“I
am not a role model.” This is in reference to a 1993 Nike commercial featuring
NBA Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley. In
an era of ego-driven athletes-- fueled by skyrocketing contracts, 24/7 Truman Show-esque media coverage, and
social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, one player has managed to
feed his (basketball) ego while staying (sometimes literally) grounded - “The
Big Fundamental” Tim Duncan, or has he likes to call himself, “Merlin.” (I’ll
get to that in a moment). I could spend
time firing off the numerous accolades that Tim Duncan the basketball player has earned over the course of his 19-year, Hall
of Fame-worthy career, but frankly that would be as mundane as watching an infinite-looping
Vine of Tim hitting a 17-foot bank shot from the wing. Instead I’m here to
celebrate Tim Duncan the human being,
and why everything he’s not, is everything that makes him great.
ULTIMATE
TEAMMATE
From
his prime, to now deep into the sunset years of his career, Timmy D has been class
personified when it comes to being a teammate. He reminds you of the kid on
your high school team who knows he’ll never see any action unless there’s a
blowout, catastrophic injury, or the obligatory Senior Night start in which he’s
immediately pulled after the first 10 seconds- and yet, he’s totally fine with
it. He’s the first one off the bench during timeouts running out to embrace his
teammates with open palms and a smile. He’s the one who starts chants on the
sidelines, the one who initiates dry-humored pranks to get a brief smirk during
tough stretches in games, the one who gives you the head pat and whispers, “don’t
sweat it” after you make a huge mistake even though he knows it may cost the
game. It didn’t matter if Timmy played 40 minutes, 20 minutes or no minutes, up
by 10 or down by 30, he was consistently involved in his team. That’s something
you don’t see from many professional athletes, much less those of Hall of Fame
caliber.
HE’S
(LITERALLY) NOT FLASHY
Duncan
is the guy who once showed up to accept the NBA MVP award wearing an
ill-fitting black shirt front-tucked into a pair of Jim Harbaugh-esque khaki
pants. Before (and after) the implementation of the Allen Iverson Rule NBA dress
code, he often wore awkwardly colored plaid shirts tucked into voluminous,
loose-fitting jeans held together by a mismatched belt. In short, he dressed
more like a down-on-his-luck substitute chemistry teacher rather than a
high-profile, millionaire athlete. He was and still is relatable to those of us
who lack the ‘fashionista’ gene—did I also mention that he was recently caught
wearing a total dad-like novelty T-shirt recently?
HE’S
FUNNY….NO SERIOUSLY, HE’S FUNNY
Duncan
has a sense of humor akin to that of Norm Macdonald— notoriously dry but
exceptionally witty. Nothing showcases his comedic abilities more than this Footlocker ad or the
local spots for H-E-B Grocery Stores, including this one in particular where he
recites a poem about a smoked
brisket (alongside teammates Bruce
Bowen and Brent Barry). He pulls juvenile pranks to amuse himself, such as the
long-time running gag of messing with former San Antonio teammate and current
Spurs’ analyst Sean Elliott—Duncan would bounce basketballs off the back of his
head, take the foam covering off of the microphone and flip his tie over his
shoulder during the pregame broadcasts. (His pregame handshake with teammate
Patty Mills is also noteworthy). How about the time official Joey Crawford once
tossed him from a game because of excessive laughing while on the bench?!?!
See, he’s THAT funny.
DUDE
NERDS OUT
Earlier
I had mentioned the nickname “Merlin” because well, that’s what he wanted his
nickname to be when he first entered the league. So it’s all too fitting to
know that Duncan has tattoo of the famed Arthurian wizard on his chest. He is
an avid Dungeons & Dragons player, an attendee of the Texas Renaissance
Festival and has a vast collection of knives and swords. Tattoo aside, this is
the literal embodiment of my dad—he kept the collections and various festival
attendances but dropped the D&D once he married my mom. Could you imagine a
game of D&D with Duncan and Vin Diesel (who too is an admitted player- particularly
a witch hunter, a character Diesel also played in a film)? I would pay to see
the greatness that would ensue.
This is just a glimpse into
what makes ol’ Timmy D a remarkably relatable human. Even I, a self-proclaimed ‘Spurs Hater’, own a Duncan
jersey. I may never like them (or him) for dismantling the Cavaliers in the ’07
Finals, but I respect the body of work that has taken place over the span of 19
seasons. I might be writing this prematurely—as Duncan hasn’t officially released
a statement on retirement, but if this was in fact the last time he’ll ever
wear an NBA jersey, I just want to say THANK YOU! It’s been an honor to not
only watch your greatness define a generation of basketball, but also see you
become a superstar who IS a role
model for malleable young minds of those watching. It’s been a helluva ride,
and I’ve enjoyed mostly every minute
of it (even if it was through a T.V.).
 |
| Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News |
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