http://youtu.be/-jTBbrQgTEk

Timmay!

Very well done.

Definitely a one of a kinds. I would say it's safe to say that I haven't been a Spurs fan for 15+ years... I've been a Tim Duncan's Spurs fan for 15+ years. Basketball is not my favorite sport and I'll probably lose quite a bit of interest in the Spurs once he and Pop are gone.

Like the Biggio/Bagwell era of the Houston Astros, I'm more a fan of this particular group of players than I am the Spurs franchise. It's not about winning titles either (which the Astros never did), but there is something about playing a game really well with class. In the Spurs case, it's so much sweeter because they have done it the right way and been champions at the same time!

[Check your email. -- Staff]

[This message has been edited by TexAgs staff (edited 5/28/2013 10:27a).]

Stop spamming the forum, *******.

Vote it down.

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[Check your email. -- Staff]

[This message has been edited by TexAgs staff (edited 5/28/2013 10:27a).]

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Thank you, staff.

I was looking through Duncan's stats for another thread, and his 2002 playoffs stat line caught my eye.

27.6 points, 14.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 4.3 blocks, and .7 steals.

Like I said in the game thread, following this piece, Jalen throws the question out about "best player of this generation", and Magic grabbed it and found a way to talk about himself and James Worthy.

Duncan's longevity is pretty impressive. Not many big men do that well beyond 34.

Not many big men work as hard as Duncan, either.

My theory on Duncan's longevity: he's relied on his athleticism probably less than any other star bigman in history, which has put limited the mileage on his knees. Yea he's had his share of dunks and coast-to-coast plays over the years, but he was never like Lebron or Griffin or whoever. From day 1, he approached the game almost like it's a brain teaser. Set up in the post and then use footwork and fakes to confuse his man, get better position, or get space for a shot. Obviously strength and athleticism play a part in that, but Duncan used sound fundamentals and brain power more than anyone.

Remember that for most guys the late 20s to mid 30s are our physical prime. Professional athletes in basketball & football are different because of the wear and tear on joints the sports put on the joints, not because they're too weak or too slow. Examples: the Kona Ironman all time record was set in 2011 by a 37 year old. Tons of guys that compete in the strongest man in the world contests are in their mid 30s (I know they're roided out to hell, but there are plenty of roided out dudes in their mid 20s). Carl Lewis won a gold in the 1996 Olympics at age 35. And that dude in the Bowflex commercial is 43 and in the best shape of his life.

Cliff Notes: it's the wear and tear on knees that causes basketball players to decline, not the fact that 35+ is too old. Duncan's style of play has limited said wear and tear, meaning he's got more mobility than most guys his age.

[This message has been edited by Deputy Travis Junior (edited 5/28/2013 4:40p).]

In addition to having put less wear and tear on his joints, he doesn't need athleticism like some of these other guys. Slow Blake Griffin down a couple steps and cut his vertical in half and he's warming the bench in Toronto tomorrow. Nail Tim Duncan to the floor and he'll still get 10 and 8 with 1.5 blocks a game.

Duncan should get huge credit for having a rejuvenation season where he returned to 1st team all-nba/all-defense form. It's a credit to hard work.

But you have to acknowledge that in order to have a season of rejuvenation by definition he had to have a few sub-par seasons preceding this one. And the stats and awards show that.

I don't think anyone would argue that Tim played below the level he played this year.

That said it is interesting that his rebounds per 36 minutes played have been above 11 every year since 1999. His lowest PER of his career was two years ago at 21.9. Looking at his per-36 stats through the years, he has stayed remarkably consistent - even for a guy known for consistency.

Timmy actually has had knee issues ever since he hurt his knee his 3rd year in the league. That said, the key for him is his game doesn't rely on athleticism. He is all about knowledge and positioning. He gets most of his blocks without even leaving his feet and he rarely knocks it out of bounds. He can keep playing pretty much as long as he wants because he has such a high bball IQ and doesn't ever go for the highlight play. He just wins.

Duncan just does the fundamentals well. He's never been flashy, that's why not enough people have noticed how great he is. I'm a Rockets fan so I'll be glad when he retires.

When Greg Oden looked to be the next big thing, a quote came out from Nate McMillan or maybe Monty Williams, talking about Duncan. Supposedly, he pulled Oden aside during warmups and somewhat discreetly pointed at Duncan and told Oden something like, "See that guy over there? Has had surgery on his left knee. Can jump maybe 2 inches. He'll never say a word to you. And he will bust. your. ass."