Harvey: Spurs' Recess — Life And Times Of Tim

[sonic21]

timmy is ok

[urunobili]

TD may play until he's 38/39... He can be the center and we can have the Gist at the 4 or maybe Cris Bosh in 2010

[ElNono]

Spurs' recess — life and times of Tim
Buck Harvey

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — They say he likes to join his oldest child on the playground of her pre-school, then he acts like he does on the road in fourth quarters.

...

Duncan went directly to a line of kids wanting autographs. He signed for 10 minutes, then posed for a picture. Not long after he gave the Nets some memorabilia; he opened the game with his signature bank shot.

...

This is absolutely not true at all, at least last night. We were in the arena 2 hours before the game sitting right next to the player's entrance tunnel, and Timmy did not come out of the locker room until it was game time. The only thing I noticed Tim did different than previous years is when the game was over and he was exiting, he normally runs right through, but this time he acknowledged the fans around and gave high fives to a bunch of the crowd that was packed around the tunnel. The players that did a pre-game warmup were: Vaugh, Finley, Hairston, Hill, Bonner and Manu.
Pop is another guy that we really wanted to get an autograph from, but he just will lower his head and not acknowledge anybody.

[hater]

Duncan is immortal

[TDfan2007]

This is absolutely not true at all, at least last night. We were in the arena 2 hours before the game sitting right next to the player's entrance tunnel, and Timmy did not come out of the locker room until it was game time. The only thing I noticed Tim did different than previous years is when the game was over and he was exiting, he normally runs right through, but this time he acknowledged the fans around and gave high fives to a bunch of the crowd that was packed around the tunnel. The players that did a pre-game warmup were: Vaugh, Finley, Hairston, Hill, Bonner and Manu.
Pop is another guy that we really wanted to get an autograph from, but he just will lower his head and not acknowledge anybody.

Tim always warms up way before most fans get to the arena. The fans who paid the high $$$ and were let in early are probably the ones he signed for and that Harvey mentioned.

[angel_luv]

That was a great article. Thanks for posting it.

[Spurs Brazil]

Great read

TD is playing great this season, just like the last 12 years

[benefactor]

Very nice article...except for the knee thing. No one wants to hear that, Buck.

I agree with those that have said that this is a time to enjoy what we have. I have already had thoughts of my grandchildren asking me about some of the great players I got to watch. It will be a great feeling to get to talk about Duncan and the Spurs of this era. Here's to at least a few more years of greatness and hopefully a couple of more Larrys in the case.

[spursfan09]

Don't worry, I got us both covered there.

Its so sad. He still has some good years thats for sure, but every year brings him closer to retirement. I need to buy season tickets for his last year. I want to remember watching him play forever.

[ElNono]

Tim always warms up way before most fans get to the arena. The fans who paid the high $$$ and were let in early are probably the ones he signed for and that Harvey mentioned.

I was in early, and paid dearly to do so. General public can only go in 1 hour before the game. When I got in, there were probably about 20 people in the stands. I wouldn't discount I missed him, but it's very doubtful.

[SuperDave]

I was in early, and paid dearly to do so. General public can only go in 1 hour before the game. When I got in, there were probably about 20 people in the stands. I wouldn't discount I missed him, but it's very doubtful.

Sorry you missed out, but does it seem very likely to you that the notoriously hard-working and methodical Duncan didn't warm up at all before the game?

Doesn't it seem even less likely that Buck Harvey would then fabricate an article including specific details from Duncan's non-existent warm-up?

Tim's almost always the first guy to get his work done. He does it way earlier than most players. That's his routine. Sounds like you just missed it.

[Thomas82]

Duncan is immortal

I would say he's already a Top 10 All-Time player, especially with his impact on the team since he got here.

[ElNono]

Sorry you missed out, but does it seem very likely to you that the notoriously hard-working and methodical Duncan didn't warm up at all before the game?

I've had early entrance to 5 Spurs games over the years in Philadelphia and New Jersey, been in the arena as early as 3 hours before some of those games, and never seen TD do a pre-game warmup. Not even once.
Does it strike me as weird? Sure. But then again, Duncan is a very private person, and so I take it that's what works for him. Maybe he does it during lunch break.

Doesn't it seem even less likely that Buck Harvey would then fabricate an article including specific details from Duncan's non-existent warm-up?

Not only I saw Buck last night, but I saw him walking from the tunnel into the arena about 1:30 hours before the game started. This is exactly why this story sounds embellished on that point. Then again, maybe they were out there 3 hours before the game and I missed it, but there just weren't many people at all out there 2 hours before game time, so unless it was pre-arranged, I can't see where you would find these 10 kids.

Tim's almost always the first guy to get his work done. He does it way earlier than most players. That's his routine. Sounds like you just missed it.

I would have to guess I did. I love Tim and loved watching him play last night. We also won, and played well. So a great time was had. What Buck writes definitely won't change that.

[duncan228]

Did anyone else notice that Duncan came out after half time in Boston with the knee wrapped? He's not consistent with wrapping it, but I noticed it during the game and pics seem to confirm it.

[timvp]

Interesting. Good job noticing

[duncan228]

Interesting. Good job noticing

I don't miss much.

I'm not thrilled with Harvey tossing it at us all the time, but it's a valid concern to me. Everyone always says Duncan's game can hold up well as he gets older, but as Duncan was quoted, his body won't let him stay around maybe as long as he, and we, would like him to.

The knee does worry me, at least a little.

[ElNono]

Wasn't there an article a day or two ago stating the reason Pop sat TD on the Denver game was because his knee was sore? I still think that as long as we're keeping a decent lead over NOH, he should do the whole sit players down more often...

[duncan228]

Wasn't there an article a day or two ago stating the reason Pop sat TD on the Denver game was because his knee was sore?

It was in this Harvey article, I'm not sure if it was anywhere else before this one.

Duncan has legitimate reasons to tire, too. Gregg Popovich now says he benched Duncan in Denver last week because he had a sore knee.

“It's sore every day,” Duncan said.

Every day?

“Absolutely.”

[mexicanjunior]

The "Life and Times of Tim" mentions were great...I love that show.

[wildbill2u]

Harvey didn't quite put it this way, but I think what Tim and Bower are trying to say is that when you mature and face the prospect of the game ending for you forever, you start to remember why you played the game in the first place. . . It is the most fun they'll ever have in their life.

So they start playing the game for fun again, rather than seeing it as a grueling 82 night job. That's gotta turn your whole at ude around about fans, coaches, teammates and even opponents.

My God, how much fun can it be to play against all those other great players and show 'em what you got?

[ploto]

I've had early entrance to 5 Spurs games over the years in Philadelphia and New Jersey, been in the arena as early as 3 hours before some of those games, and never seen TD do a pre-game warmup. Not even once.

Does it strike me as weird? Sure. But then again, Duncan is a very private person, and so I take it that's what works for him. Maybe he does it during lunch break.

Tim does do a pre-game warm-up but it is often really early. There were times I remember when Rasho was on the Spurs that the team would offer two different times to go to the arena for away games from the hotel on the charter bus, and Tim and Rasho would go more than 3 hours early. Maybe what Buck saw was people's kids who have suites and that you would not even see in regular seats in the arena.

I have seen Tim warm-up though at the AT&T about 1 1/2 hours before the game. Remember he got in trouble for wearing his headphones while he does it, so he may have pushed it even earlier. I know before games he really does not like to be "bothered." I have even seen him warm up in SA and exit the court through the visitor tunnel before.

[exstatic]

My guess is 2014. That would put him at 38, one year older than the Admiral was when he hung up his kicks. His tone sounds like he wants to play as long as possible. That would take him halfway (5 years after this season) to the mythical 10 seasons he still wants to play. He's a lot healthier at this stage of his career than Five Oh was.

[ElNono]

Tim does do a pre-game warm-up but it is often really early. There were times I remember when Rasho was on the Spurs that the team would offer two different times to go to the arena for away games from the hotel on the charter bus, and Tim and Rasho would go more than 3 hours early. Maybe what Buck saw was people's kids who have suites and that you would not even see in regular seats in the arena.

I have seen Tim warm-up though at the AT&T about 1 1/2 hours before the game. Remember he got in trouble for wearing his headphones while he does it, so he may have pushed it even earlier. I know before games he really does not like to be "bothered." I have even seen him warm up in SA and exit the court through the visitor tunnel before.

Thanks for the info. I'll try 5 hours earlier next time, I guess...

[Thomas82]

My guess is 2014. That would put him at 38, one year older than the Admiral was when he hung up his kicks. His tone sounds like he wants to play as long as possible. That would take him halfway (5 years after this season) to the mythical 10 seasons he still wants to play. He's a lot healthier at this stage of his career than Five Oh was.

That sounds reasonable to me.