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AWESOME read! thanks as always!
Nice piece.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.3529853.html
David Flores: College coach molded Duncan into great player
San Antonio Express-News
A week after returning from Los Angeles, where he had attended the 1996 Wooden Award ceremonies, Wake Forest junior Tim Duncan called his coach to tell him of a decision that would change Spurs history.
Duncan, whose poker face is as big a part of his game as his bank shot, was characteristically succinct when he told Dave Odom he planned to return for his senior season.
Or, put another way, forgo the NBA draft that summer and postpone signing a contract that would pay him big bucks.
Odom, in San Antonio to coach in a college all-star game being played in conjunction with the Final Four, recalled that phone call Thursday.
"When he told me he was staying, I told him, 'OK, tell me why,'" Odom said. "Then he told me, 'I got to thinking about it last night, and I asked myself why should I try to do today what I'll be better prepared to do next year?'"
To hear Odom tell the story 12 years later, he was hardly surprised by Duncan's decision.
"I expected him to stay because I knew the kind of young man he was," Odom said.
A year later, Duncan won every major individual award after playing in the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
The Spurs fell into the NBA lottery that spring and got the No. 1 pick.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Duncan, arguably the best power forward in NBA history, is so consistently good in all phases of his game that many San Antonio fans may be guilty of taking him for granted.
From his footwork, soft shooting touch and defensive skills, Duncan is the rarest of basketball players and pro athletes. He doesn't get caught up in stats and eschews the spotlight.
"Tim just wants to be himself," said Odom, who left Wake Forest in 2001 to take the basketball job at South Carolina. He stayed with the Game s until retiring this season. "Tim is not a self-promoter, and that's absolutely amazing in this day and age. He is very much about the game and his team."
Odom said Duncan was an "unpolished diamond" as a freshman.
"He had skills, but not the knowledge on how to get better," Odom said. "He came up to me and said, 'I'm a ball of clay, coach, and I want you to mold me.' He never, ever resisted our coaching. He was like a sponge."
Wake Forest's best finish in the NCAA tournament during Duncan's career was in his junior year, when the Demon Deacons made the Elite Eight.
Odom said Duncan's unselfish play reflects his upbringing in Christiansted, St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"It began at home," Odom said. "Tim had two wonderful parents who taught him human virtues as a young boy. He did the right thing for the right reasons, not for attention. That's what makes him the man he is today, and the player he is for the Spurs."
Odom forever will be remembered as the college coach who "discovered" Duncan. Actually, he went to St. Croix after getting a tip from Chris King, a former Wake Forest player, who had toured some of the Caribbean Islands with a team of NBA rookies in the summer of 1992.
"Chris came through the office when he got back, and I rhetorically asked him, 'Well, did you see any kid I might want to take a look at?'" Odom said. "He said the only one he could think of was this kid who had held his own against Alonzo Mourning."
The player King was referring to was Timothy Theodore Duncan, who was only 16 then and preparing for his senior season in high school.
Odom went to St. Croix in September 1992 to meet Duncan, and was impressed enough to stay in touch with him in the ensuing months.
Duncan committed to Wake Forest in January and signed with the Demon Deacons in April. Some trivia: The only other schools he considered were Georgetown, Delaware State, Hartford and Providence.
"Of course, no one knew much about him because of where he was from," Odom said. "When we signed Tim, a guy with a recruiting service wrote, and I quote, 'Duncan could be the world's best player and nobody would know it.' I've often thought about how prophetic that guy was."
Indeed.
AWESOME read! thanks as always!
Man, it'd have been sweet if Duncan had went to Deleware State. Closer to me!
-Duncan, arguably the best power forward in NBA history, is so consistently good in all phases of his game that many San Antonio fans may be guilty of taking him for granted.-
Sorry, he's not getting away with this one. It's not San Antonio fans twerp, it's the entire basketball community!! We know what we have in Tim Duncan. It's you and everyone who behaves that way.
hahaha.
could you EVER imagine?
A week after returning from Los Angeles, where he had attended the 1996 Wooden Award ceremonies, Cypress Creek High School junior Amare Stoudemire called his coach to tell him of a decision that would change Suns history.
Stoudemire, whose poker face is as big a part of his game as his bank shot, was characteristically succinct when he told Dave Odom he planned to return for his senior season.
Or, put another way, forgo the NBA draft that summer and postpone signing a contract that would pay him big bucks.
Odom, in San Antonio to coach in a college all-star game being played in conjunction with the Final Four, recalled that phone call Thursday.
"When he told me he was staying, I told him, 'OK, tell me why,'" Odom said. "Then he told me, 'I got to thinking about it last night, and I asked myself why should I try to do today what I'll be better prepared to do next year?'"
To hear Odom tell the story 12 years later, he was hardly surprised by Stoudemire's decision.
"I expected him to stay because I knew the kind of young man he was," Odom said.
A year later, Stoudemire won every major individual award after playing in the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
The Suns fell into the NBA lottery that spring and got the No. 1 pick.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Stoudemire, arguably the best power forward in NBA history, is so consistently good in all phases of his game that many Phoenix fans may be guilty of taking him for granted.
From his footwork, soft shooting touch and defensive skills, Stoudemire is the rarest of basketball players and pro athletes. He doesn't get caught up in stats and eschews the spotlight.
"Amare just wants to be himself," said Odom, who left Cypress Creek High School in 2001 to take the basketball job at South Carolina. He stayed with the Game s until retiring this season. "Amare is not a self-promoter, and that's absolutely amazing in this day and age. He is very much about the game and his team."
Odom said Stoudemire was an "unpolished diamond" as a freshman.
"He had skills, but not the knowledge on how to get better," Odom said. "He came up to me and said, 'I'm a ball of clay, coach, and I want you to mold me.' He never, ever resisted our coaching. He was like a sponge."
Cypress Creek High School's best finish in the NCAA tournament during Stoudemire's career was in his junior year, when the Demon Deacons made the Elite Eight.
Odom said Stoudemire's unselfish play reflects his upbringing in Christiansted, Orlando, in Florida.
"It began at home," Odom said. "Amare had two wonderful parents who taught him human virtues as a young boy. He did the right thing for the right reasons, not for attention. That's what makes him the man he is today, and the player he is for the Suns."
Odom forever will be remembered as the college coach who "discovered" Stoudemire. Actually, he went to Orlando, Florida after getting a tip from Chris King, a former Cypress Creek High School player, who had toured some of the Caribbean Islands with a team of NBA rookies in the summer of 1992.
"Chris came through the office when he got back, and I rhetorically asked him, 'Well, did you see any kid I might want to take a look at?'" Odom said. "He said the only one he could think of was this kid who had held his own against Alonzo Mourning."
The player King was referring to was Amareothy Theodore Stoudemire, who was only 16 then and preparing for his senior season in high school.
Odom went to Orlando, Florida in September 1992 to meet Stoudemire, and was impressed enough to stay in touch with him in the ensuing months.
Stoudemire committed to Cypress Creek High School in January and signed with the Demon Deacons in April. Some trivia: The only other schools he considered were Georgetown, Delaware State, Hartford and Providence.
"Of course, no one knew much about him because of where he was from," Odom said. "When we signed Amare, a guy with a recruiting service wrote, and I quote, 'Stoudemire could be the world's best player and nobody would know it.' I've often thought about how prophetic that guy was."
Indeed.
in other news, VERY good post (about duncan)
Thanks for posting that Duncan228...good read!
I've never been one for college basketball, but I wish I would've watched when he was at Wake Forest. I'm sure I missed out on something special.
He was a diamond in the rough. Incredible to watch even then.
Here's a taste, you can find more on YouTube.
I'm sure all Wahoos cringed in fear when that man took the floor at U-Hall.He was a diamond in the rough. Incredible to watch even then.
Here's a taste, you can find more on YouTube.
- Mars
Hopefully Dave Odom didn't sprain his shoulder patting his own back.
Thanks duncan 228...he dunked quite a bit back then...what happened?He was a diamond in the rough. Incredible to watch even then.
Here's a taste, you can find more on YouTube.
Another awesome article about Duncan!
Thanks, duncan228!
Great read on Tim!
He looked like Olajuwon back in those days... spin moves and fakes had a lot more fluidity.... but now hes just as effective
Kluby White!!!
decent read
Nice article!
Didn't Duncan go to college because of a promess he made to his mother before she dies? I think I read this in another article.
Yes. His mother wanted all of them to get their education. It's part of why he stayed all 4 years.
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