HE was 7 feet of solid basketball fundamentals from the US Virgin Islands. Swimming’s loss was basketball’s gain. He played with not a lot of emotion, nothing flashy nor fancy, not even French pastry in his game.
As one of his biggest fans for 19 years, I saw what he brought to the table night in and night out. Leaving everything out on the floor for the City of San Antonio.
Five championships, three finals Most Valuable Player trophies, 15 All-Star Game appearances and 10-time All-National Basketball Association (NBA) first team. He will be a first ballot Hall of Famer four years from now.
The greatest and the best power forward to ever play the game, he played with a lot of class, he came in and did his business for 19 years, scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. He doesn’t have a social-media account. Very low key and very low profile.
He was reserved, but let his game do the talking. He wasn’t much of a trash talker. Taunting was never part of his playing DNA.
Timothy Theodore “Tim” Duncan was the No. 1 draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs in the 1997 Draft. He was the son of a mason and a midwife. He was a product of Wake Forest University Demon Deacons having played for Coach Dave Odom.
What was remarkable about how he retired was he did it without fanfare. He retired without calling a news conference or doing a retirement tour, which smacks of narcissism.
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FORMER UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was caught cheating by taking performance-enhancing drugs or PED weeks before his fight against nemesis and UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. What he did was disrespectful to the sport of mixed martial arts and the people who’ve already bought and paid for tickets to see the fight.
Will this guy ever learn? Did he think he could get away with it?
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FORMER UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar failed a drug test before a fight. He tested positive for a banned substance. If found guilty, Lesnar faces a two-year ban.
The use of PED is the most underhanded thing an athlete can do. Marathoners and multiple-medalist Paul Radcliffs is waging an aggressive campaign against doping in sports. She needs all the support she needs.