Tim Duncan Picks Up First Career Win as Spurs' Acting Head Coach

Spurs legend Tim Duncan picked up his first career win as the team's acting head coach on Tuesday night against the Hornets, filling in for Gregg Popovich, who missed the game with "personal business."

San Antonio trailed Charlotte 36–19 after the first quarter, but rallied for a late one-point, 104–103, victory.

"Pop's going to be back, and I'll be happy to hand it right over to him," Duncan said, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News, after being asked if he one day wanted to be a head coach.

"It's night and day, to be in the big boy chair. Truth be told though, I wasn't in the big boy chair. I had [other assistant coaches] making the calls and I was the one standing there screaming at people."

Duncan said when his team had a five-point lead late in the game, he thought the Spurs might cruise to the victory.

"But they had to make it interesting. I think they did that out of spite," Duncan said.

Hornets head coach James Borrego, who worked as an assistant coach for the Spurs when Duncan was there as a player, said it was "odd" to see Duncan coaching San Antonio. 

"I'm used to seeing that No. 21 on his jersey and see him out there leading the group. Tonight he had a blazer on," Borrego said.

Duncan spent 19 seasons with the Spurs and won five championships with the franchise as a player. He helped turn San Antonio into a powerhouse, earned 15 All-Star nods and was named league MVP twice.

The current Spurs assistant highlights a star-studded group of Hall of Fame finalists for basketball's Class of 2020.