"Pop keeps talking to me about coaching" - Tim Duncan on why he is hesitant to be in the NBA after retirement
There are NBA legends whose presence is felt long after their final game, not just on jerseys stitched into rafters, but in boardrooms, benches, broadcasts and front offices.
Tim Duncan is not one of them.
Though he retired in 2016 with five championships, two MVP awards and a level of greatness few ever matched, Duncan has spent much of his post-retirement years intentionally removed from the limelight, resisting the gravitational pull that keeps so many former players orbiting the NBA ecosystem.
Staying away
When asked why the San Antonio Spurs legend kept his distance, he said he simply doesn't want to be around.
"Pop [Gregg Popovich] keeps talking to me about coaching or being around basketball. I'm not sold on that yet," Duncan said.
Some of our younger audience may think of Duncan as just some former Spur. He anchored the team through two decades of unmatched consistency, helping them to a playoff appearance in every one of his 19 seasons. Under head coach Gregg Popovich, he became the embodiment of system basketball, leadership through humility and efficiency that bordered on surgical.
So when he returned in 2019 as a full-time assistant coach under Popovich, it felt like a natural progression that perhaps foreshadowed a long second act on the sidelines. But it wasn't long before his presence faded again. Duncan's coaching stint lasted just a season. And even in that brief window, it was a part-time commitment by design.
In March 2020, he stepped in as acting head coach for one game, a 104–103 win over the Charlotte Hornets, when Popovich was absent. It was vintage Duncan — calm, understated, effective. He didn't make a big show of it.
That singular moment captured everything about Duncan's relationship with the sport after retirement. He respects it deeply but resists letting it define his life now.Duncan's commitment
Duncan's former teammates have followed more predictable paths. Manu Ginobili returned to San Antonio in a player development role. Tony Parker, now a team owner and executive in France, stays visible in international basketball circles. Even David Robinson, who preceded Duncan as the franchise cornerstone, remains close to Spurs activities and NBA events.
Duncan, however, rarely shows up. He remains in San Antonio but moves in different circles, far from the media spotlight, focused on family and business ventures. This includes running the BlackJack Speed Shop, the custom car shop he founded during his playing days.
That deliberate distance seems to be a mix of peace and priority. He doesn't speak of resentment or burnout. He rarely even comments on his own career. But it is known that his chapter as a player was complete and that his identity is no longer tethered to the hardwood.
This isn't the first time Duncan has pulled away from something many assumed he'd embrace.
After retiring, he didn't hold a press conference. The Spurs simply issued a statement and that was that. There was no farewell tour, final season of tributes or pregame ceremonies with framed jerseys and standing ovations.
And yet, when the Spurs needed him, when Popovich called, he came back. It wasn't for a legacy burnish or a career in coaching, but to be present when it mattered. Even during the NBA's COVID-19 bubble, he was reportedly involved behind the scenes, helping prepare players without needing to be seen courtside.
He still wears the Spurs legacy, but not as a uniform and not anywhere close to the front office.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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