Tim Duncan is mostly considered a quiet player, but he was a great leader for the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Greg Popovich highly praised his leadership and recognized him together throughout the 20 years.
From 1997 to 2016, Tim Duncan was the face of the San Antonio Spurs franchise. He wasn’t the flashiest player, but he was extremely effective. During his tenure with the Spurs, he won five NBA championships and played a major role as a building block in all title wins.
He won three Finals MVPs, two regular-season MVPs, 15 All-Star Game appearances and 15 All-NBA team nods. Duncan didn’t play with many talents, but he had everything he wanted from an NBA superstar.
Longtime Spurs head coach Greg Popovich had a strong connection with Duncan, which even led him to be the norm for Victor Wenbagnama. They continued to maintain their connection as Popovich highly praised Duncan’s leadership as a player and as an assistant coach.
During his NBA career with the Spurs, Duncan was productive with his basic skills in court. It’s obvious when you look at his trophy cabinet, but he also stepped up in the locker room. He was led by example, so he had a strong presence.
But that also meant that when he spoke at the huddle it was special. Duncan ordered everyone’s respect throughout his game, and his leadership style worked in San Antonio for 20 years.
Popovich loved to see it from Duncan. Because he was consistent with everything he did for the Spurs. The quiet leadership worked well for the Spurs. They won five titles in total, earning Duncan as a prominent player.
“He wasn’t a big speaker, but he puts his hands on someone’s shoulder, he takes a time out, he says something, and everyone calms down.
“He’s kind and at the same time, it’s all business. What he cared about in that practice and games was everyone at work.”
As one of the best players in five championships, Duncan is a San Antonio legend. He is considered the uncontroversial best player in franchise history, so no player will approach his legacy in the city. Even his former teammates would agree as Duncan has won all of his successes.
On the court, he was a great player who threatened his opponents through his skills. Then he was the leader through. He was not the leader of the prototype who frequently screamed. Duncan was a quiet type of leader, led by example and spoke when needed.
Popovich appreciated such leadership as it was a huge dynamic between the head coach and the star player. The longtime head coach was a big head coach as he had been secretly chatting with orders from the bench.
It was a perfect partnership that ended with five NBA championships. Now, every franchise wants to build a strong relationship between coaches and star players, just like the Spurs did. It was a perfect storm for San Antonio, and Duncan’s leadership was a major part of their success.