Chris Ballard SI piece on Tim Duncan for May 21.

[flipcritic]

Sorry if this has been posted already.

TIM DUNCAN is the most successful player of his generation, maybe even its best, the foundation of yet another Spurs team built to win it all. So why haven't you fallen for him? The reasons aren't all black-and-white

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...8491/index.htm

[flipcritic]

5 His Buddy KG

Just kidding, as this might count in his favor. In fact, Duncan hates Kevin Garnett. Hates him the way liberals hate Sean Hannity. This information comes from very reliable sources, who talk about how KG has made a career of trying to punk Duncan, baiting him and slapping him and whispering really weird smack into his ear. They talk about how funny this is, because the worst thing you can do as an opponent is piss off Duncan. Then, as Malik Rose says, "he f------ destroys you." Duncan's lifetime numbers versus Garnett's teams, by the way: 19.4 points per game, 11.6 boards and a 44--17 record, including the postseason.

Duncan is diplomatic about the topic. Asked if perhaps all those years battling Garnett have softened his feelings for the man, led to a Magic-Larry type of kinship, Duncan leans back on the couch in his hotel room and grins. There is a pause. A longer pause. Finally he says, "Define kinship."

[flipcritic]

8 Captain Jack

In 2001, when Stephen Jackson was in his second year and Duncan in his fourth, Jackson used to get so mad when he was subbed out of the game that he'd walk in a giant arc to the bench, nearly reaching the opposite baseline in an attempt to stay as far from Popovich as possible. Once seated, Jackson would unleash a stream of profanity so curdling that nearby fans would turn ashen. When it got to be too much, Duncan would approach Popovich. "I got him," Duncan would say.

And the funny thing is, Duncan did. He'd take Jackson aside, put a big, lanky arm around him and break it down. He'd joke with him, hang with him, make plans to play paintball with him. They made for an odd couple: Duncan, one of the squarest players in the league, and Jackson, who never met a club he couldn't close down, a team he couldn't tear apart or a bottle he couldn't pop.

This season, after an 11-year separation as Jackson moved from one team to another, seven in all, the two men are reunited in pursuit of another championship, and this is what Jackson has to say about Duncan: "I'm humbled to be able to say that Tim Duncan is a good friend of mine."

Turns out lots of people feel that way. During his 15 years with the Spurs, Tim Duncan has had 116 teammates. They range from the celebrated (David Robinson) to the not-so-much (Cory Joseph), with a heavy emphasis on the latter. Last year Duncan tried to count them all but couldn't do it. Throughout, Duncan has been the center around which all else has orbited.

Most important, he's allowed Popovich to coach him. For 15 straight seasons Pop has gone after his franchise player in practice. We're talking neck veins bulging, spittle flying, a Gatling gun of obscenities. And all Duncan has done is stare back, absorbing it. "He hasn't always liked it," says former teammate Sean Elliott, now a team announcer, "but he takes it. You know how important that is for the rest of the team to see?"

Or, as one Spurs coach puts it, "How could a guy like Stephen Jackson complain when Pop was motherf------ Tim every day?"

[duhoh]

That closing sentence.

[rjv]

nice to hear (even if indirectly) that tim hates KG.

[flipcritic]

10 Ferry Hunting

O.K., it's a toss-up as to how this will make you feel about Duncan: Did he once invite a bunch of teammates to a paintball course even though most had never played paintball? Perhaps. Did Duncan then stack his team with ringers and bring his own high-powered paintball gun? Maybe. Did he give certain players such as Danny Ferry guns that, according to Ferry, "were bent and shot six feet to the left every time"? There's a chance. And did Duncan then take great delight in hunting down his teammates, chasing the pale, balding, shorts-wearing Ferry until he was in close range, at which point Duncan unleashed a hail of water-soluble fire upon the man? It's possible.

[flipcritic]

13 New York

Great parlor-game discussion: What would have happened if Duncan had been drafted by the Knicks? Would he be the league's marquee name? Or would the spotlight have been too much?

"He'd have been great," says Popovich.

"He would have adapted," says Kerr. "The beat writers would have chased him around for a year and eventually given up."

Says Duncan, "It would have been torture. I probably wouldn't have lasted there very long."

[MI21]

Cheers, really good read.

Did you write this one to, timvp?

[flipcritic]

Cheers, really good read.

Did you write this one to, timvp?

Not yet. Not sure how. Haven't logged on in years.

[flipcritic]

They talk about how, in contrast to David Robinson, who was lovable and smart and marketable but never could remember all the plays, Duncan "knows every play from front to back, position one through five." As longtime assistant coach Mike Budenholzer says, "Tim could coach the team if he needed to."

[flipcritic]

19 Mind Games

His on-court demeanor is so reserved that The Onion once ran a story led, TIM DUNCAN HAMS IT UP FOR CROWD BY ARCHING LEFT EYEBROW SLIGHTLY. This impression is intentional, it turns out. Duncan has said he uses silence to "destroy people's psyches." He explains, "The best mind game you can run on someone is just to keep going at them and at them until they break." Don't respond, don't show emotion. Just keep playing. "Eventually," he says with a grin, "you'll piss them off."

[flipcritic]

21 The Last Word

The 20 minutes Duncan proposed have become 40, and he is still talking. He's comfortable here in his hotel room, having jacked up the heat. ("An island thing," he says.) He's thoughtful, possessed of a dry wit—Duncan is a big giggler—and gracious. It's a side his teammates are all familiar with.

The question has to be asked: Why not let the public see this side of you? "With the media, I just keep it basic, surface, to the point," he says. "You're here to talk about basketball. I'll give you what you want, and let's go home. I don't really care about anyone getting to know me, or getting into my life or anything else like that."

This is understandable, even admirable in a way. After all, how many of us would want total strangers knowing intimate details of our lives? Yet when Duncan's gone, will we suddenly realize how much we miss him? Will we realize how singular his career has been? Will we begin to appreciate him not just for all that he was but also for all that he was not?

Then again, maybe it's not too late to start. He's asked about it. Doesn't he care about how he's viewed, how he's remembered?

Duncan thinks for a second, pulls on the sleeve of his silver Spurs sweatshirt. "Why?" he says. "I have no control of that. All I can do is play and try to play well. Winning should be the only thing that matters. I can't manipulate how people see me."

But that's not true at all, he's told.

He considers this, then frowns. "I mean, I guess I could. I could be more accessible and be the darling for everybody. I could open up my life and get more endorsements and be out there and be a fan favorite. But why would that help?"

He pauses for a moment. "Why should it?"

[Dex]

Incredible article. Thanks for posting.

[Bill_Brasky]

Loled pretty hard at Ferry hunting

[wildbill2u]

Sorry if this has been posted already.

TIM DUNCAN is the most successful player of his generation, maybe even its best, the foundation of yet another Spurs team built to win it all. So why haven't you fallen for him? The reasons aren't all black-and-white

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...8491/index.htm

Here's the money quote for Duncan fans and Spurs fans:

"Yet when Duncan's gone, will we suddenly realize how much we miss him? Will we realize how singular his career has been? Will we begin to appreciate him not just for all that he was but also for all that he was not?

Then again, maybe it's not too late to start."

That says it all.

[Seventyniner]

Fantastic piece. It's hard to imagine Tim hating anyone, but KG makes sense. KG is the anti-Duncan in terms of personality, behavior both on and off the court, and with the media. In fact, I'd love to see the Spurs sweep Boston out of the Finals, and instead of Duncan kissing the logo in Boston or yelling "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!", he just looks at Garnett, winks, and walks off the court.

[Rummpd]

This is simply one of the best articles on any superstar ever. Props.

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

Great article. The writer did a great job of creating context.

[EVAY]

What a superb find! Thanks for finding it and posting it.

Great, great article.

[spursparker9]

These days the tirades are less frequent, but Popovich leans on his star in other ways. When the Spurs call a timeout and you see the San Antonio coaches huddle a few feet from the bench, it's not to hash out strategy. Rather, Pop is giving Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker time with the team. "You'll see Timmy over there with a young kid, talking about how he should do this or that or what we meant by such and such," says Popovich. "I'll come back to the timeouts sometimes and say, 'Are we square?' and Timmy will say, 'Yeah, we got 'em.'"

Popovich pauses. "He commands that type of respect because he doesn't demand it, if that makes sense."

Oh, so this is why pop and the coaches alway walk onto the court during a timeout.

[Shastafarian]

Fantastic piece. It's hard to imagine Tim hating anyone, but KG makes sense. KG is the anti-Duncan in terms of personality, behavior both on and off the court, and with the media. In fact, I'd love to see the Spurs sweep Boston out of the Finals, and instead of Duncan kissing the logo in Boston or yelling "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!", he just looks at Garnett, winks, and walks off the court.

Seems like the "Mother's Day" incident really did happen.

[Kuestmaster]

Great article
But I have the feeling most of non-spurs fan will skip it... sad

[flipcritic]

SI.com writes the best articles IMO and this is from someone who had read countless articles from ESPN, CBSSports, FoxSports, NBA.com, NFL.com, SI.Com, Yahoo!Sports, etc. etc. through a better part of a decade.

This is your classic SI.com article.

I've read SI for a long time. And they're way past their glory days. But they've still got a few great writers. Chris Ballard is best when he dedicates himself to longform writing.

[roycrikside]

super article.

[urunobili]

worth bookmarking for the ages!