Tim Duncan formally said goodbye to Spurs Nation on Wednesday, and gave a wide-ranging interview explaining his decision to retire.
Tim Duncan says Thank You. (via @spurs) pic.twitter.com/D8O6uGmbfX
— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) July 13, 2016
Speaking from his kitchen table, Duncan explained that he began to lose the joy he once had for the game, and realized it was time to walk away.
The 40-year-old legend has no regrets about how everything worked out.
Per the Express-News:
“I started not enjoying myself as much,” he said. “It wasn’t fun at times. Obviously when that point comes, where it’s not fun anymore, I’m done.”
Perhaps the most humble superstar in NBA history, Duncan fittingly spent Monday at home watching the Discovery Channel rather than checking out the coverage on ESPN or NBA TV. […] “It’s the way I’m built,” he said. “I didn’t want to sit there and watch it all day.”
But he said he did view two tributes, the most touching of which came Tuesday in the form of Gregg Popovich’s 15-minute session with the media. The only pro coach Duncan ever had choked up several times while talking about the “most real, consistent, true person I have ever met in my life. “I about lost it on that one,” Duncan said. […] His girlfriend, Vanessa Macias, made sure he also watched a “great segment” authored by former Spurs teammate Bruce Bowen. But other than those two, Duncan skipped the career eulogies. “Luckily, I’m not dying,” he said. “I’m just moving to the next chapter.”
