim Duncan.”

It’s kind of like if the president of the United States introduced himself by first and last name. Everybody on campus knew who Tim Duncan was. But he either didn’t realize yet how famous he was, or more likely, he didn’t care. He didn’t care for that interaction or that welcome to be anything different than if you were meeting Bob Smith, introducing himself as a hallmate at the dorm.

Wainwright: He was a real body language guy. And they always say body language is the gateway to someone’s mind. That’s why I say his body language with his teammates during games was unbelievable. Those big ol’ hands, he’d put them on your shoulder. I can’t tell you how many times he said to me in games, in practice, he’d be standing next to me and put that hand on my shoulder and go, “Coach, relax. We’ll be OK.”

I’m 40 years older than him, and you’d look up at him: “You’re right. We’ll be OK.”

Rutland: He didn’t want to disappoint anyone.

Odom: We’re playing at the University of Massachusetts. (John) Calipari is the coach. They’ve got Marcus Camby. It’s a huge game. Neither Camby or Duncan played worth a flip. They beat us in a fairly close game. I’m kind of worried after the game, because it was his first game where I knew the national media was going to be there and I didn’t know how he would take it.

So one by one, the media quizzed him and he answered politely, no problem. Finally, he and I are left in there, and it’s just dead silence for what felt like 15 minutes, but it was probably 30 seconds or a minute. I didn’t say anything. I was just sitting there waiting for him to respond, because I knew he felt horrible. His head came up and he looked me in the eye, and he said, “Do you still love me?” I said, “Tim, it’s one game. It’s one game. You didn’t play well, but it’s only one game. It’s not a career.”

Blucas: It was like he felt like he was supposed to be the rock that does his part every time, in this team of people that all have their roles. When I don’t do my role, I feel like I let people down — that’s the responsibility that Tim carries. Which is, by the way, the mentality of a role player. Right? It’s not the star mentality. He carries the burden of failure for his friends and family. He does not want to let people down. He works his ass off.

Amonett: He always kind of felt the pulse of the team. I was going to ask my wife to marry me over Christmas break of my sophomore year, and Tim knew that. Coach had come up with the idea for us to go to Spain to play a game over the holiday and not go home. That was going to mess my plans up a little bit.

I remember Coach came to me, and he said, “You know, I hear from a few of your teammates that you might be asking somebody to marry you over the Christmas holiday.” I said, “I am.” He said, “Well, we were thinking about going to Spain, but we’re going to skip that trip and we’re gonna let you all go home.” I don’t know who that came from, but I’m pretty sure that it came from Tim.

Blucas: One night we’re playing against Clemson. They’ve got Sharone Wright. He’s 7 feet, 270 pounds, and he f—— leveled me. I got a concussion. It was like the Russian hitting Rocky. I just popped back up and kept going. On that bus ride back, Tim said to me, “Dude, why don’t you just take a minute, fake tying your shoe? Just stay down, get your senses back and get up.” I said, “I’m the smallest guy out here and I just can’t let somebody think they’re better than me in that way physically. I think a champion is someone who gets up when they can’t. It’s the mentality I have to have to play here.”

I graduate that year. I go overseas to play pro ball. He’s in his sophomore year now. He has become a star now in the college world. I come back for Christmas. He’s like, “Hey, I got you a Christmas present.” I’m like, “Woah, I didn’t get you shit.” There used to be a company called No Fear. It was like And One — all the phrases, motivational shit. He hands me this T-shirt and on the back, it literally says a direct quote of what I said: “A champion is someone who gets up when they can’t.” And this is a year and a half later. My hair still stands up on my arms when I think of that story.

Amonett: We were a Champion uniform school my freshman year. Well, going into my sophomore year — when Tim decided to come back as a senior — Nike signs us and we’re a Nike school. We’ve got Nike everything, which was a really big deal in 1996-97. Back then Nike would send the brand new shoes that hadn’t been released yet to Tim for the game. I’m the type of guy who uses a lot of sarcasm. I walk by coach Russell Turner. “How about those — Tim’s new shoes? Those would be pretty nice.” I said, “Yeah, we won’t ever get any of those. They’ll just take care of Duncan.”

About two days later, we go to the locker room, and everybody’s got a pair to wear to the game. And I asked Coach Turner, “What’s going on?” He said, “The big fella took care of y’all.” That entire year Nike was sending stuff, and Tim Duncan never wore a pair of shoes that the team didn’t wear. I mean, he was one of us. He was just a great teammate. He made us feel significant.

Herbst: I had a flying phobia. During a turbulent flight, he came up and sat next to me and he started just to talk to me to kind of divert my attention away, and we got to talking about his mom. And I said, “These flights like this and this turbulence don’t worry you?” He said, “No. When my mom died when I was a little kid, the level of anxiety and fear that I felt when she died, that was kind of the peak of fear and anxiety that I felt in my life. And so everything is relative to that. Nothing’s quite as anxiety-inducing or as fearful as losing my mom was.”

Childress: We were at Florida State my senior year and Tony Rutland’s mom passed. She had cancer. We knew she wasn’t doing well. Tony was my roommate on the road that year. His dad calls and says, “We lost his mom and I want him to play in the game.”

Back then, there were no cell phones. You had the hotel phone. (Rutland’s) worried. He’s trying to call, and I’m taking this hotel phone with me everywhere. Like, I’m going into the bathroom with it. I’m trying everything possible to keep it from him. We get to the arena, and he goes and uses a payphone to call home and finds out his mom passed. We hear a scream in a locker room. And we all knew. We go out, we play the game and lose. Afterward, we come back in the locker room, and Tim wraps his arm around him, because Tim had lost his mom. And we just sat there, and we all just cried. And Timmy was telling him he understood what he had been through. He’s gone through it.

Connor: I’m telling you, he was a different breed than everybody else. He actually wanted to go to class, wanted to get his education. Like, he just didn’t blow things off.

Best: When he went to the Spurs, he emailed me and said, “Look at the first thing I put on my Spurs webpage.” Psychology major. He just wanted me to know that.

Herbst: Just a really thoughtful, cognitive guy. That’s maybe why he majored in psychology, because I think he really enjoyed thinking about human behavior and why people do the things that they do.

Mark Leary, psychology professor: Every week I would assign them to go out and find published research that might be relevant to the ideas we came up with, because this was really starting from scratch. In the initial two or three meetings those first few weeks, Tim was always there and he always participated, but he was certainly less verbose than the other students.

Well, one day, he did begin to get involved, and he lost himself in the conversation. When we were wrapping up, he said, “Man, that was kind of fun, wasn’t it?” And I think all students experience that, but he didn’t have the expectation that coming to work on a faculty project and doing library searches was going to be somehow fun. But he just got really involved and interested in the intellectual challenges that came up. He got really animated, which was really a delight. So we pulled it all together, we polished it up and wrote the chapter.

Best: So the book came out, and of course, any author gets a copy of the book that their chapter is in. So the book company was going to send Tim a copy of the book, so I called the NCAA compliance officer at Wake Forest, and she said, “Gee, I don’t know. You can’t give him anything.”

Leary: I mean, I understand why we have those rules, but it shouldn’t apply to getting a scholarly book you’re an author of.

Best: So she calls the NCAA, then calls me back a day later and says, “They don’t really know. They’ve never had anybody ask that question.” So I told the company to send the book to me, and I told Tim he could come and look at it, but I couldn’t hand it to him to take home until after he graduated. So he came and picked up the book after he graduated.

Leary: I heard that he had Xeroxed the front page of that and had it in a frame in his house in San Antonio when he first went to the Spurs.

Heflin: Never make the mistake that Tim, placid face, meant that he did not want to win, because he did.

Wainwright: He looked like the boy next door, but he’d sock your eyes out to win.

Turner: Dave would have a Christmas party every year where we give gag gifts. We would bust on everybody. The year we played UMass and Tim had struggled against Marcus Camby, we had a special Federal Express delivery during the Christmas party, a gift from Marcus Camby. I remember that pissed him off.

Odom: We’re playing in the NCAA Tournament and it was his sophomore year, and we’re playing Oklahoma State and Big Country (Bryant Reeves). In scouting, I watched Big Country and every time he shot from this one block, he’d jump hook over his left shoulder and he got it off. The guy was 7 feet. He really was enormous. But I also noticed watching the defenders on Big Country, they all tried to affect his shot with their right hand. You think about it — going over his left shoulder and you’re trying to go at him with your right hand, you’re going to leave an open window to the basket. So in film study with the team, I showed Tim that. I said, you’ve got to go with your left hand. That’s not natural for you, but for the next two days, you’ve got to work on your left hand affecting his shot.

It was amazing to see it, to watch it unfold. I mean, he did exactly that. In practice he did it and also in the game. He took it to heart. “That’s what the coach said. That’s what I’m going to do.” (Duncan blocked eight shots, and Reeves went 4-of-15 from the field.)

Blucas: He had this way to get the best of himself and others, in a positive way.

Amonett: I can only remember him getting on me one time about anything in the two years that we played together. We were playing Clemson and they were No. 3. It was a phenomenal game. It was nip and tuck. They had a guy named Tom Wideman. Scouting report was that he was a poor free-throw shooter. It was a four or six-point game late in the second half, and he got it inside. I thought he had an opening. It wasn’t Tim’s guy. Tim was coming from the weak side. So I go over and whack the guy on the shot just to put him on the free throw line. I can remember Tim grabbing me and saying, “Dude, I have got this. I was gonna block that shot. Don’t do that again.” I was like, “OK, you’re right.” That might not have been the smartest move in the world with the No. 1 player in college basketball, the leading shot blocker in ACC history behind me. He saw it two plays ahead.

Blucas: He made his mom a promise to finish college. But there’s people and friends, me included, saying, “Tim, finish your degree online. Like, you’re the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Leave. Go. That’s it.” But he had a responsibility. He made a promise, and he’s that guy. He’s just so loyal.

Odom: That was back in the day when agents could come to games and meet the player after the game with the coach’s blessing. I fielded all kinds of phone calls and in-person visits from some of the most powerful agents in the country. Every time one would come, or request to come and request a postgame meeting just to say hello to him, he would say, “Coach, I don’t want to do that.”

Amonett: It was a pretty, pretty emotional time for all of us. Tim didn’t talk about whether he was coming back. He didn’t talk about the NBA. I mean, he was just a normal college kid to talk to.

Odom: At the end of his junior year, I was getting tired of fielding phone calls about, “Is he going or not?” I called him in. I said, “Tim, look. This is the deadline for declaring and I am not going to be in town on that day, but I’m gonna have John Justus, our SID, write two letters. One says “I am going pro” and the other one says “I am not going pro.” I am going to put both of those letters in an envelope right here on my desk, and at 2 o’clock on Friday afternoon, I’m going to call my telephone number on my desk. You’ll be sitting here and you answer the phone. By then, you should be sitting here and have read those two letters. You tell me which one you’re going to do, and we’re going to put it to bed. Whichever it is is OK by me. Obviously, if you go, you’re going to go No. 1, but if you want to stay another year, you know that’ll make me very happy and our team.

Best: He’s always had his own path. He’s done things Tim’s way.

Odom: At the agreed-upon time, 2 o’clock, I called the number. He picks it up. He says, “Coach, that you?” I said, yep. He said, “I’m not going anywhere.” I said, “Good. I am. I’ve got to go to an AAU game. You have a nice weekend. I’ll see you Monday.”

Nestor: We’re playing at Virginia his senior year and we win the game. Coach goes in to do the postgame, and one of the managers says, “Coach, there’s a guy named Peyton Manning out here who wants to see Tim Duncan.”

Peyton Manning, University of Tennessee quarterback: (My now wife) Ashley and I had been dating, so on weekends, if we didn’t have anything football-wise, I would drive up to Charlottesville a good bit. So I went to the game, but after the game — I can’t remember how it got set up — I remember I wanted to talk to Tim because he’d just stayed.

John Justus, sports information director: I remember them standing there talking in the hallway for a while. I wish I had a picture of them; that was really neat.

Manning: I basically just kind of asked, “Hey, Tim, what was the main decision for you to decide to stay?” And from what I recall, it wasn’t just one thing. He actually said, “I thought I could get even better as a senior, get even more prepared for the NBA.” But he also liked college. He liked the college experience. He liked his coaches, liked his teammates, liked Wake Forest, and he just didn’t want to leave that right away. Boy, that just made a big impact on me, because basically what it told me was that it was OK to stay. Right?

Amonett: This is my opinion: Peyton Manning doesn’t come back for his next season if he doesn’t come and talk to Tim Duncan.

Manning: This is the time where everybody was leaving. … I remember talking to other people, quarterbacks, like Drew Bledsoe had left. So I kind of got his reason. Michael Jordan, believe it or not, I ended up speaking with — he had left as a junior. So I’m talking to a lot of these people that had left, and I’m like, it’s kind of one-sided here. And I think deep down I probably wanted to stay, but I just wanted to know somebody else that had done it and didn’t regret it. And Tim Duncan was that person for me.

Amonett: I’ll tell you how impactful his senior day was. We were out there after it’s over. I think they’re doing his jersey retirement ceremony and honoring him. We’d beaten Georgia Tech. Matt Harpring was at Georgia Tech and a junior at the time. Harpring was trying to decide if he was going to come back or not. Harpring actually doesn’t go to the locker room, and sneaks outside and watches the entire ceremony. As we’re walking back in, the Georgia Tech assistant coaches look over at our two assistant coaches, and they say, “We think that Harpring will come back now, after witnessing that.”

Odom: I said what I wanted to say. Tim was a man of few words, and he said what he wanted to say, and I’ll be darned, I looked at his dad, and his dad — I don’t want to say he grabbed it out of my hand — but I could tell that he wanted to say something. So I gave him the mic, and he draped his arms around Tim’s neck.

Turner: When Tim sort of enveloped his dad with his arms — you know, his long arms — and just squeezed him the way he did, it was unbelievably touching in that moment for everybody who saw it. But then if you watch him over the years, he would always grab the ball that way before the jump ball. The way he would hold the ball in that way seems to also represent somehow his respect and belief in the game, and where it had been able to take him, and how it has changed his life.

Odom: I’ll never forget what his father said (about his advice to Tim before beginning his career at Wake Forest). He did it in that Croixian accent: “I told him, Timmy, go to Wake Forest, do your best and let it rest.”

Exactly what he said. Do your best and let it rest — and I think he did.

(Illustration: Wes McCabe / The Athletic; photos: Getty Images)  

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Brendan Marks covers Duke and North Carolina basketball for The Athletic. He previously worked at The Charlotte Observer as a Carolina Panthers beat reporter, and his writing has also appeared in Sports Illustrated, The Boston Globe and The Baltimore Sun. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Brendan is a fan of good barbecue and buzzer-beaters. And of course, the best rivalry in college sports.

C.J. Moore, a staff writer for The Athletic, has been on the college basketball beat since 2011. He has worked at Bleacher Report as the site’s national college basketball writer and also covered the sport for CBSSports.com and Basketball Prospectus. He is the coauthor of Beyond the Streak, a behind-the-scenes look at Kansas basketball's record-setting Big 12 title run. Follow CJ on Twitter @cjmoorehoops.

121  COMMENTS

Tom S.

May 14

89 likes

Spectacular

Ron S.

May 14

48 likes

Beautiful article full of hilarious stories. Thx so very much. It must have been pure joy to write!

Dennis E.

May 15

7 likes

@Ron S. Actually, for a writer, what this is is joyous torture - you have all this fantastic material, and the pressure to not screw it up is enormous. A fabulous job gentlemen. Very satisfactory indeed

Steven V.

May 14

37 likes

wonderful article, Tim seems like such an amazing and unique person

Robert H.

May 14

28 likes

My gosh, as a Wake alum, I can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed this. So many great background stories. I laughed out loud several times. So many different interesting sources. Just great work.

Randy P.

May 14

23 likes

Growing up in ACC country, I always loved to watch Tim Duncan. Coach Odom was also a great coach and put Wake on the map. I still pull for Wake because of that even though I’m an NC State Alumni. Congrats to Tim, he’s a Hall of Fame player and deservedly so.

George H.

May 14

19 likes

Duncan is truly one of a kind. Fantastic read.

Fred D.

May 14

16 likes

What a great reminder of what a great player and person Tim Duncan is and was.

The last really great college player to stay 4 years that I can recall. Not mentioned was how many times he had what seemed like 30 of Wake’s 54 points in a losing effort playing a total team game.

For example a good to great pass out of a double team to an open Wake shooter at the 3 pt line only to have the guy brick it.

Shane W.

May 14

4 likes

Tyler Hansbrough stayed 4 years, but he was never a projected top draft pick like Timmy. There's been no one like Timmy since.

Pierce C.

May 14

Lillard has a fairly similar unheralded recruit to top draft pick story.

Victor H.

May 17

Four years is rare; pretty soon one-and-done won't even be a thing.

Brad L.

May 14

9 likes

Great story! With the draft approaching, Duncan is a reminder of what a polished four year player looks like, compared to the raw, unrefined 18-19 year olds that dominate the draft.

Warren B.

May 14

5 likes

@Brad L. yeah, and he went to class, enjoyed it, and got his degree. You wonder about all the guys who cycle on/off teams at bottom of rotation...what have they got to fall back on at age 40, when even Europe or overseas ball is out?

Forrest Z.

May 14

5 likes

I mean, guys can still go back and finish school whenever they want. Many do that in the off-season or when they retire

Brad L.

May 14

3 likes

@Forrest Z. You bet they can and I imagine a few even do. In the meantime we get a bunch of 18-19 year olds who can’t play. It weakens the NBA and the college game. For every Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett, you get ten Korleone Young’s. I don’t know what the answer is. I understand the draw of money and if a kid wants to go to work why should he be denied? Most early entrants today are nowhere near as self aware (or talented) as Duncan was. Maybe if the corrupt NCAA started paying these kids they’d stay in school longer.

Andrew L.

May 14

29 likes

Needs a rating higher than Awesome - truly fantastic!

Jeremy A.

May 14

5 likes

really, really well done.

Mathew D.

May 14

22 likes

Best article I've read on here. THIS is the the reason I subscribe

Robert W.

May 14

3 likes

A pro's Pro!! Great column for a well deserved Hall of Famer. Miss the days of watching a player of Duncan's ability and character.

Noah F.

May 14

18 likes

One of my favourite Athletic articles ever. Incredible work.

Nick A.

May 14

4 likes

This was fantastic.

Paul C.

May 14

9 likes

Thank you both.
What a wonderful piece about an exceptional man.

Victor H.

May 14

11 likes

An absolute legend. Timmy and the Spurs make me so proud to be from San Antonio and a Spurs fan.

Victor H.

May 14

16 likes

You can't be Victor H. -- *I'm* Victor H.!

When I saw this comment, I thought, "I have no freaking memory of writing this. Am I in the early stage of dementia? And when did I move to San Antonio?"

Jonathan W.

May 14

1 like

But did you disagree with yourself?

Victor H.

May 14

1 like

"Disagree," hell. I flipped myself off a couple of times!

Dennis E.

May 15

1 like

@Victor H. ?

John R.

May 14

13 likes

Do your best and let it rest.

Words of wisdom for all of us.

Matthew K.

May 14

12 likes

I love The Athletic, but as a lifelong Wake fan this is my favorite piece you all have done.

Matt Y.

May 14

1 like

Legend - great stories

Garrett P.

May 14

75 likes

I ran track at Wake from '94 to '98 and my favorite Timmy D story is one day our team was in the weight room working out and the basketball team was in there, too. One of my teammates, a skinny distance runner, was on the bench press and had gotten the bar stuck on his chest. He couldn't get it back up and was kind of struggling there all by himself. Tim walks by, pauses a second or two to watch, and then uses a finger to help lift the bar back up and onto the stand. Tim then walks off shaking his head and quietly muttering, "Cross country runners in the weight room...". On behalf of Demon Deacons everywhere, thanks Brendan and CJ, for writing this story on one of the best to ever do it!

CJ Moore

STAFF

May 14

1 like

@Garrett P. That's awesome. Thanks for sharing.

Mark A.

May 16

@Garrett P. Classic. Thanks for sharing!

Rick M.

May 14

1 like

Amazing story. Thanks

Corey F.

May 14

3 likes

Tim Duncan is underrated. Amazing article, I thought I'd heard all the stories, but I guess not!

Will S.

May 14

17 likes

This is the best oral history I have ever read on The Athletic, full stop. And because there's been so many unbelievable ones, I didn't know if I'd ever read an article here and be able to say that for certain. Thank you.

Jim M.

May 14

3 likes

Well done. No one like him. Just a pleasure to read about.

Bob M.

May 14

1 like

Double awesome...restores my faith in human nature...sorely needed.

Nate A.

May 14

Please, enough with the oral histories. Write a story. Be creative.

Victor H.

May 14

60 likes

Pay no attention to?????

Andy S.

May 14

16 likes

@Nate A. What an inane comment. Go back to your cave, Troll, and watch some more Stephen A. Smith clips on YouTube.

Tom Z.

May 15

@Nate A. Please, seek help. You are crying out for it

Victor H.

May 15

Says The Athletic's least creative subscriber....

Dennis E.

May 15

@Nate A. Do fuck off, there's a good boy...

Russ J.

May 15

1 like

Go back to the blog posts from Bleacher Report.

Victor H.

May 14

10 likes

This astonishing article captures the essence of Wake Forest AND Tim Duncan. An intelligent athlete can blossom there in ways that a jock at Behemoth State simply can't.

I think Steph Curry enjoyed his time at Davidson College for some of the same reasons.

Oh, and Go Deacs!

Frankie C.

May 14

4 likes

What a great read. I remember this time period, NOBODY was staying in school anymore, especially when they were a guaranteed Top 5 pick (Soph) or the #1 pick (Junior). He was fascinating in College & the NBA, one of the TRUE pro athlete Role Models, not because he stayed in school but because of everything else about him

Geoff R.

May 14

11 likes

At the risk of breaking a rule or two - what a fucking amazing read! This is why I subscribe.

Kyle B.

May 14

4 likes

Love the part about his chapter in the book and the NCAA shows once again they have no idea Great job!!!

Mike L.

May 14

2 likes

Special guy, great job by the Author as well

Junius M.

May 14

3 likes

Fantastic article. One of the best I've read. This was in the heyday of the ACC before it went into its gradual death spiral and the current state of CBB.

Dave C.

May 14

4 likes

Great story! I'm a Wake grad, but I graduated in '92, so I just missed the Tim Duncan era. Blucas was a good friend of mine though. Great reading all of this, and I can totally hear the Blucas bits coming from him in my head. Really a fun read. Thanks for doing it!

Rachel H.

May 14

4 likes

Growing up as both a Spurs fan and a Colts fan it's fascinating to learn how those two franchises lucked out because one person made a decision that affected another's.

Seth H.

May 14

This article was amazing. One of the best collections of stories I've read on the Athletic

Forrest Z.

May 14

18 likes

A friend of mine growing up has a classic Tim story. Friend’s dad had some sort of business or professional relationship with TD, I don’t remember exactly what. Regardless, TD was in town in the offseason. Friend’s dad gets called into work unexpectedly and is gone pretty much all day, leaving the kids with nothing to do. Tim, unsolicited, decides to take them to the movies. Pays for their tickets and snacks and hangs out with them all afternoon. Basically volunteered to babysit and didn’t say a word but make sure the kids were alright and entertained. Always admired him since hearing about that small, selfless act.

CJ Moore

STAFF

May 14

1 like

@Forrest Z. Sounds like him. Amazing. Thanks for sharing.

Brian F.

May 14

1 like

Incredible work. Worth the subscription all on its own

Tom W.

May 14

3 likes

Just when I thought I couldn't be a bigger TD fan...

Robert L.

May 14

Incredible article, great collection of stories.

Gregory E.

May 14

1 like

Well done! You truly captured everyones emotions.

James J.

May 14

9 likes

amazing piece. i'm a carolina guy, but a winston-salem native. if you don't love tim duncan you don't understand basketball or sports. a fine lesson for the AAU heroes and their dads and to the aspiring one and dones.

Frank G.

May 14

4 likes

Getting emotional over here. Idolized him as a child and saw his entire career. He will always be my favorite player and very deserving of all the accolades and praise! #ThankYouTD

Dan D.

May 14

Phenomenal reporting.

Edward D.

May 14

1 like

Outstanding. What a great guy and a great Pro.

Seth V.

May 14

5 likes

Tremendous. I remember becoming a Wake Forest Fan when Randolph Childress broke out, just thought he was an awesome player. Then Tim Duncan comes along and I was just amazed out how effective he was with a game that was so much different than any other big ban I'd seen play at the time. I'd never seen some one block shots with the intention to KEEP the ball rather than swatting it as far as possible to 'make a statement' - but that was the first thing that immediately stood out to me about Duncan as a freshman. Not just that he blocked a lot of shots, but that when he blocked a shot the possession was over and Wake was going the other way more like after a steal than a block and scramble for the ball or inbound.

Gregory C.

May 15

2 likes

You’d think that would have caught on after Bill Russell, but it didn’t. Duncan was awesome.

Dennis E.

May 15

2 likes

@Seth V. "I'd never seen some one block shots with the intention to KEEP the ball rather than swatting it as far as possible" If you were old enough, you'd remember Bill Russell doing that - that was his objective any time he got so much as a finger on a shot.

Joel S.

May 14

2 likes

As a lifelong Celtics fan, I was crushed when the ping pong balls went the Spurs' way. Oh, what the C's could have been with this remarkable young man leading them. Great read, Brendan and C.J.

David H.

May 14

3 likes

I've been a subscriber for two+ years here, and I think that's the best feature I've read on a site full of world class features. Bravo Brendan and CJ!

Rob O.

May 14

1 like

Amazing. I actually wound up doing my grad studies at Wake even though I am from west coast. It was partly because of TD and how he carried himself made an impression about the school.

Joshua C.

May 14

1 like

Articles like this are why I stay subscribed here. Love it.

Thomas B.

May 14

Awesome.

Daniel D.

May 14

2 likes

Thank you so much for this article, this one story is worth more than my subscription fee this month.
So many great stories here about a great person, who was also one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Jim O.

May 14

Awesome article about of wonderful gentleman.

Aron R.

May 14

Fantastic article

Daniel A.

May 14

Fantastic.

Tom M.

May 14

2 likes

reminds us of how great it is for the superman to be well rounded. a delightful read.

Shawn G.

May 14

5 likes

This is just sooooooooooooooo damn good! Exactly the reason "The Athletic" is the best.

I remember that before the 1997 NBA Draft, Greg Popovich was on a national sports talk radio show and he made the comment that Tim Duncan had the second-best post moves in the world.

The host was shocked and asked, "you mean college, right?"

Popovich stated, "No, there is Hakeem (Olajuwon) and Tim."

Five NBA titles and two MVP's and the best PF ever in the game. Pops was right.

Ed C.

May 14

11 likes

Great article guys. My favorite TD memory was from his senior day. James Earl Jones was in town speaking at the university and he wanted to go to the game to see Tim honored. The Wake band turned around to face James at halftime and played an impromptu version of the "March of the Empire" theme from Star Wars. It was great. We don't get a lot of days like that at Wake Forest. And we certainly don't get a lot of players like Tim. As an alumnus I really appreciate the way Tim carries himself and the way he has represented our university. He is a true ambassador.

Tony L.

May 14

Great article guys!

Frank G.

May 14

Fantastic!

Nathan P.

May 14

2 likes

This article alone was worth an annual subscription to The Athletic!

Patrick M.

May 14

8 likes

Being there in the stands as a freshman for his senior day festivities is one of my fondest college memories. A joy and pleasure to watch play. So proud to have him as a Wake alum ??

Street P.

May 14

2 likes

Maybe the best article I've read on here and the competition is stiff. So many oral histories come across disjointed but this narrative just flowed word one until the end! Brilliant.

Michael H.

May 14

Fantastic article! Along with the KG article, the Athletic is killing it

James C.

May 14

Loved this piece

Milind N.

May 14

This is just fantastic.

Randy J.

May 15

2 likes

This is why I love The Athletic. What a great article. Thank you!

Casey N.

May 15

Even as a lifelong Sonics fan, Duncan was always my favorite player. Loved this article.

Stephen B.

May 15

Gorgeous article, laughed and cried learning more about one of my fav all-time players. Thank you

Rob P.

May 15

This is why I subscribe. The content we all need in 2021.

Michael S.

May 15

4 likes

About as close to perfection as you can get. Both the article and Tim Duncan

Dennis D.

May 15

3 likes

Leave it to ACC hoops nuts to bring a tear out of me. Amazing story, depth from all directions.
The Atlantic is Da' bomb ...the fireworks kind.

Leslie L.

May 15

Superb! Unbelievably written and well thought out. Stories like this are the reason I subscribe.

JD D.

May 15

1 like

Fantastic. Such a fun and personal (and unique) perspective from all those around Tim, near and not so near. Great article!

Kimberly D.

May 15

3 likes

Thank you so much for this fabulous piece. I love Tim and enjoy reading all things written about him, and this ranks up there with the best.

Just a note to the authors: it’s spelled Crucian (from someone who’s lived here for the past 30+ years)

Todd J.

May 15

2 likes

Great story about a great person and player. Very Proud to Be a Deacon!

Paul L.

May 15

2 likes

A friend is a close business partner of a long time NBA franchise owner. He once told me Tim Duncan is “one of 2 good guys” in the NBA. Nice article

Frank T.

May 19

@Paul L. The other being Dirk Nowitzki I guess

Greg G.

May 15

1 like

Love these articles with behind the scenes tidbits about people like Duncan. He’d never tell these bits about himself but through the eyes of others, he seems incredibly human ... and humane.

Mo M.

May 15

4 likes

This was an all-time great article. Tim is like my white whale of learning about his basketball and personal growth since I'm an NBA draftnik. You rarely ever get any tidbits about him but this really painted a vivid picture of who he was and what he was about. The most egoless player wrote his thesis on the reaction to others ego. He must've put that to good use in the NBA.

I remember I found an article after his 1994 Goodwill Games saying he could've been an first-rounder in that past draft and he was only 17 his freshman year at Wake. That's how much he was scratching the surface and also, probably a reason to why he was so unknown being a year younger than everyone at his level. Then by the next year, he could've been top 2-5 pick in the 1995 Draft and the consensus No. 1 pick over Iverson in 1996.

One the greatest college and NBA basketball player ever. A well deserved HOF inductee!

Zain H.

May 15

1 like

Amazing article.

The story about losing his mom was his peak anxiety/fear, and nothing can be worst, wow. What a guy, such level headedness from a young man.

John L.

May 15

1 like

A wonderful story!

RICHARD M.

May 15

2 likes

Great article with so many heartfelt comments from his peers.Thanks to those who wrote and researched this story.Never forget Tim in the student section at a Wake/ State football game.He was a pro then and seating was not an issue.Class act.

Amilcar L.

May 15

1 like

Yeah this was fantastic.... how silly are the NCAA about the book he helped to author. .... In any case a true true legend .... that Tim Duncan

Gregory C.

May 15

1 like

The amount of pride the Wake Forest community has in Tim Duncan really can’t be overstated, but you can certainly see how he earned such a high status in these anecdotes. I’m happy that Tim Duncan will be celebrated this weekend, and I’m thankful that he’s represented the school so well.

David N.

May 16

Lovely article.

Coach H.

May 16

Enjoyed reading it. Thank you!

Esteban M.

May 16

1 like

New category mandated: Awesome plus. For exceptional excellence.

Leon C.

May 17

10/10

Stephen D.

May 17

man this was so good. love hearing how much he was just a great teammate.

Jordan L.

May 17

great read

Ken R.

May 17

Thanks.

Adam Y.

May 18

What a fantastic article. That Peyton Manning story at the end was just the icing on the cake.

I always respected Duncan but now that level has gone up quite a bit. Very special person.

John A.

May 18

Absolutely written article that provides amazing insight. Thanks lads

James G.

May 18

Very insightful article about a great college and professional basketball player!

Frank T.

May 19

Sensational piece of jounalism, you two. Fabulous, simply great! What Duncan does with the ball, you do with the pencil

Nils D.

May 20

1 like

Fantastic. An article that is on par with the talent of the individual being written about. Well done.

Dave W.

May 21

What a great read! I loved seeing the picture of Timothy Duncan's chapter in the psychology book. In my "pre-frosh" visit to Wake, my friend took me to his psychology class, and there was Tim Duncan. Allright Wake Forest, this place is pretty cool; I'm in!

Of the many other memories this article stirred up, I vividly remember driving from North Carolina to Florida after my sophomore year exams (Duncan's junior year). I was following my roommate in separate cars (pre-cell phones). Somewhere in the middle of nowhere South Carolina or Georgia, by chance we're listening to the same radio station and heard Duncan was staying and started fist pumping out of our windows. This article was really cool to be able to connect that memory to the visual of Duncan sitting at Odom's desk to take that call at 2pm on a Friday. We must have heard it on the radio just a few minutes after that.

Jason K.

May 22

Great stories. I wrote for Technician, the student newspaper, at NC State and covered ACC Operation Basketball or whatever it was called for our ACC preview section. I'm pretty sure it was before Duncan's senior season. It was back when all the reporters used the mini-tape recorders, and several of us were interviewing Duncan, with these recorders all out on the table in front of him. Mine looked just like two others. He just keeps talking, not cracking a smile, but just keeps picking up those three recorders and moving them around the entire time, playing a shell game. I got to sit down that day at a table with Dean Smith, Coach K, lots of greats, but that's the one thing that I specifically remember. It was a little glimpse into his personality.

Zach C.

May 25

Wow. One of the best sports pieces i've ever read. Thanks

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college-basketball-umass-marcus-camby-in

 

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  • Легенда

Хотелось бы, чтобы у The Athletic был oбозреватель Spurs (и это странно, что у них нет), но их освещение мира спорта в целом стоит стоимости подписки наверное. Если Red Sonja стока платит.
 

[Слухи]  Бекки в числе фаворитов на должность главного тренера "Пэйсерс"
https://www.ksat.com/sports/2021/06/10/spurs-assistant-becky-hammon-among-vegas-favorites-for-pacers-head-coaching-job/ 

BeckyKaraBillboard-1-60c7c466676f7-scale 
Билборд рядом с тренировочным центром "Селтикс", где Стивенса уже уговаривают нанять Бэкки или Киру Лоусон на пост главного тренера команды.

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  • Легенда

проверка Бекки на амбициозность. в Селтикс, ПТБ и Инди есть с кем выигрывать и можно карьерно взлететь по максимуму. а можно спокойно подождать год-два в САС и получить должность в наследство от Поповича, где ее все знают и точно не уволят за пару неудачных сезонов. я бы точно год выждал, все таки давно у САС не было столько денег на игроков - можно посмотреть куда движется клуб в принципе и заодно еще больше поднять свою рыночную стиомость как тренера.

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  • Легенда

А можно борщ варить и негритят рожать, а не лезть в мужские дела

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  • Легенда
3 часа назад, (.)(.) сказал:

А можно борщ варить и негритят рожать, а не лезть в мужские дела

Она ж лесбуха 

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  • Легенда
4 часа назад, (.)(.) сказал:

А можно борщ варить и негритят рожать, а не лезть в мужские дела

Сексист. 

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  • Легенда
В 14.05.2021 в 21:54, larryJonson сказал:

Никс случайно сделали умную вещь . Они не только взяли Рендла  но и фактически сделали его лидером команды . А он оказался одним из тех кто расцветает под грузом ответственности . СОКРОВИЩЕ А НЕ ИГРОК

Уухаха

В 20.05.2021 в 05:34, Тони Бачелло сказал:

1. Дерозана не подписывать. 

2. Два-три года собирать таланты с драфтов и бегать с  геем и пэтти милцом в старте

3. Выходить на рынок свободных агентов

Гэй ещё живой вообще? Ему лет 35, ещё и ахилл был года 4 назад

вроде бегал бодро, но насколько хватит его

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