On July 11, 2016, Tim Duncan announced his retirement from professional basketball. Ten days later, the mayor of San Antonio led the charge in honoring The Big Fundamental with “Tim Duncan Day”. And then a dark cloud loomed over the city.
Was Tim Duncan going to be like David Robinson, visible at each and every game, waving and smiling for the 18,581 AT&T Center fans? Would he retreat into the dark recesses of retirement only to be mythologized like a yeti when seen buying diapers a convenience store? Was there a chance he couldn’t walk away from basketball so easily?