BOSTON – Tim Duncan's retirement from the NBA this past summer not only left a void on the court and in the locker room for the San Antonio Spurs; it also left an emotional void for head coach Gregg Popovich.
The pair spent two full decades together, winning five NBA titles along the way. And they had one of the strongest coach-player relationships the league has ever seen, which Popovich discussed Friday morning before taking on the Boston Celtics.
“I miss him, of course, because I was with him for 20 years,” Popovich said ahead of the 1 p.m. tip-off at TD Garden. “It feels strange at times. He's not on the bus. He's not on the plane. I can't joke with him or have him coach me and have him tell me what I'm doing wrong every day. So I miss all that.”
Duncan, however, is not completely out of the picture for the Spurs organization. While he may no longer be suiting up for San Antonio, he still visits the team regularly and makes his presence felt, especially with the Spurs' younger players.
“He'll come in and maybe run the court,” said Popovich. “He'll go into the weight room area and work out. He'll peek in on practice here and there. He'll come in and put his arm around (rookie) Dejounte Murray or some young guy and talk to him a little bit, which is kind of cool.”
Duncan's persistent presence around the team indicates to Popvich that the 40-year-old future Hall-of-Famer will have a role with the Spurs for many years to come.
“I don't ever see him looking at film in a room or diagramming plays – he's too smart for that,” said Popovich. “But I can see him scouting or taking a trip some place, jumping on the plane with us here and there.
“I told him he can have any job he wants. He can help (general manager) R.C. (Buford), he can help me, he can help both of us. He can come once a week, or once a month, or every day. He gets to do whatever he wants. I mean, every time we go to a meal we raise a glass and toast him and say, 'Thank you Timmy.' He's pretty much the man.”
The current Spurs team has done quite well without their 15-time All-Star so far this season. San Antonio has compiled a 12-3 record and possesses the best road mark (8-0) in the league.
The Celtics know they'll still have their hands full Friday afternoon despite Duncan's absence from the court – a sight that Boston has not seen in 20 years.
– Taylor C. Snow
