San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich drafted Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest in 1997 after the Spurs jumped ahead of the Boston Celtics in the lottery.
The rest is history, the two have created a ton of history and will always be joined at the hip. If you tell Popovich tell it, they’ll be joined at the hip when they both choose to walk away from the game also.
According to RealGM, Popovich made it very clear that he will retire the day Tim Duncan chooses to retire as well.
“He’s a mentally unique individual in that he’s able to sustain the year-round workout regimen, both physically and (diet) wise,” Popovich said of Duncan’s resurgence. “He has an unbelievable feeling of responsibility for his place in the program and wants to sustain that performance that he brings night after night.”
“When he doesn’t think he can, he’ll stop. It might be in the middle of a game. I can see him walking off the court saying, ‘Nah, I’m not pulling my weight anymore. I’m gone.’ And he’ll walk. And I’ll be right behind him, like this. No pride, no nothing.”