ESPN: Appreciate Tim Duncan while you can by LZ Granderson

[NickiRasgo]

I'm hedging just a bit out of respect, which Duncan has never had a problem getting.
It's the love that's been on back order.
He is arguably the greatest power forward to ever play, and yet when he was in the NBA Finals, we didn't bother to watch (two of the all-time lows for Finals TV ratings featured him).
He's been an All-Star starter but never the top vote getter.
In 2003, Duncan was not only an All-Star, but repeated as league MVP, and was MVP of the Finals while leading the San Antonio Spurs to their second NBA championship (he was also instrumental in the franchise's first in 1999) and yet his jersey sales didn't crack the top 10. Although he was by far the best player in the league that season, fans bought more gear bearing the names of Jalen Rose and Lamar Odom, two players who have never even been named All-Stars.
See what I mean? Respect. But no love.
Regardless of what happens in this series with Memphis, it is clear the window's closing for these Spurs. If my hunch is right, when Duncan's contract expires in summer 2012, he will not re-sign. He will retire.
And if this is indeed the case, I hope the fans -- so obsessed with crossover dribbles and dunks -- give an overdue standing ovation to a player whose signature moves are winning and avoiding the curtain call.
Why would he retire?
In short, dude is tired.

And below is my favorite

Huh, no wonder Duncan is looking so old. Whether we love him or not, he's owned the league for a long time.

Read more here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/comme...ory?id=6449896

I love every line he wrote about Tim Duncan and I'm surprised that this man is working with ESPN. Gotta love this man, esp. to this what he wrote up, kudos to him. What my mind thinking right now is like what was written in his article. Great stuff, worth to read.

[Sigz]

God bless TD.

[NickiRasgo]

I'm so depressed right now, most of my contacts in Facebook is talking sh*t with the Spurs, enjoying and talking about their defeat. This will be their, I think, last chance to win a championship. Being Spurs' fan since 2003 when I was 10 years old, Spurs became part of my life, one of the reason that makes me happy. I'm so being "EMO" right now. But seriously, I won my 2 MVP Awards (2005 & 2007), because of this team.