The Big Fundamental

Throughout his NBA career, Tim Duncan has been continuously written off (by myself as well) as being predictable, bland, and sometimes just straight boring. He never had the flash of an Allen Iverson, or the scoring ability of Kobe Bryant, or even the off-court antics of his fellow superstars such as Shaquille O’Neal. Thus, he didn’t become the average NBA fan’s favorite player, or one the majority felt worth watching. That one word has haunted Tim throughout his NBA days; boring. And it is this exact word that has caused fans and critics alike to overlook Tim’s quiet consistency, and for many to take him for granted, not realizing that we were allowing the career of one of the all-time greats to slip right by unnoticed.

I was guilty of this, as on my list of superstars I enjoyed watching, Tim annually ranked near the bottom. I felt as though I knew what I was going to get from Timmy when I watched a Spurs game: 23 points, 12 rebounds, a block or two, and a solid shooting percentage off of an array of bank and hook shots. Not the most exciting stuff compared to watching potential 50-point outbursts from A.I., Kobe, or LeBron. I kept this attitude year in and year out, as Tim stubbornly remained the same, and continued to rack up awards, rings, and all-star appearances. The Spurs playoff series would annually rank amongst my least favorite, and after each win for Timmy and the Spurs I wondered, when is this guy gunna change? When is he going to cater to the fans and put some excitement in his game? But, Tim’s response always remained the same; putting up all-star worthy numbers, while leading the Spurs deep into the playoffs, and almost half of the time (4 times in Tim’s tenure) winning the title. As Duncan continued to decorate his rap sheet, I became increasingly less enthralled with him and his accomplishments, and this distaste plateaued last year, when the Spurs defeated the Suns and their new addition of one of my favorite all-time players, the more flashy, Shaquille O’Neal, potentially ending Shaq’s last chance at another title. I remember lamenting the fact that I had to suffer through more rounds of boring, Tim Duncan-filled playoff basketball, while the explosive and enthusiastic Shaq sat at home.

Heading into this season, my feelings toward Duncan remained unwavering. I still had no desire to watch him and the Spurs, and would often watch a Warriors-Clippers game on League Pass rather than be subject to the unavoidable blandness that was the Spurs. However, during this season a strange thing happened. I noticed the slightly decreased production from Tin Duncan, and the uncharacteristic struggles the Spurs were facing. It was then that I realized that Tim Duncan was not going to be in the L forever, and that the accomplishments that he has compiled throughout his career were unparalleled, and certainly someone deserving of all this accolades could not be as boring as I had always thought, and so I decided to take a second look. It was during this second look, that I noticed the hustle and passion Tim plays the game with, along with his ever-present knowledge, understanding, and consistency. I was still not captivated by his offensive arsenal, but I certainly found a newfound appreciation for the two-time MVP and four-time champion. I realized that rather than wishing that Tim would be like other all along, I should have been wishing that there were others more like Tim. He represents a model of consistency and passion for the game that is rarely seen. His dedication to one organization and his ability to bring so much success to it has yet to be duplicated in today’s NBA, and it is time for people to appreciate this. Because one thing is for sure, when Tim Duncan retires, the NBA will be a little more boring.