Spurs Legend Tim Duncan 'Would Play More' If He Could Have

Tim Duncan played 19 seasons for the San Antonio Spurs, but he still wants more.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 21, 2023

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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San Antonio Spurs

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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Published Apr 21, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.