Being a fan of San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan came with the knowledge that flash and substance wasn’t going to be part of his game.
A lucrative advertising deal also wasn’t something you were going to see from Duncan.
In fact, most of Duncan’s accomplishments came with little fanfare or notoriety.
That’s just how the big man liked it. That’s how all of his fans, myself included, liked it as well.
This week, Duncan announced via a very low-key team press release that he is retiring from basketball after a successful 19-year career.
It was a career that saw him set numerous records and essentially changed the way the power forward position is played.
During that time, Duncan helped shape the Spurs franchise into a formidable and consistent competitor. Five NBA titles, two NBA MVP’s, a three-time NBA Finals MVP and rookie of the year honors were among the laundry list of accomplishments Duncan experienced in his storied career.
But it was the way Duncan carried himself that resonated with so many of his fans and followers.
As showmanship and gaudiness rule the NBA, Duncan instead treated his professional career as if it were any other job.
Though, Duncan’s version of carrying a lunch pail and grabbing a tool belt was posting up big men in the paint.
But that’s what made Duncan such an endearing and motivational figure. Duncan had that “nose to the grindstone” mentality many of us in the real world experience on a day-to-day basis.
He was a player for the people and a person to rally around. His fans looked up to him. It was no more apparent than in the Central Texas area, who respected his ability to consistently guide Spurs teams to the playoffs.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, felt as good as watching Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili lead victory parades down the Riverwalk.
Duncan accomplished his feats without the need for flashy dunks and the like. Being “Mr. Fundamental,” Duncan was able to score points and make big plays by playing the game as it’s meant to be played.
Whenever one watched Tim Duncan play, you could bet the banks were always open. His iconic off-the-backboard bank shots are the stuff of legend.
His style of play is something that is slowly disappearing from the game. More athletes should take a page out of Duncan’s style-book.
His quiet demeanor was also a trait that made him famous. As a fellow introvert, it was gratifying to see someone who let their actions do most of the talking.
While it’s sad to see Duncan end his career without one final championship, it was nonetheless a wild ride to experience.
The victories, the championships and even some defeats were all a part of a sensational path he had.
Thank you, Tim Duncan.
Sincerely, a fan that watched your meteoric rise during his formative years.
