So since I have the opportunity now, thank you, Timmy. Thank you very much for all these years. Thank you for the four rings I have in my home because of you. Thank you for making me better, and everybody that ever played with you." Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich combined to win five championships together during the lifelong Spur's 19 seasons in the NBA. Said Duncan on Sunday night: "Thank you, Coach Pop, for being more than a coach -- for being more like a father to me." AP Photo/Darren Abate The truth is, it’s impossible to distill Duncan’s career into words or some lengthy think piece. We already know about the mind-boggling stats, the five titles, the two MVPs and 15 All-Star appearances, not to mention the fact Duncan retired in 2016 ranked second in playoff victories, first in playoff double-doubles and third in postseason rebounds. The San Antonio Spurs honored Duncan, the five-time NBA champion, two-time Most Valuable Player, three-time Finals MVP and 15-time All-NBA selection, with a series of speeches and stories that captured what made him just about peerless when it came to combining on-court excellence with quiet leadership.

NBA Legend Tim Duncan is honored at his jersey retirement ceremony on December 18, 2016 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. With Timmy, it softened them,” Buford explained. “It wasn’t so regimented and rigid [anymore]. I think with the way Pop and Tim connected it also became a very caring environment.” Duncan joined Wake Forest University, where he led the Demon Deacons to a 20-11 win-loss record in his first year.I don't know how many accolades you could ever put up on this guy," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry. Tim Duncan was a man of few words on and off the court. Instead, the former San Antonio Spurs star power forward always spoke loudly with his stellar game. This made Duncan one of only two players to win the Championship in three decades. Late Playing Career His induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett is scheduled for May 2021. Wife & Children He's the only teammate that never asked me or talked to me to get the ball," Parker joked. "He just looked at me. And when you're 19 years old coming from France, that's very scary when he looks at you. He doesn't have to talk to you. Most of the guys [are like], 'Hey, Tony, I'm open.' But Timmy just looked at me. I'd be like, 'Hey, Pop, Timmy looked at me. We should run a play.' Pop would be like, 'He really looked at you?' I was like, 'Yeah, so we should run a play. If you want me to be the point guard tomorrow, [let's] pass him the ball right now.'"

It’s all a combination of a competitiveness on my own part, a love for playing the game, hating losing and an organization committed to putting the best things in place to give a city, a team, a player like myself an opportunity to win year in and year out,” Duncan said. The glory days returned to the Spurs in the 2013-2014 season. They ended the season with the league-best of 62 wins. Significantly, they won the NBA Finals 4-1 against Miami Heat. Tim Duncan is a famous basketball player who played with Spurs for 19 years. He was the Sports Illustrated ‘s 2003 “Sportsmen of the Year.” Tim Duncan, The Search Graph (Source: Google Trend)

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CARING: Popovich lost his top two assistants in the summer of 2019 when Ime Udoka (currently a Brooklyn Nets assistant) joined the staff of the Philadelphia 76ers, while lead assistant Ettore Messina returned to Italy with Olimpia Milano.

Later, after the 2004 Olympics, including Duncan, the U.S. Basketball team returned with only a bronze medal with a three-game loss. Honors & AchievementsWe’re talking about it, and I said, ‘Listen, Tim, my job is to represent you. So, I can’t really be worried about David’s point of view on this,’ ” said Babby, who also represented Hall of Fame inductee Tamika Catchings. “He turned to me and said, ‘Well, you might not have to worry about it, but I do because I’m gonna be his teammate. I’m coming in, and he’s been the star of this team. I need to be sensitive to his feelings.’ Parker often joked that for nearly his entire rookie season Duncan never spoke to him, but he complimented Duncan for all their off-the-court interactions, which often lifted the point guard's spirits as he struggled to deal with a demanding Popovich early in his career.