![]() It was a win for Coach Odom, but also for all those who helped shape and inform Tim Duncan’s college experience as a student-athlete: former professors, coaches, teammates, trainers, team doctors, cafeteria staff, office staff, equipment managers, athletic department, Screamin’ Demons, custodians, and academic advisors. This night couldn’t get any better for a coach I would think. Coach did a great job and assured Spurs Nation that there is another community that loves Tim just as much as they do!Ĭoach Dave Odom (WFU) 7 consecutive NCAA appearancesĬoach went on to describe his first phone call with Tim and, then another, with Greg Popovich four years later, both of which changed the trajectory of Wake Forest and Spurs basketball respectively. With three kids now under 6 and living in San Antonio, I sometimes feel farther from Wake Forest than I’d like to, but as I listened to my former coach (freshman year), Dave Odom, remind 18,000 people of how all of this began with Tim, I felt close to Winston-Salem. Intuitively, Duncan knew how to encourage the person that needed encouraging. It was Tim, “let’s go to dinner man.” Manu said they talked about everything but basketball and it was exactly what he needed. Shortly thereafter, he heard another ring and quickly realized that there was also a phone in the bathroom. Manu was devastated and after receiving several phone calls in his hotel room that night, he decided to unplug the phone next to his bed as he didn’t want to talk to anyone. ![]() At one point during the playoffs several years ago, a Ginobili end of game turnover against Sacramento led to a Spurs loss. Manu Ginobili shared one of his most impactful moments with Tim. In a video, Bruce Bowen described Tim’s unique ability to take joy in other people’s success as he recalled the genuine excitement that Duncan had when Kawhi Leonard received MVP honors during their most recent championship run. Knowing the curve that Boban needed to get through to improve, Tim quickly replaced the intern and went on to play one-on-one for 20 minutes – the only catch was that Tim (at age 40) played defense the whole time. Sunday night, I felt like I was at a rehearsal dinner enjoying the gift of story without the pressure of having to speak.Īt one point during the night, Tony Parker described a moment where Tim walked through the gym and saw an intern rebounding for Boban Marjonobic, a 7 foot rookie center from Serbia. There was no vagueness, no generalities about character – only authentic recollections of a real person. The testimonies shared and speeches made were not about coach / player speak that you often hear in a typical interview in sports. It was about celebrating the effectiveness of one leader and his relentless pursuit to be the kind of teammate that his teammates needed him to be. ![]() It was about a coach who loved his player. It was about an organization where individuals get over themselves. As it turned out, this night was about relationships that have endured over a long period of time. As I watched alongside my Dad and six-year old son, I recognized that the reveal of the #21 jersey in the rafters was really a sideshow. At that point, the former All-American and, then NBA All-Star, looked at me and said, “What’s up?” I said, “Hey man” and then decided to tie my shoes some more.įast forward 16 years later, Tim Duncan’s jersey retirement ceremony was one of the more meaningful moments that I’ve experienced in sports. As I diligently tied my shoes against the wall, Tim sat down beside me to put on his shoes - he was back in Winston-Salem for a visit and decided to workout with our team. In the summer of 2000, I showed up for one of my first pick-up games as a walk-on at Wake Forest. Reflections from #21’s Jersey Retirement Ceremony: a tribute to the ultimate teammate
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