Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Spurs Legend Tim Duncan 'Would Play More' If He Could Have
Tim Duncan is the greatest player in San Antonio Spurs franchise history.
After 19 years and five championships in San Antonio, Duncan hung up his sneakers in 2016 ... but if he had it his way, he might have played a little longer.
"I just love playing. I still love playing now. I would play more if I could right now. All I wanted to do was win," Duncan said on The Ring of The Rowel Docuseries.
Duncan was a model of consistency and success for the Spurs when he first arrived as the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, all the way until his final game. However, injuries began to pile up in Duncan's final season and his production was down, averaging a career-low 8.6 points per game.
Had Duncan opted to stick around longer, the Spurs probably would have let him, but he likely didn't want to play at anything other than his best, especially for a San Antonio team that was still competing for championships.
In 2017, Duncan's first year away from the team in two decades, the Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals, but were swept by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.
Today's Spurs could certainly use a player like Duncan, and maybe they will find one with the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.
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