Latest news with #TimDuncan
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
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David Robinson reveals why teaming up with Tim Duncan worked so seamlessly: "We can get every rebound, we can block every shot..."
David Robinson reveals why teaming up with Tim Duncan worked so seamlessly: "We can get every rebound, we can block every shot..." originally appeared on Basketball Network. When a highly anticipated rookie enters the league, especially one with the kind of hype that follows a generational No.1 pick, there's often an adjustment period. It can take time for the new guy to coexist with the established superstar and egos sometimes clash before things eventually click. But that wasn't the case in San Antonio when Tim Duncan arrived. At the time, David Robinson was the alpha and omega of the Spurs, the franchise cornerstone, the unquestioned leader. Yet when Duncan came in, not only did it make them better as a team, but it also made Robinson excited to share the stage with the promising rook. There was no power struggle. No awkward "whose team is this" narrative. Instead, there was immediate synergy and a vision of what the two could accomplish together. Robinson was ready to share the stage with Duncan San Antonio landed Duncan in the 1997 NBA Draft, a result of an injury-plagued season that dropped them into the lottery. It was a rare opportunity for a perennial contender to add a generational big man. For Robinson, coming off his own injury struggles, it meant not just a new co-star, but someone who could help extend his prime and elevate the team back into contention. "His skill set complemented mine perfectly. For me, that was what was exciting about it is, 'Wow, here is this young guy, this is a true Twin Towers thing,'" the legendary Spurs center said of the beginning of the partnership with Duncan. "Because the two of us together, we can get every rebound, we can block every shot and we can score from inside and out. I saw it as an opportunity for us to really complement one another." Sure, Timmy-D's on-court abilities helped get the sympathies of The Admiral, but it was his personality that really won him over. "I thought his personality was, he came in with humility, excitement for what was happening. Wanting to learn. There was no entitlement in him. Which, I think, a lot of the times that can rub older guys wrong, too. Young guys coming in with that entitlement, thinking somebody owes them something. Tim never had that attitude. He wanted to earn his keep," Robinson pointed Towers put the Spurs on the map Robinson and Duncan didn't just coexist. They dominated. In their first season together, the Spurs went from a 20-win lottery team to 56 wins. By their second year, they were champions, with the Twin Towers controlling the paint on both ends and rewriting the franchise's history. Together, they won two championships (1999 and 2003), established one of the most feared frontcourts in NBA history and set the standard for what it looks like when two Hall of Fame big men share the floor without ego getting in the way. Robinson passed the torch, Duncan carried it and the Spurs became a dynasty. Looking back, the Admiral didn't see it as giving anything up; he saw it as maximizing what they could be as a team. And in the process, they built a foundation that still defines San Antonio basketball today. Always willing to let the other guy shine if it will lead to something story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"That's the stupidest question I ever heard" - Tim Duncan on why he cringes when people say winning rings isn't the most important thing
"That's the stupidest question I ever heard" - Tim Duncan on why he cringes when people say winning rings isn't the most important thing originally appeared on Basketball Network. There was a moment in 2003 when Tim Duncan sat in front of the media, having just added another title to his name, and couldn't quite believe the question he was being asked. He had won twice, was only getting better, and had just reached the top of the mountain again. Yet somehow, the question wasn't about the climb or what it took to get there. It was about what came next, as if winning a second championship created a new kind of doubt. 'People say, 'You've done this once, you've won twice, what else do you have left to do?' That's the stupidest question I ever heard,' Duncan said. 'To do it over and over again — you can't beat that. Every time that you don't win it, it's more disappointing.' That response came from a place most players don't talk about publicly. Once you've experienced what it takes to win a championship and gone through the physical and mental strain of that pursuit, the idea that anyone would casually ask what more there is to accomplish completely misses the point for players of Duncan's ilk. Earlier in the same exchange, Duncan had been asked whether winning a title felt like everything it was supposed to be. He nodded and said yes, but then caught himself and tried to clarify. 'Yeah, it is, but it's a little miscon … skewed? Mis … con...?' He knew what it meant to him. He just didn't know how to describe it in a way that would land with people who hadn't felt it for themselves. The drive to win didn't come from outside pressure Duncan never seemed concerned with legacy talk. He never leaned into drama or public arguments about who deserved what kind of credit. Heck, he doesn't even come out in public. He showed up, did the work, and expected the same from everyone around him. What pushed him through each season was the simple, brutal understanding that anything short of winning the whole thing wasn't going to sit right. That mindset didn't need to be explained inside the San Antonio Spurs locker room. Everyone there knew what it was. If you had been through a title run with Duncan, you understood what he demanded from himself and how little patience he had for half-measures. He treated winning titles like proof that everything he had put into the season had actually counted for something. So it struck a nerve when people started asking questions that suggested the pursuit might be complete after two rings. If winning had already shown him what the top looked like, why would he ever stop trying to get back there? The ring debate today would frustrate him even more The idea that championships should matter less in evaluating greatness has become a regular talking point in modern basketball debates. There's a steady stream of commentary online (we're looking at you, LeBron) about how titles depend on team situations, how the focus on rings distorts the appreciation of individual skill, and how context often gets buried under championship counts. The conversation has shifted into a space where fans feel the need to push back against what's now called 'ring culture.' However, the contrast becomes obvious if you revisit what Duncan said over 20 years ago. Every year he fell short, he felt it. Because he knew how good winning felt and what had been lost when it didn't happen. When you know what winning a championship means, and when you've done it more than once, the drive only sharpens. And hearing someone downplay that? That's the part that always sat wrong with the ol' story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Victor Wembanyama reveals long-term Spurs ‘dream'
The post Victor Wembanyama reveals long-term Spurs 'dream' appeared first on ClutchPoints. The San Antonio Spurs are currently gearing up for what will be a 2025-26 season filled with expectation after the recent news that Victor Wembanyama has been cleared to return from his blood clot scare. Wembanyama has spent a large chunk of time this summer in China getting his body in peak condition and will enter this year on the short-list of candidates for the league MVP award. Recently, Wembanyama spoke on his dream to follow in the footsteps of players like Kobe Bryant and the Spurs' own franchise legend Tim Duncan by staying with one team for his whole career. 'I know that not every player in the NBA has the same ambitions, but it's obviously my dream to spend my entire career with a single franchise. Here. In San Antonio,' said Wembanyama, per Maxime Aubin of L'Équipe on X, formerly Twitter. It's certainly good news to hear for Spurs fans, who had seen their franchise in a rare down period for the few years before Wembanyama showed up thanks to some lucky lottery ping pong balls in the summer of 2023. How far can the Spurs go? Currently, the Spurs have a bit of a logjam on their roster at the guard position, as Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, last year's trade acquisition De'Aaron Fox, and this year's number two overall pick Dylan Harper all play essentially the same position. Of course, having too much talent is usually a good problem to have, but it will be interesting to see how the Spurs look to navigate that challenge, especially as it pertains to surrounding Wembanyama with lineups specifically orchestrated to maximize his unique skillset. Wembanyama almost assuredly would have won last year's Defensive Player of the Year award had he not been sidelined with a blood clot scare with just two months remaining in the season. Thankfully, the star has since recovered from that ailment and will be ready to go for 2025-26. If he can stay healthy this year, the Spurs could be serious threats to end their current playoff drought and put themselves back on the map in the vaunted Western Conference. Related: Spurs' De'Aaron Fox debuts his newest Curry Fox 2 Related: Spurs news: Riley Minix predicts Summer League buzzer-beater vs. Jazz
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
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Spurs rookie Dylan Harper recalls unexpected encounter with Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan
The post Spurs rookie Dylan Harper recalls unexpected encounter with Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan appeared first on ClutchPoints. San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Dylan Harper already knew he was stepping into a franchise with a rich history. Even before he signed his first contract, he had a good look at the five championship banners that hang from the Spurs' rafters during his draft workout. Advertisement What he did not expect was to run into the franchise's legends on an ordinary afternoon, strolling casually through the gym as if they were just another part of the scenery. The 19-year-old could not hide the excitement in his voice when he described the moment when he turned around and saw Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich walking together. For a second, he thought he must be imagining it. The teenager had to look twice to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks. Then, with the instinct of any young fan who grew up hearing stories about the Spurs dynasty, he walked straight over to greet them. 'I had to dap them up and take the video,' Harper told Andscape with a wide grin. 'It caught me off guard. I thought, 'What are they doing here?' I was like, 'Maybe they're just here this one day?' And they're like, 'No, they are here all the time.' And so, when they talk about the Spurs' organization and their culture, that's really what culture is.' He said he met Popovich on the very first day he arrived at the facility. 'I met Pop the first day I was there and Tim,' Harper said. 'Pop was there getting treatment and doing exercises. That is not regular in any NBA gym. You see a Hall of Fame coach, a Hall of Fame player walking around the gym. And they are there like every day. I can pick their brain and ask questions.' Advertisement Popovich, who has coached the Spurs for nearly thirty years, was there maintaining his health and staying engaged with the team. Duncan, who helped bring five titles to San Antonio, was just as present. For Harper, this was something entirely new. He had visited other NBA gyms during the draft process and had never seen anything quite like it. Most teams have photos of their legends on the walls. The Spurs have their icons in the building, ready to share advice or lend support whenever needed. Harper grew up with basketball in his blood. His father, Ron Harper, won five NBA championships alongside Michael Jordan and later with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. His mother, Maria, was a standout defensive point guard at the University of New Orleans. Though Dylan never saw his father play in person, he heard the stories often. He remembered attending the 2019 All-Star Weekend in Chicago, where he caught glimpses of NBA greats moving through the halls like it was no big deal. Even then, he sensed that basketball was more than a sport; it was a network of relationships and memories that stretched across generations. Advertisement 'To be in the back rooms and to see superstars walking around like regular people was crazy to me back then,' he said. 'We played Bryce [James] in New York, LeBron's [James'] son, and I saw the connection between [my father and LeBron James] both being from Ohio. If [my father] sees someone in the league, they all know each other. It is like a brotherhood in a way.' His own path to the NBA began in New Jersey, where he starred at Don Bosco Prep before joining Rutgers University. As a freshman, Harper averaged 19.4 points and 4.6 rebounds, showcasing the blend of scoring, vision, and competitive spirit that made him a top prospect. The Spurs chose him with the second overall pick in the 2025 draft, adding him to a young core that already included Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, who each won Rookie of the Year in consecutive seasons. When Harper walked into the Spurs' facility for the first time, he already carried the weight of expectations. But seeing Popovich and Duncan in person reminded him that every great career is built step by step. He felt encouraged knowing he would have a chance to learn from two of the most respected figures in basketball history. Advertisement The atmosphere made Harper feel that he was not just joining a team but becoming part of something bigger. He hopes to carry forward the lessons his family and the Spurs have taught him. In San Antonio, the banners on the wall tell only part of the story. The real measure of the Spurs' legacy walks the hallways, shakes your hand, and reminds you that greatness is a daily choice. For Dylan Harper, that surprise encounter was not only an unforgettable moment but also a powerful introduction to the culture he now calls home. Related: Spurs make roster move on 41.3% 3-point shooter amid busy offseason Related: Dylan Harper makes Manu Ginobili admission as he starts NBA, Spurs journey
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spurs' Luke Kornet reveals Tim Duncan reason behind No. 7 jersey number
The post Spurs' Luke Kornet reveals Tim Duncan reason behind No. 7 jersey number appeared first on ClutchPoints. Luke Kornet moves on from the Boston Celtics as he begins the next chapter of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. And he has a Tim Duncan reason behind the decision of his jersey number. Advertisement Kornet signed with the Spurs this offseason, leaving the Celtics after four consecutive seasons. He played a solid role off the bench as he helped the team win the 2024 NBA championship. Kornet wore the No. 40 jersey with Boston, but with San Antonio, he will don the No. 7 jersey. He explained how Duncan played a role behind the jersey number during his introductory press conference on Monday. 'I just hope to be a third of the player that Tim Duncan was,' Kornet said. What's next for Luke Kornet, Spurs Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Luke Kornet is excited to be a member of the Spurs, especially after landing the biggest contract of his career. Advertisement He deserved the contract, too. Kornet proved himself to be a solid rotational piece for the Celtics, providing remarkable efficiency inside the paint while being an effective shot-blocker. Throughout the 235 total appearances he made with Boston, he averaged 4.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He shot 65.4% from the field and 77.4% from the free-throw line. The Spurs certainly view him to assist Victor Wembanyama and the squad to improve their talent on both sides of the ball. San Antonio begins a new era as head coach Gregg Popovich retired from coaching as he embraced a front office role. In other words, Mitch Johnson will be responsible for navigating the Spurs through the Wembanyama era as they look to make the playoffs. They haven't done that since the 2019 postseason, which they aspire to achieve as they boast plenty of young talents on the roster for next season. Advertisement Related: Luke Kornet reveals how he can fit with Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper Related: Why recent Spurs draft pick isn't interested in a Summer League break out
