DawgMilkX
03-09-2009, 09:10 AM
Photos and Story by duncan228 - March 3, 2009
I was given a gift last night.
I’m a long time Tim Duncan fan and the Spurs are my team. I’ve been to a lot of NBA games, but I was never able to see the Spurs. That changed, due to the kindness of strangers.
One stranger reached out to me earlier this season after reading on SpursTalk that I had never been to a Spurs game. He then asked a friend to see if it was possible to get me tickets when the Spurs came to LA. The friend contacted another friend in LA about the request.
I was contacted again, this time by the friend. He told me that the LA connection was able to come up with a couple of tickets to the Spurs/Clippers game and they would be left at will call for me.
I don’t remember being as nervous as I was driving to LA. After so many years of wanting to see Duncan play in person, it was happening.
My plan was to get in early enough to try to get an autograph, but it seemed that couldn’t happen. Will call doesn't open until two hours before the event, and the doors don’t open until 6:15 p.m, for a 7:30 tip off.
But little did I know that the gifts from strangers would keep coming.
The box office allowed me to pick up the tickets 30 minutes early. That's when another stranger appeared, in person this time. I’ll never know why but he offered to get me in early. He led me through the VIP/Press entrance and he disappeared.
The arena was empty. I made my way to a tunnel to see what was happening on the court. It took me just a second to spot Duncan. He was on the floor running through his game. A few others were out there with him, Roger Mason Jr., Chip Engelland, Will Sevening with Ime Udoka sitting on the sidelines.
I was able to walk down to the first row and sat at the first seat, next to the basket. For 30 minutes I watched Duncan run through his pregame routine. It was like a private performance.
Duncan was focused, watching him work like that lets you see the effort it takes to be the player he is. The repetition of running through each part until he was at least somewhat satisfied with the result he was getting. The obvious frustration when his shot didn’t fall the way he wanted it to. The care he put into every move he made.
Toward the end of his work out, Bruce Bowen came onto the court. They laughed and teased, Duncan pushed him into the bench. It was fun to see the guys being loose with each other.
Watching Duncan during that 30 minutes will stay with me forever. It’s something I never dreamed I’d have the opportunity to see. It’s where the heart of the game I love lies. The behind the spotlight work that not many get to witness.
I moved to the edge of the tunnel when Duncan was done and got my Sharpie out. Maybe I could get luckier still.
I did.
Duncan stopped for me as he left the court, signed my Go Spurs Go Banner and my jersey.
Considering how awed I was from what I’d just seen, I think I did pretty good to get “Thank you so much” out.
After all that, there was still the game to watch.
The arena was starting to fill up, though not sold out, it was rocking. There were a ton of Spurs fans, people in jerseys and T-shirts. We Spurs fans were almost as loud as the Clippers fans.
The Clippers fans were wonderful, we were all NBA fans cheering on our teams and I saw no smack talk between fans. The Clippers fan in front of me passed me a pair of noise sticks. He laughed as he handed them to me. “They’re Clippers sticks, you may not want to use them,” he said.
I can only imagine what seeing the Spurs play at home is like, but the Clippers fans made me feel right at home.
Having had this team in my living room for so many years, it was incredible to finally see them live. Seeing ‘your’ team in person is a lot different than watching them on TV. It’s amazing how much of the game you miss on TV.
The team came out focused for the pregame shoot around, but they were light and smiling. They played with each other, they laughed and teased. However, their concentration was intense. They make it look so easy, but of course there’s a lot of work that went into making it "look easy."
That team chemistry you hear about is a real thing. It flows through the entire game, regardless of which five are on the court for the Spurs. They communicate with each other constantly. They help each other. They correct someone out of position. They congratulate a good play.
My focus was primarily on Duncan when he was on the floor, but this is my team and they were all wonderful to see live. Some things stood out to me that are hard to pick up from watching the Spurs on TV.
Tony Parker is even faster than he looks on TV, and in every way. Forwards, backwards, sideways. It’s amazing to watch him drive into the paint, bouncing off anyone in his way.
Bruce Bowen is a defensive pest and his defense is game changing. What a delight to watch in action.
Kurt Thomas, Matt Bonner and Fabricio Oberto are all bulldogs. They’re not afraid of the ‘dirty’ work. They get in there and battle.
Michael Finley has an incredible shooting stroke. His three point shots in the third quarter broke the game open.
Roger Mason Jr. and Malik Hairston bring hustle and energy to every play.
George Hill has been wonderful to watch grow with this team. He’s poised and confident, pretty cool for a rookie.
And then there’s Duncan. We all know what a great player he is, but he’s even better live. He leads this team in every way for the entire game. He’s more vocal than people think; he guides his team constantly. His footwork is incredible, his timing is precise. He’s powerful; he’s driven to win.
It's still hard to believe I finally got to see the Spurs. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. And it was a gift from strangers, that made it even sweeter.
I was given a gift last night.
I’m a long time Tim Duncan fan and the Spurs are my team. I’ve been to a lot of NBA games, but I was never able to see the Spurs. That changed, due to the kindness of strangers.
One stranger reached out to me earlier this season after reading on SpursTalk that I had never been to a Spurs game. He then asked a friend to see if it was possible to get me tickets when the Spurs came to LA. The friend contacted another friend in LA about the request.
I was contacted again, this time by the friend. He told me that the LA connection was able to come up with a couple of tickets to the Spurs/Clippers game and they would be left at will call for me.
I don’t remember being as nervous as I was driving to LA. After so many years of wanting to see Duncan play in person, it was happening.
My plan was to get in early enough to try to get an autograph, but it seemed that couldn’t happen. Will call doesn't open until two hours before the event, and the doors don’t open until 6:15 p.m, for a 7:30 tip off.
But little did I know that the gifts from strangers would keep coming.
The box office allowed me to pick up the tickets 30 minutes early. That's when another stranger appeared, in person this time. I’ll never know why but he offered to get me in early. He led me through the VIP/Press entrance and he disappeared.
The arena was empty. I made my way to a tunnel to see what was happening on the court. It took me just a second to spot Duncan. He was on the floor running through his game. A few others were out there with him, Roger Mason Jr., Chip Engelland, Will Sevening with Ime Udoka sitting on the sidelines.
I was able to walk down to the first row and sat at the first seat, next to the basket. For 30 minutes I watched Duncan run through his pregame routine. It was like a private performance.
Duncan was focused, watching him work like that lets you see the effort it takes to be the player he is. The repetition of running through each part until he was at least somewhat satisfied with the result he was getting. The obvious frustration when his shot didn’t fall the way he wanted it to. The care he put into every move he made.
Toward the end of his work out, Bruce Bowen came onto the court. They laughed and teased, Duncan pushed him into the bench. It was fun to see the guys being loose with each other.
Watching Duncan during that 30 minutes will stay with me forever. It’s something I never dreamed I’d have the opportunity to see. It’s where the heart of the game I love lies. The behind the spotlight work that not many get to witness.
I moved to the edge of the tunnel when Duncan was done and got my Sharpie out. Maybe I could get luckier still.
I did.
Duncan stopped for me as he left the court, signed my Go Spurs Go Banner and my jersey.
Considering how awed I was from what I’d just seen, I think I did pretty good to get “Thank you so much” out.
After all that, there was still the game to watch.
The arena was starting to fill up, though not sold out, it was rocking. There were a ton of Spurs fans, people in jerseys and T-shirts. We Spurs fans were almost as loud as the Clippers fans.
The Clippers fans were wonderful, we were all NBA fans cheering on our teams and I saw no smack talk between fans. The Clippers fan in front of me passed me a pair of noise sticks. He laughed as he handed them to me. “They’re Clippers sticks, you may not want to use them,” he said.
I can only imagine what seeing the Spurs play at home is like, but the Clippers fans made me feel right at home.
Having had this team in my living room for so many years, it was incredible to finally see them live. Seeing ‘your’ team in person is a lot different than watching them on TV. It’s amazing how much of the game you miss on TV.
The team came out focused for the pregame shoot around, but they were light and smiling. They played with each other, they laughed and teased. However, their concentration was intense. They make it look so easy, but of course there’s a lot of work that went into making it "look easy."
That team chemistry you hear about is a real thing. It flows through the entire game, regardless of which five are on the court for the Spurs. They communicate with each other constantly. They help each other. They correct someone out of position. They congratulate a good play.
My focus was primarily on Duncan when he was on the floor, but this is my team and they were all wonderful to see live. Some things stood out to me that are hard to pick up from watching the Spurs on TV.
Tony Parker is even faster than he looks on TV, and in every way. Forwards, backwards, sideways. It’s amazing to watch him drive into the paint, bouncing off anyone in his way.
Bruce Bowen is a defensive pest and his defense is game changing. What a delight to watch in action.
Kurt Thomas, Matt Bonner and Fabricio Oberto are all bulldogs. They’re not afraid of the ‘dirty’ work. They get in there and battle.
Michael Finley has an incredible shooting stroke. His three point shots in the third quarter broke the game open.
Roger Mason Jr. and Malik Hairston bring hustle and energy to every play.
George Hill has been wonderful to watch grow with this team. He’s poised and confident, pretty cool for a rookie.
And then there’s Duncan. We all know what a great player he is, but he’s even better live. He leads this team in every way for the entire game. He’s more vocal than people think; he guides his team constantly. His footwork is incredible, his timing is precise. He’s powerful; he’s driven to win.
It's still hard to believe I finally got to see the Spurs. It was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. And it was a gift from strangers, that made it even sweeter.