Salute to Tim Duncan..

[HarlemHeat37]

The media has tried to sell Pop as being the primary reason for the Spurs' success(despite Pop himself repeatedly saying otherwise), but Duncan was truly the face of small market NBA success, no other player in league history built a franchise like he did..

Aldridge asks for a trade the season following Duncan's retirement and now Kawhi has made a mockery out of Pop's culture and :( system :(

[SuperCam]

This has always been true. Poop would have been fired in winter of 1998 if Tim hadn't bailed him out. He'd be wiping for Larry Brown the rest of his career

[spursistan]

His legend keeps on growing, tbh..

Salute to the great man. Truly inimitable..

[daslicer]

One of the few times I agree with the OP. Duncan truly was a transcendent player. I'm biased but I only rank Jordan and Jabbar ahead of him on my all time list.

[HarlemHeat37]

If Mike D'Antoni or Dwane Casey won the lottery in 1997, they would have 5 rings today with unlimited job security, shitting on the media, downplaying the game of basketball and looking down on the common folk:lol

[dbreiden83080]

The ultimate team-mate and team player that bonded the team because he was so unselfish about winning.

[coachmac87]

Shocking news....

[SuperCam]

greatest Franchise cornerstones of all time are Bill Russell and Tim Duncan in that order. No other player even comes close tbh.


the do-as-i-say era of arrogant overbearing white coaches is officially dead now, though. Poop was the last of them and outlived Phil, Sloan, and Brown. All 30 teams are now player run...

[Arcadian]

The Ultimate Franchise Player

If you had to choose one player in history to start a franchise, there would be no better choice than Tim, all factors considered (including loyalty, coachability, and likeability for teammates).

[daslicer]

If Mike D'Antoni or Dwane Casey won the lottery in 1997, they would have 5 rings today with unlimited job security, shitting on the media, downplaying the game of basketball and looking down on the common man:lol

I think for the most part coaching is truly overrated. Lebron has proven this by winning 3 titles as the defacto coach.

[apalisoc_9]

Pop is way too big.

No Superstar will ever play in San Antonio unless Pop is runnig the team.

[21209]

People forget that Duncan had one foot out the door before Doc Rivers told him no to having family members board flights with the Magic.

[DAF86]

Top 5 player of all-time.

[jimbo]

If Mike D'Antoni or Dwane Casey won the lottery in 1997, they would have 5 rings today with unlimited job security, shitting on the media, downplaying the game of basketball and looking down on the common folk:lol

[-21-]

The Ultimate Franchise Player

If you had to choose one player in history to start a franchise, there would be no better choice than Tim, all factors considered (including loyalty, coachability, and likeability for teammates).

Yep. Off the top of my head, Dirk is the only other all-time great comparable in terms of intangibles.

[MannyIsGod]

The media has tried to sell Pop as being the primary reason for the Spurs' success(despite Pop himself repeatedly saying otherwise), but Duncan was truly the face of small market NBA success, no other player in league history built a franchise like he did..

Aldridge asks for a trade the season following Duncan's retirement and now Kawhi has made a mockery out of Pop's culture and :( system :(

I think Pop would tell you the exact same. People here don't appreciate Pop enough, but Duncan was absolutely the main reason behind the Spurs success over the past 20 years. Drob, Manu and Tony all played a big part too. Thankfully we had them and fewer Sjax and Derrick Andersons around.

[MannyIsGod]

If Mike D'Antoni or Dwane Casey won the lottery in 1997, they would have 5 rings today with unlimited job security, shitting on the media, downplaying the game of basketball and looking down on the common folk:lol

Lets not go crazy dude. D'Antoni has had stacked teams and shit the bed.

[ducks]

david robinson convinced Duncan
told you people david should have gone

[HarlemHeat37]

Pop's inability to connect with Black American players is a major concern, as I've been saying for years..Aldridge and Kawhi are the latest and most disconcerting, of course..

Duncan being the middle-man with Jackson and Aldridge, also being a mentor to Kawhi and Green, they don't have that anymore..as great as Manu and Parker are, they don't have that connection..

Hopefully Udoka is next in line for a coaching position, this franchise is going to need it..

[daslicer]

david robinson convinced Duncan
told you people david should have gone

David is also a republican and he would have told Kawhi how great Trump is and that's why he should stay as a Spurs. I'm sure that's your rationale right?

[8FOR!3]

Lets not go crazy dude. D'Antoni has had stacked teams and shit the bed.

I would say people especially on here go a little too hard on him because he's definitely gotten unlucky a couple of times. Most notably this year, which I think he did everything in his power to beat GSW but without Chris Paul they weren't going to win that series. Is he going to be stuck in mediocrity (well maybe slightly better) the rest of his career now? That's likely, but he's always been a pretty good coach. But yeah I think it's silly to compare him to Pop.

[DAF86]

Pop's inability to connect with Black American players is a major concern, as I've been saying for years..Aldridge and Kawhi are the latest and most disconcerting, of course..

Duncan being the middle-man with Jackson and Aldridge, also being a mentor to Kawhi and Green, they don't have that anymore..as great as Manu and Parker are, they don't have that connection..

Hopefully Udoka is next in line for a coaching position, this franchise is going to need it..

One that we might not need to worry for anymore, tbh.

[8FOR!3]

Pop's inability to connect with Black American players is a major concern, as I've been saying for years..Aldridge and Kawhi are the latest and most disconcerting, of course..

Duncan being the middle-man with Jackson and Aldridge, also being a mentor to Kawhi and Green, they don't have that anymore..as great as Manu and Parker are, they don't have that connection..

Hopefully Udoka is next in line for a coaching position, this franchise is going to need it..

Stephen Jackson begs to differ...

[HarlemHeat37]

Stephen Jackson begs to differ...

Jackson and Pop clashed all the time, tbh..

I'm not a fan of Jackson, I think he was overrated and fabricates shit, but one of the only things he's been consistent about is that Duncan was the leader he followed with SA and he had a much bigger role than Pop in terms of connecting with him.

[bklynspursfan]

Lets not go crazy dude. D'Antoni has had stacked teams and shit the bed.

seriously lol Pop is a coaching legend.

[8FOR!3]

Jackson and Pop clashed all the time, tbh..

I'm not a fan of Jackson, I think he was overrated and fabricates shit, but one of the only things he's been consistent about is that Duncan was the leader he followed with SA and he had a much bigger role than Pop in terms of connecting with him.

Maybe all of that holds truth but I've seen recent interviews and he had really good things to say about Pop and how he cared about him more as a person than as a basketball player and that's what makes him such a great coach.

[bklynspursfan]

Pop's inability to connect with Black American players is a major concern, as I've been saying for years..Aldridge and Kawhi are the latest and most disconcerting, of course..

Duncan being the middle-man with Jackson and Aldridge, also being a mentor to Kawhi and Green, they don't have that anymore..as great as Manu and Parker are, they don't have that connection..

Hopefully Udoka is next in line for a coaching position, this franchise is going to need it..

You named like 3 players lol

There are countless others who have connected with him and appreciated their time with him.

[spursistan]

The GOAT franchise player, and it is not even close..

It is as if we Spurs fans were also guilty of not appreciating him enough, tbh..

[dbreiden83080]

It is unfair to me, when we undervalue Pop. It is so easy to say "Well he had great players" Well Duh. All great coaches in the NBA especially need the great players to win the rings. Pop has proven to be a great coach by adjusting the style of play and the changing times. Spurs used to be a slow down, defensive team, that was all half court. They won a title being a ball movement, and shooting team. The 2014 team was passing like 10 times a possession.