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He's good for the San Antonio Spurs and that's all I care about.
He's good for the San Antonio Spurs and that's all I care about.
This thing about Tim Duncan being unknowable strikes me as rather bizarre. Tim shows his personality with great regularity in talking with the media. What nobody seems to get is that in being genuinely modest and humble, in supporting his teammates, and in offering bits of dry humor here and there, Tim has shown himself and has let the world in at least a little bit. There are those who want to believe, apparently, that Tim must be something else and can't understand the reality that Tim's persona isn't bigger-than-life. That Tim doesn't need the spotlight as a form of validation is all the more indicative of his personality. It's that personality that so many apparently dislike; the dislike will change only when Tim chooses to change his personality -- to stray from genuine -- I guess.
The notion that Tim Duncan shows no emotion on the floor strikes me as laughable as well. It's there for those who choose to see it -- this forum is routinely filled with photographs of Tim Duncan showing great emotions on the basketball court. Sometimes (too often, I think) that emotion is frustration with officials, but more frequently than many will realize, it's shown in that face of determination, the look of focus, and the laughs of success. It's also shown in the way that he reacts to his teammates and the way that they react to him -- Tim spends many moments on the floor applauding teammates for their effort or supporting them if something has gone wrong. Those are emotions, too; they're just not the sorts of phony emotions or smack talk that more popular players offer, but they're nonetheless valid emotions.
I think the biggest problem with Tim's detractors is that they don't take the time to see what he offers; that or they've chosen to just dislike what he offers. In any event, the dislike, it seems to me, is on them and not on Timmy. Sustained excellence and an apparent unwillingness to be anything other than genuine have never before been the subject of such ridicule.
This is typical kind of bull that Tim Duncan doesnt have to respond to. It is not Tim Duncan's Fault that the average fan thinks he is boring. It is the NBA's and the medias fault for their constant glamouration of flashy players and dunks. That is the only thing they show in sportcenter and NBA.com. They stuff all this irrelevent crap down our throats that when a player like Tim Duncan is the regular on the TV screens like he was in all his Finals apperances, the expectations for high flying theatrics is quickly subsided and the channels are changed. Tim Duncan doesnt care about what everybody thinks and he shouldnt have too. I think his game is pure and is really entertaining to watch. It is funny how people these days are so easily mongered by the perceptions of the media.
Tim's good enough for the NBA to make kids want to emulate and adopt his moves and wear #21...sort of like he did for the author of the article.
Why is it that in sports (and especially the NBA), the opinion of the "Average Fan" is given so much credit? I'm not talking about in the business sense, I'm talking about taste.
Average Fans are what get shows like "According to Jim" five seasons and syndication while "Freaks and Geeks" gets one season. Average Fans get us 35 radio stations of absolute crap in major markets. Average Fans get us basketball experiences like the AAC. Average Fans do The Wave.
If Tim Duncan is bad for the NBA because he doesn't appeal to the Average Fan, then that's the Average Fan's problem. And the Average Fan can go averagely himself for all I care.
Is anybody else having trouble with the link?
Unfortunately, the casual fans power the bottom line much more than the die-hards do.Why is it that in sports (and especially the NBA), the opinion of the "Average Fan" is given so much credit? I'm not talking about in the business sense, I'm talking about taste.
here's the blogger's view:
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Tim Duncan’s Neutrality: More Devastating to the NBA than Tim Donaghy?
Before I start writing this, I’d like you all to know that this is by no means a knock on Tim Duncan as a person or as a basketball player. I don’t personally know him, so I can’t comment on his character. And as a basketball player, he’s simply one of the greatest to ever play the game. I admire Duncan’s game so much, that as a high school basketball player I wore number 21 and added a lot of his moves to my game. For a while, there was a running joke amongst my teammates that I wanted to be Tim Duncan. So no, I don’t have it out for TD.
The best players of the last decade have probably been Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’neal, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. But just because Duncan is a spectacular basketball player, doesn’t mean he’s been good for the league. Although his drop step moves and pin point bank shots might get basketball fundamentals junkies like me very excited, it’s obvious that his game is not that appealing to the average basketball fan.
When you get down to it, pro basketball--just like all other professional sports--is all about entertainment. People watch basketball to be entertained. For the average fan, fundamentals alone are not that entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, showmanship alone is not that appealing to the average fan either. What appeals most to fans is a balance between spectacular play and fundamentals. Fans crave players that are able to showcase their showmanship and athleticism while being fundamentally sound. As mentioned yesterday, Michael Jordan was the king of doing that very thing. Today, guys like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash and Dwyane Wade are also great at combining the flashy with the fundamental. And because of it, they are all some of the most marketable players in the league. These players use the basketball court as a giant stage by which to entertain. I don’t ever think Tim Duncan considers entertainment.
Over the years, Duncan has worked really hard not to let his emotions creep out onto the floor. Aside from giving an occasional wide eye reaction to a bad call by the refs, Duncan doesn’t really ever show emotion on the court. I can recall him mentioning that he intentionally does this because he feels he wouldn’t be as great of a player if he ever allowed himself to get too high or too low. He’s basically set his emotions to run on neutral. With his emotional gears running on neutral and his game tuned to be efficient and nothing more, it’s easy to see why when Tim Duncan is on television or in town, fans turn away.
The statistics don’t lie. Every year Duncan has been in the Finals, the ratings for the event have fallen from the previous year. However in seasons without Duncan and the Spurs in the Finals, the ratings have always managed to bounce back a bit. Don’t believe me? Well, take a look at these rating statistics. Yeah, I know, ABC/ESPN, new media, and the current NBA television structure has something to do with the ratings being lower overall. But even though ratings are down in general, they are always their lowest when Duncan and the Spurs are in the Finals.
As well, check out the road attendance rankings for the Spurs the last few years. They ranked number 22 this past season, number eight in 2006, number nine in 2005, number ten in 2004, and number eleven in 2003. Along with the Lakers, the Spurs have pretty much been the team of the decade. How is it that a team that has won four les since 1999 has trouble cracking the top five in road attendance? It’s obvious that people aren't entertained by watching Tim Duncan play.
Update: Also take a look at his Jersey sales for 2007. The league's best player, on the league's best team is only 15th in Jersey sales. I wish they had actual numbers attached to those rankings. I have a feeling that there is a very large drop of after the top ten.
That's why every time Duncan and the Spurs end up in the Finals you can expect the league to take a hit. The NBA is not in a position to consistently have people turn around from its marquee event. The NBA is also not in a position for its best player and its best player to be unmarketable.
If Duncan were in Los Angeles, New York or Chicago he could get away with being the way he is, because by default, fans will watch those teams if they are good. But with a team from San Antonio, unless there’s a dynamic player throwing on their jersey, there is no way fans will tune in or show up to arenas to watch them.
But then again, I doubt it’s just about the team being from San Antonio. Replace Tim Duncan with Kevin Garnett on all of those Spurs championship teams and I guarantee there’s a different outcome in the TV ratings and attendance. Next to a dynamic player like Tony Parker, a KG led Spurs team would be one of the hottest tickets in the league. That just tells me that more than anything else, the Spurs’ lack of popularity can be attributed to Tim Duncan’s neutrality.
Kareem wasn’t that dynamic of a personality and he did pretty well for himself in the league. However, although he didn’t have a marketable personality, he did have one of the most beautiful shots in the history of the game. As well, he played with the two of the greatest guards to ever touch a basketball in Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. Playing the majority of his career in Los Angeles probably didn’t hurt his cause too much either. And at least he was able to show a little bit of his personality in Airplane and that Bruce Lee movie.
People always say that destructive off the court activity by the likes of players such as Stephen Jackson turns away fans from the league. Yet, I swear the Warriors playoff run was probably the highlight of last year’s playoffs. Who was one of the major highlights of that Warriors run? That’s right, none other than Stephen Jackson.
The lack of excitement NBA fans have for the Spurs and Duncan is part of the reason I always laugh whenever someone says that David Stern rigged this year’s playoffs. If David Stern was going to rig the playoffs, the last team he’d want in the Finals is the San Antonio Spurs. He can deny this all he wants, but Duncan and the Spurs are BAD for the league. Worse than Isiah and his alleged sexual harassment. Worse than the brawl in MSG last year. Worse than the Tim Donaghy scandal. And you know why? None of that stuff has to actually do with the game on the court. For the most part, what draws fans to the league is what happens on the court. And it’s obvious fans don’t enjoy what they see from the Spurs and Tim Duncan on the court.
The Spurs aren’t going to be bad anytime soon, so you might as well get used to them being around for at least the next few seasons. They haven’t ever made the Finals in two straight seasons, so there is still hope for the league in that regard this season. But what if they do make the Finals? What can the league do to mitigate some of their damages?
Well the NBA could start encouraging Tim Duncan to expose more of himself to fans. Duncan in turn could learn to let lose a little bit on the court. As well, the league could follow the lead of Henry Abbott and expose the world to what Tim Duncan is all about.
Before hitting us with that post, Henry made this very on point statement:
Perhaps the greatest problem facing the NBA today is the reality that the best player of the current day, Tim Duncan, is almost entirely unknowable. He can laugh, smile, and tell funny stories. If somehow he could do that for the TV cameras, I suspect America would find a way to adore him. Instead he insists on being "the guy nobody knows all that well" which is something you can't sustain forever. Eventually, people want to know if you're a good guy or a bad guy, and this could be the year people just decide, in the absence of evidence to the contrary (and with a little shove from his teammate, Robert Horry), that he's a bad guy.
It’s up to Duncan to understand this. He needs to understand that as the best player on the league’s best team has to open up a bit. He owes it to the league that has made him a very rich man to expose himself to the world and make himself more marketable.
Duncan is very capable of doing this. I can’t find the video on YouTube, but I recall TNT’s camera’s catching him playing a game of one on one with Tony Parker before the All-Star game a couple of years ago. Duncan had a huge smile on his face and was talking major trash and totally joking around with Tony Parker during the contest. Just think, if Duncan showed more of the world that side of his personality, David Stern and the rest of the league execs probably wouldn’t have the all out heart attack they usually have whenever Duncan and his Spurs make the Finals.
First, I had to take a deep breath after I read the blog.
Then I read FWD's post and I immediately felt better.
As always, FWD has put into words so gracefully what I could have only stuttered out due to my reaction to the blog.
Thank you FWD.
The NBA is a business. I get that.
The "average fan" wants entertainment. I get that.
Duncan isn't about business. He's not about entertainment.
He's about the game. And he's about playing and winning the game the right way.
I don't want my kids to emulate Iverson, or the countless others, and think it's cool to have a thug at ude.
I don't want my kids to think that chest thumping is an appropriate response when something goes your way.
I want my kids to understand that being true to yourself and doing whatever it is you do the right way, and the best you can, is what's important.
It's pretty obvious to anyone who's read any of my posts that I think Duncan is the best thing this league has.
It's a shame the NBA can't figure out how to market this man and make the money they want off of a decent role model.
It's on them. Not on Duncan.
I don't care about the NBA's bottom line any more than I care about NBC's or Arista's or Miramax's.
This is like a music reviewer writing about how Bob Dylan should let Timbaland mix his next album because it would be better for his label.
J.D. Salinger should have done more interviews, it would have benefited his publishers a lot more.
The average fan doesn't realize that the NBA doesn't give as much of a about the domestic television market as they do.
Myopic.
The irony of this statement cracks me up. Tim should fix what ain't broke.
Hey, I'm with you. And if W/L didn't exist, the Phoenix Suns would be the champions, or possibly the Lakers.I don't care about the NBA's bottom line any more than I care about NBC's or Arista's or Miramax's.
This is like a music reviewer writing about how Bob Dylan should let Timbaland mix his next album because it would be better for his label.
That's funny; that's nearly exactly the analogy I was thinking.
I stopped reading right here: "When you get down to it, pro basketball--just like all other professional sports--is all about entertainment."
It's not only about entertainment, it is to assemble as good team as possible and to see which of those is the best. So it's a lot more than entertainment.
And1 league is all about entertainment, that dude should be watching that league.
Last edited by hater; 10-04-2007 at 03:48 PM.
agree...the nba gets paid regardless. they have their network deals and i have yet to hear of any sponsors pulling their ads because of ty ratings. so this argument about bad ratings and the average fan doesn't like boring means nothing to the nba. furthermore, because of the international composition of the team, low domestic ratings are offset by the rabid interest of international fans of each foreign player's home country.
when bad ratings impact the bottom line, that's when you will see some concern from the NBA. until then, bull articles like this are moot.
Hmm, maybe it's because people don't want to pay to see their time trounced by the best team in the league. he's right, that's not entertaining, that's excruciating.
This article is the biggest pile of bull I've ever seen!
The LEAGUE and the MEDIA decide who to promote; they have chosen to promote Shaq, Kobe and Lebron.
Casual fans think the most exciting players are the ones they see promoted on TV, they are like a flock to be fleeced.
Now who is a better role model, Tim Duncan or these characters above?
This is no different than in politics where everybodu knows Ron Paul is the best, but the media rams Obama, Hillary, and Ghouliani down our throats.
Tim Duncan is easy to market; he's great, he wins, he shoots cool banks shots, he rejects opponents shots, he dunks, he's go a COOL last name, he's very intelligent, he's got very interesting hobbies, he's a good interview, etc.
The NBA could also market Tim Duncan to every high school basketball coach in the country, every player, including girls basketball, as the model for fundamentals.
But NO! We get Shaq, Kobe, and Lebron rammed down our throats!
...is one of the biggest piece of crap arguments that I've ever heard.The Argument that Tim Duncan is bad for the NBA...
I just don't get it and I've never been able to comprehend this ever since the boring label came out for the Spurs, but the Men In Black play some exciting basketball. I just marvel as Tim deftly kisses a shot off the glass and when Tony dances in the lane amongst the trees and makes an impossible shot among the tangle of arms, swinging hands. And then there's the magic that is Manu, doing what only Manu can do. What about Bruce's timely daggers from the corner? Don't some of those just leave you high fiving and chest bumping your grandma?
When Tim, Tony, Manu and Bruce are in the zone they absolutely have me shaking my head in amazement and utter awe and I know that every one of you that watch the Spurs with any regularly will agree with me. So I just don't get it? Explain it to me like I'm stupid.
Pure BS...
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