Yeah, one of the series against the Lakers when they got swept I think, where Tim and really all the Spurs couldn’t even put up a fight. Think they got blown out the last couple games because they were admitting defeat before the series was even really over. Tim was already the star. Admitting defeat before defeat happens is mentally weak.
The Spurs-Pistons finals which most of us on these boards are intimately familiar. I believe it was after game 4 and the Pistons returned the favor of two lopsided wins. It’s vaguely in my memory that Pop was sitting next to and trying to console an inconsolable Tim because he had no answers after getting flustered by the Wallace brothers. It’s not as memorable to you because the Spurs ended up winning the series. Horry for game 5 and Manu in game 7 stepped up. It’s not that Tim didn’t put up numbers, but he was clearly and visibly dejected after game 4 and needed his teammates to pick him up.
Then there was the Phoenix series when Amare was giving Tim the business, raw no condom. I mean, Tim might as well have bent over on defense. Tim already a multiple time champ, two time MVP, all defensive guy still in his prime getting worked by a young buck. Again masked by the fact the Spurs won the series.
And as you already mentioned the missed layup, so I’ll also mention the first round upset against the Grizz when an old man Duncan couldn’t get it up to match up with old man game Zach Randolph. Tim had already relinquished keys to the team to Tony by that time, and age and wear and tear had gotten to him. And he couldn’t do what some of the greats have been able to do late in their careers and find a way to bring it. I don’t remember if he looked sad or dejected in that particular series loss, but it’s an example of a series he could be criticized for not being mentally tough enough.
Those instances are few and some masked by the fact they still won the series. But Tim still has had his tough performances and ones that could have been justifiably criticized. However, because he also won his share and stepped up in his share of big games and series, Spurs fans particularly aren’t going to dwell on those.