A friend just sent me this article from March’s Texas Monthly. Not quite sure how I missed it, but no matter, better late than never when reading about your heroes.

In Has Any Celebrity Cared Less About Fame Than Tim Duncan?, author Lauren Castro recounts her upbringing and how the San Antonio Spurs found their way into her life.

Her third grade report on Tim Duncan acknowledged the losses that shaped his life, but “how Duncan handled being a public figure—by barely ever acknowledging it” best exemplifies how the fifteen time All-Star conducted himself both on and off the court.

As Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said about Duncan, “His ability to welcome everybody into the culture and make them feel comfortable. . . . He was the base from which we all knew where to operate and how things should be done.”

The seemingly infinite list of accomplishments keeps Duncan in the conversation as one of the greatest to ever play the game. His demeanor often comes with a label of “boring,” which diminishes his ranking for fans who require flair.

For fans who highlight leadership, championships, culture, and winning percentages, we know who Tim Duncan was to this franchise and where he belongs in the annals of basketball lore.

Do you have a favorite Duncan story? Personally, I love that once he accepted his role as the teams leader he would wait under the basket at the end of games until every last player had left the court. Even when he was not the one being interviewed after a game, he made sure his team was together.

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