Buck Harvey: 2000 Fears: How Spurs' Red got his own Russell

Buck Harvey: 2000 fears: How Spurs' Red got his own Russell

Web Posted: 06/13/2007 09:56 PM CDT


San Antonio Express-News

CLEVELAND — They set the meeting for a luxurious San Antonio apartment that overlooks the river. They brought in a chef from Houston, and they displayed graphs and pie charts.

Then Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford tried to tell Tim Duncan what was going to happen over the next few years, when there was no way to know. Ill at ease led to ill; Popovich and Buford left the meeting feeling sick.

This happened at the beginning of the decade. What followed changed careers and franchises — and created the team of the decade.

What's funny now?

Duncan didn't need a luxury apartment or a chef from Houston or pie charts.

The only reason this is funny at all to the participants is because everything worked out for everyone. They are all in Cleveland today, too: From Popovich and Buford, to Duncan and his wife, Amy, to Grant Hill, who is working TV, to the agent for Duncan and Hill, Lon Babby.

None of them were as rich or relaxed in July of 2000, when both Duncan and Hill faced free-agency decisions. Babby escorted the duo to Orlando for a tour, and there, everyone from Mickey Mouse to Tiger Woods tried to convince them to sign with the Magic.

Orlando had something to offer. The franchise had piled up first-round draft picks, and Doc Rivers was coming off a coach-of-the-year season. Better yet, the Shaq-Kobe Lakers were in the West.

Hill needed crutches then to get around, but no one expected him to limp for long. Wouldn't he and Duncan become the best in the East?

"It was probably a lot closer decision than people even think," Duncan told a newspaper this week.

Everyone in San Antonio knew how close it was. Sean Elliott thought Duncan could leave, for example, and Will Perdue, a former Spur by then, said: "Tim Duncan is not married to San Antonio by any means; he's made that very clear. ... You'll have an opportunity to put Hill and Duncan on the same team. I find it hard to believe that both would turn down that opportunity."

When Duncan stayed an extra few days in Orlando, Popovich and Buford began to sweat, and the meeting in the San Antonio apartment reinforced all fears. They had planned on dining the night before, but Duncan's father was critically ill and hospitalized in San Antonio at the time. That night, the chef instead cooked for the Duncan family, who had gathered in town.

Popovich and Buford arrived the next morning for their meeting. There, they faced Babby and Marc Scott, who worked for Duncan at the time, as well as Tim and Amy. Scott and Amy, in particular, began to pepper Popovich with basketball questions, and Popovich responded as he often does with the media. This is not a way to enhance ambiance.

Babby tried to lighten the mood. "You didn't know you would be talking to four Red Auerbachs," he said.

Popovich didn't have answers because there were none. The Spurs didn't have many draft choices or much cap space. And if they could have predicted the future and told Duncan he would someday win with a French point guard and an Argentine slasher?

"Had they said that," Babby said Wednesday, laughing, "we would have gone to Orlando."

Popovich, Buford and Babby left the meeting and went straight to a private jet to see Hill in Detroit, and the atmosphere was awkward at best. "I felt underwater," Buford says now.

Peter Holt went, too, along with a musical consultant from Austin. They wanted to impress upon Hill's wife that her career could continue in South Texas. But the trip seemed futile because they didn't have enough cap space to offer Hill.

Then their fortunes changed. Hill was heading to Orlando, no matter what Duncan did, and this worked out for Hill. Had he taken a one-year deal from the Spurs, assuming he would get a bigger contract later, wouldn't his chronic ankle have cost him millions?

But Hill also didn't try to convince Duncan to come with him. Popovich impressed Hill in their meeting, and Hill shared that with Duncan. "I know why you have a tough decision," Hill said then.

A second break had already occurred on Duncan's trip to Orlando, unknown to anyone in San Antonio. Rivers, unlike Popovich, didn't believe family should fly with the team on trips. Amy had a problem with that.

Then there was the third turn, when David Robinson flew in from his summer home in Hawaii — on his own — to lobby Duncan. Robinson was well motivated. Had Duncan left, the Spurs would have likely dumped salaries to rebuild.

But the Spurs' ultimate edge was there all along in the room with the chef and pie charts. It was Popovich.

Danny Ferry, now the Cleveland general manager, arrived in San Antonio in 2000 a few months after Duncan re-signed, and what he found in San Antonio surprised him. "I didn't know how good Pop was," he said Wednesday, "and I didn't know how good Tim was."

He also didn't know how good they were together. From what Ferry has pieced together — from both his father and from what he has read — they are this generation's Auerbach and Bill Russell.

"They make each other better," Ferry said.

The win-loss record of Auerbach and Russell can't be approached, but their relationship has been. Popovich and Duncan connect with similar intelligence and respect, and the last thing they ever needed was a formal meeting.

Duncan didn't stay because of anything tangible he saw. He stayed because he trusted Popovich to figure things out, and here they are, with details neither could have ever seen, a win from a third title since that summer of angst.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...s.3287a86.html

This is one of the most beautiful entry from Buck.. I am surprised nobody post it here..

What an interesting article. I didn't know that background stuff, I just assumed Tim would stay! Glad he did! ;)

Damn, great read. :tu

Got goosebumps reading that one, good stuff!

It's a good article but it's lame how he kind of spins it like Drob wanted Duncan to stay to save his own job or something...that was stupid. Drob did it because he's a Spur and San Antonian and the Spurs are a big part of his life.

Not because of some stupid career move.


Man Drob did so many awesome things and it seems like someone somewhere always has to put this completely misguided and cynical spin on it, in every single aspect of his career, minimize his achievements, apply cynisicm to his altruism...even in his home media. Lame...LAME SAEN. LAME Buck. That little hating dig keeps this from being an A article.


It's not that DRob is somehow saintly and above the typical motivations and self interests we all have and that he thinks he's better than everyone else...it's that he has the same issues and tries to rise above those flaws and set an example. Do the right thing, even if it hurts. That's why I admire him anyway...it's not easy to be like him in this day and age...and he's not preach about it either. In his charcter examples, he tries to live by the commandments(and there is nothing wrong with that, they are nice rules to try and live by), and the code of being an officer and gentlemen because he believes it's the right thing to do and the way to be, to make the world a better place and give meaning to his life...besides, when he runs for President (and wins)that kind of track record will come in handy. J/K...but it's still who he is and the example he tries to set, for the right reasons.



Other than that, awesome article.

christ whott.


Fantastic article by Buck harvey.

I've gotta rank this right up there with his best.

did pop put amy n duncan in their seat when he went serb on them :D:D:D

Nice article, the best Harvey's done in a while.

grant hill and any player from Duke is an over achiever. they never succed as a super star in the nBA

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grant hill and any player from Duke is an over achiever. they never succed as a super star in the nBA

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Yeah that Carlos Boozer and Elton brand are such stiffs :rolleyes

I agree with whottt at the job at Robinson. Robinson wanted Duncan to stay because Robinson liked Duncan, wanted to win and the Spurs are more than just a business to him. If Robinson were all about money, he would've never signed in San Antonio to begin with.

But yeah, Robinson coming home from vacation to talk to Duncan was vital. Orlando had painted the picture that the Spurs were an old team with no future and that Robinson was content with his one championship and would soon retire and leave Duncan by himself. Robinson told him that he was committed to winning and helped sell the idea that the Spurs could rebuild.

Speaking of Robinson, I don't know why it isn't mentioned more that he has been the number one backer of Tony Parker since the beginning. Since the first couple days of training camp in Parker's rookie season, Robinson has always been the one marveling at Parker's ability.

While Duncan was chasing Kidd, Robinson always backed Parker as the point guard of this team. That's why after every big playoff win, Parker is the first Spur to go seek out Robinson in the crowd. It's odd since Parker only played with him for two seasons, but no one on the Spurs is more appreciative of Robinson being a loyal fan than Parker.

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grant hill and any player from Duke is an over achiever. they never succed as a super star in the nBA

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Someone forgot Grant Hill was an absolute stud before the injuries.

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It's a good article but it's lame how he kind of spins it like Drob wanted Duncan to stay to save his own job or something...that was stupid. Drob did it because he's a Spur and San Antonian and the Spurs are a big part of his life

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Funny you should say that.. it got me thinking the same.

Harvey is way off base on Drobs' motivations.. He wanted to remind Duncan they both had something special with the Spurs and he Still had some game left.

I didn't see this so much as a jab at Robinson for monetary reasons but much more as an indication of Robinson's love for San Antonio. In rebuilding and dumping salaries I think Robinson would be the one piece that would have any value. If Robinson did it for "selfish" reasons it was solely because he did not want to have to decide between being traded or retiring. He did it because he wanted to remain in San Antonio.

David took less money twice (including tearing up the greatest contract in pro sports history), so I doubt the money was anything but a small factor in his pitch to Tim.

Duncan may arguably be more important in terms of winning championships. But DRob and Gervin will always trump Duncan in terms of making the Spurs the way they are.

I bet if Doc Rivers had it to do over, he would let Amy on the freaking plane.

I doubt we'll ever get the full story of the decision from Tim. If he ever writes an autobiography it'll be a one-page best seller titled "They call me Mr. Excitement." or "I did the NBA my way."

But I love the background on the meeting. A well written piece by Harvey.

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Originally Posted by foodie2

I bet if Doc Rivers had it to do over, he would let Amy on the freaking plane.

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He would have printed up a four-color brochure on the Magic's family flying plan. :)

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Originally Posted by timvp

Speaking of Robinson, I don't know why it isn't mentioned more that he has been the number one backer of Tony Parker since the beginning. Since the first couple days of training camp in Parker's rookie season, Robinson has always been the one marveling at Parker's ability.

While Duncan was chasing Kidd, Robinson always backed Parker as the point guard of this team. That's why after every big playoff win, Parker is the first Spur to go seek out Robinson in the crowd. It's odd since Parker only played with him for two seasons, but no one on the Spurs is more appreciative of Robinson being a loyal fan than Parker.

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This is yet another reason why I love DRob. He was the reason I became a Spurs fan. Tony going up to him after big wins just made my day.

great article, would a damn shame to see Parker win the MVP over Timmy just because TP is avg. 4pts more even though Duncan is killing him in rbs and blks and assists are the same for aPG and PF

Great article. I agree with what Whottt had to say and TIMVP's insight into the Tony DRob relationship was pretty cool too.

DRob is the definition of a role model and he's the only athlete I put on a pedestal.

Biggest assist DRob ever made. :tu

I swear, during the summer of 2000......everyone outside of San Antonio was convinced Duncan was Orlando bound. And then when he signed that 3 year contract to stay in San Antonio, everyone outside of San Antonio thought Duncan was definitely Orlando bound again. Their thinking was "In 3 years, Robinson will retire, and Duncan will be all by himself, team is old, and no free agents will want to go to boring San Antonio."

Also, another thing about this article is that it only mentions Hill and Duncan. For some reason, people thought Orlando was after Hill, Duncan and Tracy McGrady. People don't understand that Orlando settled for McGrady when Duncan decided to stay in San Antonio. People thought Duncan would have no help in San Antonio after Robinson retired, but in hindsight, Duncan would've been worse off in Orlando, because Hill was unable to stay healthy, and Duncan likely would have to play Center where, he might be able to get by in the East, but if the Magic went up against the Lakers in the Finals, he would've been in trouble handling a prime Shaq all by his lonesome.

I will never forget that summer. I kept checking the mysa.com spurs message board every 5 minutes to see if anyone had heard anything.

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Originally Posted by Spurs Dynasty 21

great article, would a damn shame to see Parker win the MVP over Timmy just because TP is avg. 4pts more even though Duncan is killing him in rbs and blks and assists are the same for aPG and PF

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And this is relevant to this thread how?

Jeez. :rolleyes

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Originally Posted by timvp

While Duncan was chasing Kidd, Robinson always backed Parker as the point guard of this team. That's why after every big playoff win, Parker is the first Spur to go seek out Robinson in the crowd. It's odd since Parker only played with him for two seasons, but no one on the Spurs is more appreciative of Robinson being a loyal fan than Parker.

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Didn't realize this, that's way cool. Yah gotta love the Admiral.

Great fucking article.

I was sweatin that summer.

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Originally Posted by foodie2

I bet if Doc Rivers had it to do over, he would let Amy on the freaking plane.

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Hell, he would have given her the plane!

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Originally Posted by Spurs Dynasty 21

great article, would a damn shame to see Parker win the MVP over Timmy just because TP is avg. 4pts more even though Duncan is killing him in rbs and blks and assists are the same for aPG and PF

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:wrongf

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Originally Posted by foodie2

I bet if Doc Rivers had it to do over, he would let Amy on the freaking plane.

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:lol

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Originally Posted by foodie2

I bet if Doc Rivers had it to do over, he would let Amy on the freaking plane.

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I bet if Rivers had it to do over he'd let her pilot the plane.

You know, for all the talk about how fortunate the Spurs are to have gotten the #1 pick in the Robinson and Duncan drafts (and they were), what gets lost a lot of times is that the Spurs, despite being a small market team often with less money to offer, managed to KEEP Robinson and Duncan when there may have been more seductive opportunities elsewhere.

I didn't read it necessarily as Robinson would be dumped. I personally don't think the franchise could have afforded to lose Duncan and Robinson in the same offseason.

I read it that we may have had to dump other salaries, thus leading to a rebuilding effort. As DRob entered the twilight of his career, he would have had to play for a 25-30 win team, this time actually being on the floor.

Agreed. Hill was awesome when he played for Detroit. If I remember correctly, he was thought of as the resurgence of the Pistons as an east power.

Too bad his injuries destroyed what would have been a hall of fame career.

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Originally Posted by baseline bum

David took less money twice (including tearing up the greatest contract in pro sports history), so I doubt the money was anything but a small factor in his pitch to Tim.

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Could you elaborate on the greatest contract in pro sports history? This has made me curious, and wikipedia made no mention of this.

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Originally Posted by lordswing

Could you elaborate on the greatest contract in pro sports history? This has made me curious, and wikipedia made no mention of this.

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DRob's 1st contract adjusted his salary annually to be the average of the top 2 highest paid players in the league (for that season, IIRC).

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

DRob's 1st contract adjusted his salary annually to be the average of the top 2 highest paid players in the league (for that season, IIRC).

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That is indeed an amazing contract, wow. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Spurminator

You know, for all the talk about how fortunate the Spurs are to have gotten the #1 pick in the Robinson and Duncan drafts (and they were), what gets lost a lot of times is that the Spurs, despite being a small market team often with less money to offer, managed to KEEP Robinson and Duncan when there may have been more seductive opportunities elsewhere.

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those guys will get max contracts anywhere they go, but it's the other guys like Bruce who could really get more elsewhere. However, the one thing SA has going for it is that someone like Bruce can afford a 25,000 sqft house in SA, but in NY or LA they could only afford maybe a 5000 sqft home.

$ goes a lot further here.

Good article by Harvey. Would have been great without the weak comment about DRob.