Gregg Popovich Holds Press Conference for Tim Duncan’s Retirement

If you haven’t seen this you should take the time. Tim Duncan quietly retired earlier this week and didn’t hold a press conference. He just quietly retired. The only coach he ever had in the NBA and his surrogate father felt some things needed to be said. It’s beautiful. It’s what we’d like to believe sport is about every now and again.

Respect, common courtesy between teammates and coaches, commitment, and seeing the journey through to its ending.

It’s ironic considering what we just witnessed with the Kevin Durant move to Golden State that both Sam Presti and Clay Bennett both with previous ties to the San Antonio Spurs envisioned this very template for Durant in Oklahoma City.

I’ve yet to post Durant’s press conference from Oakland on here because it disappointed me so much. It lacked all the humanity which Popovich displayed in his press conference and quite frankly looked more like a Nike get together to move Kevin Durant into Kobe Bryant’s slot as the West Coast spokesman for the shoemaker. Probably not nearly enough has been written about Nike’s impact on the Durant decision.

Anyway, for those needing a few feel good minutes to help get over with what just transpired with Kevin Durant you might want to take the time to watch this.

Should the Thunder Trade Russell Westbrook for Assets?

This will be the narrative in Oklahoma City until either Westbrook signs an extension or is traded before the trade deadline.

My heart says no. My brain says yes.

We all love Russell Westbrook, but the Thunder have to decide if he’s fully committed to the franchise. This is simple, if he’s not, then make a trade with either the Lakers or Celtics and start the total rebuild  now instead of later.

Boston has an unprotected pick from the Nets, plus an array of promising young players. The Lakers have Brandon Ingram. Presti dealt with the Celtics in the Jeff Green-Perk trade so there’s familiarity there.

This is very simple for Sam Presti–if he allows Russell Westbrook to walk without getting anything in return he should be fired the next day. This cannot happen.

Some players and the draft picks must be garnered unless Russell professes his love for Oklahoma. My guess is he’ll profess his love for the Pacific Ocean and being closer to his family.

You’d think any trade would go thru either the Lakers or Celtics.

Hurts to think about it, but in the course of a few months the Thunder could conceivably lose their core of Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka.

Welcome to the NBA.

More Kevin Durant-Draymond Green Mood Music

I don’t about know you, but I had a stellar day. Birds were chirping and I was singing Rose Royce in my head all day. Oklahoma City—-you can’t let this get you down. The more I read about this bar brawl between ‘Dray’ and this Michigan State football player the more I just smile. Oh, Kevin. This is for you and Dray, buddy. Maybe–Charlie Bell as well. Sell those Nikes. Every village has its idiot…right?

Tim Duncan Retires With Grace

Amid the basketball world being riveted with the new super team in Oakland, Tim Duncan quietly retired yesterday. To my knowledge, no big press conference, no open letter on the Players’ Tribune, no farewell tour like we  witnessed with Kobe Bryant, no estrangement with his only pro team like we just observed with Dwayne Wade. From what I understand he just quietly called Pop and said it was time.

How beautiful and fitting for Tim Duncan to end his illustrious NBA career in this manner.

Most regard Duncan as the greatest power forward to ever play the game. He stayed in the non glamour city of San Antonio and won five championships along side Greg Popovich. He seldom drew attention to himself like we see so often in today’s world of sport. Just did his job and carried his team like the genuine superstar he truly was.

As a player he did everything well. Good shooter, good rebounder, excellent passer, and a good defender. There wasn’t a glamour factor to Tim Duncan, but he did everything well and morphed his game with his teammates.

I have Tim Duncan as my seventh or eighth greatest player of all time on my top ten list. His career ended in the Spurs’ Game 6 loss in Oklahoma City this spring. He had a tough series, but in Game 6 he had 19 points and his best game of the series.

Unlike so many stars in pro sports he didn’t hang around too long. He didn’t extort his franchise to the point of making them non-competitive. He was the quintessential professional in an age of sports which makes you want to cry at times.

If you’re crying for Tim Duncan today, it’s a good cry. One with a mixture of joy, gratitude, and thanks.

Michael Rapaport on Charles Barkley Shitting on Kevin Durant

Okay, that’s enough closure music. He’s gone away with his inner growth spiritual guru. F–k the both of them. BTW, one week into the Durant Era in Golden State and his spiritual mentor Draymond Green is involved in a bar altercation where police were called…sigh.

As you might decipher closure has taken hold with me.

Let’s pivot and move on.  I love watching Rachel Nichols talk—so really I’m playing this more for that than the Durant discussion. But I thought to be fair there should be a rebuttal of Barkley on here of some fashion. I love the way she talks. Clearly, my favorite ESPN chick.