'He's a F***ing Monster': Spurs Legend Tim Duncan 'Different' with Kickboxing vs. Basketball
We don't hear much out of San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan these days. Perhaps that's because he's busy channeling his ultra-competitive spirit into mastering martial arts.
According to Duncan's trainer, Jason Echols, the NBA-retired big man has a much different demeanor with kickboxing than he did with basketball.
“When [Duncan] he walked in, he was always the quiet guy in the public eye; I believe I saw a different side of him, because he’s a roaring lion in martial arts. He’s an animal. It’s a different thing than what you see out on the court … he’s a f**king monster," said Echols in an interview with Bleacher Report.
Duncan is apparently such a vicious kickboxer that he inadvertently tore Echols' bicep while sparring with him one time. According to Echols, this was due to Duncan's elbows being like "spears."
"I hit him with a right hook and his elbow caught the inside of my bicep and tore it right off, just from moving around," said Echols.
“I jokingly said to someone else that it could be a cupcake-baking contest and (Duncan) would win because he’s just good at whatever he does ... The sophistication level of him absorbing the martial arts that we have is very, very high. It’s not hard for him to catch up with his capabilities.”
Duncan briefly tried out coaching during the 2019-20 season when he joined Gregg Popovich's staff as an assistant. That stint ended after one year, though, with Popovich saying Duncan was "too smart" to fully commit himself to coaching full-time.
Who knows if Duncan will ever return to the San Antonio bench in the future when he's done mastering other things in life. If he does, though, we wouldn't be shocked if he ends up being really good at it. After all, that's what all-time great people do.
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.
Follow Inside The Spurs on Twitter.
