I watched Tim Duncan’s retirement ceremony after a very entertaining win against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it did not disappoint. Just about everybody involved was eloquent and entertaining. Tony Parker was funny and introspective. Manu Ginobili shared a wonderful story from the 2006 postseason that seemed to truly move Duncan. Gregg Popovich’s stories were ones he had shared before, but he has perfected his public-speaking skills over the years and he’s a joy to listen to when he’s ready to tell stories.
However, I couldn’t help but notice that for all the people who spoke from the heart, it was Duncan himself —who to no one’s surprise had the briefest speech— who summed up the point of his legacy better than anyone during the voice-over of the brief highlight video his brother made.