This is why Tim can't leave?!!!!??!?!

There’s been talk of Tim Duncan retiring after this year. While many fans are in despair over this, I just have to say: guys, it was bound to happen. And maybe he will get another ring this year and all will feel justified. Or maybe he won’t and the world will forever feel as though it is cruel. Regardless, I’m just happy that he tried and tried and never gave up. But I understand and that doesn’t mean we all won’t be heartbroken.

A few years ago when it looked as though we might have gotten to the finals—and we didn’t—that was the year I started to actually care about basketball. Since then I’ve watched countless games, including non-Spur games, and quizzed my poor brother about what every little play, move, foul, position, and outcome meant. I wanted to learn the game because I wanted to truly learn what and why it meant that we lost that year. In doing so, I gained so much more respect than I already had for Tim Duncan because it became increasingly apparent how much he loves the game.

When I was younger, I didn’t know anything about the Spurs, much less basketball. I would watch games with my brothers and lose interest after a second. I missed a good era, the era where Tim really shined. Not that he doesn’t shine anymore; his stats for this year (not to mention last year) are pretty sweet. It’s just that he shined with a different group in a different time. And I’m just sad I missed it.

I don’t know what brought that change in me a few years back. I think I realized how awesome sports in general were. Those nights I had just moved back home from being at Trinity and would stay up late just to talk to my brother. It was clear to me that he wanted to watch Sports Center and that meant me watching it as well.

I’ve grown to enjoy the NFL and I’ll watch the World Series. But nothing has garnered my attention the way the good ‘ol NBA has. I hope that Tim doesn’t retire. I truly want him to play forever and never leave. I feel rooked because I didn’t get to experience him the way most fans were able to. But that’s okay. I will take what I can get.

If he retires after this year, the game will be missing out on seeing the best power forward of all time continuously play. The league’s best big brother will be gone and at least for Spurs fans, we won’t know what to do with ourselves for a second. But as when David Robinson left, someone will step up; I’m just worried that Pop might also step down. 

While it’s just rumors, it makes you think about what would really happen and how an awesome Big Fundamental type-of-guy made you care about something that you otherwise would not have. And if he stays a little while longer, you can totally disregard my sappy post. But, if he does leave, while he will most certainly never see this, I still want to put out into the universe that he has always been my favorite (even when I hardly cared) and I think he’s what every sports’ team needs to get back to the love of the game and what truly matters.