When did you first hear about Tim Duncan?

[Galileo]

I've got a couple of recollections of Duncan.

I first got wind of Tim during his junior season at Wake Forest. I didn't watch much college basketball. However because the Wake Forest team was so very good, their highlights dominated the ESPN Sportscenter. That's when I first saw the poise, the footwork, the defensive prowess. I began to understand why everyone was touting Duncan as the best player in college basketball.

Being the Spurs fan that I am, I dreamed about what it'd be like to have this guy on the Spurs. Of course, it was just a mere fantasy, as the Spurs were perennial playoff participants. I later remember hearing all the scuttle-butt about whether Tim would leave school early to enter the NBA draft. Of course, Tim stayed for his senior season. I didn't know, at the time, what a fortunate decision that would be for the Spurs franchise.

Fast forward to the 96-97 NBA season (Tim' senior season as Wake) and all the injuries that ravaged the Spurs roster - including D-Rob and Elliott. As the losses mounted for the Spurs, I started to think more and more about the possibility of the Spurs entering the draft lottery and getting an opportunity to draft Duncan. By the spring, the Spurs were so far out it, that the draft lottery was definitely in their immediate future. In fact, they had one of the top two worst records in basketball (Boston having the worst record). I thought to myself, "could lightening strike twice?"

I recall a specific, nationally televised home game versus the Rockets in April of '96. The NBC sidelline reporter interviewed Big Dave. He updated his personal injury situation, discussed the unfortunate affect the slew of injuries had throughout the team, and then talked about how disappointed they all were with the current season. He was then asked about whether he'd heard of Tim Duncan and what he thought about him. Dave, in his usual congenial manner, was very, very complimentary of Duncan, marveled at his abilities, and went on to state that what a thrill it would be for him if somehow the Spurs were able to draft Duncan.

Who would've ever thought?

Very touching story, I saw that game as well. I think it was April '97, though.

But I was a Rockets fan, then.

[m33p0]

first heard of timmy in an ncaa game against marcus camby. i also remember the comments made by the announcers that though camby's team won the game, duncan will go down as one of the best ever. yup, even back then some people already had the foresight of how timmy's career would wind up.

i saw his first nba game - spurs against the nuggets and remember telling myself "hey, that chris wilcox dude is a beast!"

its weird too coz though duncan's game was pretty much as it is now, his teammates now are better at taking advantage of duncan's full skill set.

[SenorSpur]

Very touching story, I saw that game as well. I think it was April '97, though.

But I was a Rockets fan, then.

My bad. Thanks.

BTW, why did you convert over?

[DAINTX]

After Timmy was drafted, but before his 1st regular season game, my daughter and I were in the IHOP at 1604 & 281 one evening. Tim came in, alone, sat in a corner booth. Now my daughter was 6 years old and a huge Spurs fan. She already knew who Tim Duncan was. So nervous she was shaking, she went up to him and, in a tiny little voice, asked if he would autograph a little kid's game sheet IHOP had given her. Tim started asking her all kinds of questions...how old she was, what school she went to, who her favorite Spur was (David Robinson), etc. etc. He spent about 5-10 minutes with her. I went to get her...didn't want to interrupt his dinner any longer. Well, he asked, "If it's OK can she stay until we finish this game? We're just starting and I really don't mind at all." I said sure. She stayed probably 20 minutes at his table, talking and laughing, and came back with a long autograph with "Thanks..."To Victoria from your friend and new favorite Spur, Tim Duncan" from Timmy. She's 17 now, still has that autograph, is still a huge Spurs fan, and loves Timmy about as much as she used to love her pink teddy bear when she was a little girl.

[DespЏrado]

I actually have a decent story about this. I was visiting my cousin at Stanford. He was showing me around and showing me what college life was like etc. And we went by one of the rooms with the door open and a Stanford vs. Wake forest game was on. We stopped in and I watched about the last ten minutes of the game, and even though Stanford came out the winner. I watched one guy part water against a better team.

I turned to my cousin and said this guy is going to be a Spur next year, I don't know how its going to happen, (David was just about to come back from his first injury.) but I just knew it was going to happen.

That's how I heard of Tim Duncan.

[duncan228]

That's a sweet story DAINTX.
That's the thing about Duncan.
He's as incredible off the court as he is on it.
Thanks for sharing.

[oboymeetsogirl]

Everyone has their memories, and since college hoops always bored me I didn't know of Duncan until his name was called first in the draft. Those days I was a longtime Laker fan (from the Wilt/West/Elgin days followed by Magic & Kareem), but I have to say: the Spurs became my true-blue, #1 team the first time I saw Timmy's patented moves -- ah, the "glass," the footwork, the impenetrable defense... -- that first year he began playing alongside the Admiral.

That said, I must add that I look back at the seasons following the '99 championship as often painful to watch, as teams took to triple-teaming Timmy and turning him into less of a Superman in many a game (his Kryptonite being the Spurs' predictability -- when in doubt, toss the ball into Duncan).

But of course, the past five years have been sheer joy. The maturation of Parker and coming of Manu has been for Timmy what Magic was for Kareem (before that, what Oscar was for Lew), and West and Baylor for Chamberlin.

We Spurs fans are living in historical times. No team has been as dominant since the Jordan-Bulls and the Magic-Lakers. Personally, I think of Shaq as being the most dominant big man of all time, followed by Timmy and then, of course, Russell and Chamberlin. Stick Oscar Robinson, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird somewhere in between those names (any order you like), and you have the eight greatest basketball players of all time. We are walking with the gods.

[duncan228]

With all the Wake Forest conversation going on...

[urunobili]

1999 NBA Finals

[Galileo]

My bad. Thanks.

BTW, why did you convert over?

I became a big basketball fan in 1981, my freshman year of college, and a great year for college freshman, and starting following the players, including Akeem.

A few years later I got so sick of everybody hyping Jordan, that I had to find somebody better to root for, so I became a huge Akeem the Dream fan. When I saw Duncan in the '99 Final's he totally reminded me of Akeem and how he posted up (but Duncan had a better jump shot). So at during the next few years I got totally sick of the overhype of Shaq & Kobe, Shaq & Kobe, etc., so I became a big Duncan & Spurs superfan.

I always did like the Spurs, though. I remember rooting for them in the '82 and '83 playoffs when they had the A-Train, going against the Lakers. Then, in 90-91, they had a superteam, and young, that should have been a dynasty. They had Robinson, PF Terry mings, SF Willie Anderson, PG Rod Strickland, and Sean Elliot.

When I saw them choke in the first round to the Super Sonics that year 3-1, I lost interest.

[Beast Juice]

I Think I was in 4th grade. I remembered being excited for the season cuz the Spurs got Dominique, Maxwell, and Dana Barros....? Well I was expecting the Spurs to be beastly and being from So Cal I did not get to watch a lot of Spurs games but remember my grandpa teasing me that the Clippers beat them and Robinson got or was hurt. I remember my grandpa saying the Spurs get the first pick and could possibly get Tim Duncan and I was like Tim Who?????? Give me Ron Mercer and the Spurs will be unstoppable.

[Galileo]

first heard of timmy in an ncaa game against marcus camby. i also remember the comments made by the announcers that though camby's team won the game, duncan will go down as one of the best ever. yup, even back then some people already had the foresight of how timmy's career would wind up.

i saw his first nba game - spurs against the nuggets and remember telling myself "hey, that chris wilcox dude is a beast!"

its weird too coz though duncan's game was pretty much as it is now, his teammates now are better at taking advantage of duncan's full skill set.

I remember this game as well, versus Camby, but was listening on the radio. Does anyone know when this game was played?

That's cool they said he would go down as one of the best ever.

[Galileo]

After Timmy was drafted, but before his 1st regular season game, my daughter and I were in the IHOP at 1604 & 281 one evening. Tim came in, alone, sat in a corner booth. Now my daughter was 6 years old and a huge Spurs fan. She already knew who Tim Duncan was. So nervous she was shaking, she went up to him and, in a tiny little voice, asked if he would autograph a little kid's game sheet IHOP had given her. Tim started asking her all kinds of questions...how old she was, what school she went to, who her favorite Spur was (David Robinson), etc. etc. He spent about 5-10 minutes with her. I went to get her...didn't want to interrupt his dinner any longer. Well, he asked, "If it's OK can she stay until we finish this game? We're just starting and I really don't mind at all." I said sure. She stayed probably 20 minutes at his table, talking and laughing, and came back with a long autograph with "Thanks..."To Victoria from your friend and new favorite Spur, Tim Duncan" from Timmy. She's 17 now, still has that autograph, is still a huge Spurs fan, and loves Timmy about as much as she used to love her pink teddy bear when she was a little girl.

Wow! I truly wonderful story! It makes your heart warm to know that people like Tim Duncan are here on this planet with us. Yours is a truly memorable story.

[K-State Spur]

Staples...oh what could have been.

-Mars

he did leave as the ncaa's all-time 3 point shooter.

it was more jeff jones' complete inability to get any talent around him (and deane) that wasted their final couple of years.

[GSH]

I was in St. Croix in the summer of 1990, and saw this tall kid at the swimming pool. When he got out of the water, I saw that he was really, really tall. So I told him, "Hey, you should be playing basketball instead of swimming." And he said, "You think so?" The rest is history.

Okay, seriously. Some good stories on this thread. I really enjoyed reading, so I'm glad you thought to start it.