SAN ANTONIO — There was a mad scramble at the Spurs practice during the Western Conference finals, a flurry of activity to position cameras and get recording devices ready to document essentially what was the sighting of a white whale.
Tim Duncan, the NBA's most reclusive star, had apparently accepted a request to speak publicly for the first time since quietly retiring in the offseason.
The excitement built with each step Duncan took. Then, after meticulously unwrapping a right knee brace, the former Spurs All-Star walked past the cameras without stopping.
"Is there a bathroom back there?