“Tim Duncan is the epitome of old school basketball” – Julius Erving on why Duncan would’ve thrived in the 70s and 80s originally appeared on Basketball Network.
While most big men preferred fancy footwork and athletic finishes, San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan opted to unleash the most basic set of moves to get to his spots and score. This tendency bored most fans but delighted some old heads like legendary forward Julius Erving. Whenever he saw Duncan play, Dr. J was reminded of the good old days when players only cared about winning.
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“Tim Duncan is the epitome of old-school basketball,” Erving said in 2003, via the Los Angeles Times. “Any time you go to the playground in Detroit, where George [Gervin] is from, or New York, where I’m from, when you see the big guy in the low post, he’s doing the type of thing that Tim Duncan does: the fundamentals first, the team approach. And when the smoke clears, he’s usually on the winning side.”
Duncan’s five championship rings and individual accolades prove that being the most basic and fundamentally sound player is the way to go. All those fancy moves don’t count for much if the shots don’t go in.
No frills
Duncan’s play style also mirrored how he carried himself off the court. Malik Rose, a teammate of the Big Fundamental for several years, observed how Duncan didn’t behave like an ordinary celebrity. Tim may be evasive of the media, but Duncan’s true colors show when he’s in the locker room with his teammates.
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“He cares about this team winning,” Rose said. “For this team to win, we need him to do certain things and to play a certain way. That’s where his heart is. He’s going to lay it out on the line for the guys in this locker room. When it comes to off-the-court accolades, he really doesn’t care. He shies away from the limelight. He’s not your typical superstar. He’s rare.”
Bank shots
Interestingly, there was a sound logic behind Duncan’s no-frills approach. He observed that some players get more fired up if you respond to their smack talk. The effective counter to chatty players is not to say a word and let your actions do the talking.
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“It would frustrate people more when you just keep coming and coming and getting things done and no matter what they throw at you,” Duncan said.
Teams immediately understood how Duncan operated. You could not get into his head because he doesn’t react to trash talk, no matter how harsh. No matter how difficult it is, the way to beat Duncan is to just play the game the right way.
Former Nets coach Byron Scott instructed his team to make it difficult for Duncan to get to his spots because once he did, he’d knock down those elbow bank shots with ease.
“You know that the guy’s going to score,” Scott said. “He’s such a great offensive weapon. When he starts hitting jump shots from 17, 18 feet, then you know you’re in a little bit of trouble.”
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Those bank shots guided the Spurs to five NBA Championships in two decades. Those chips seemingly went under the radar primarily because of Duncan’s low-key play style and the Spurs’ team-oriented approach. But years since they last won their chip, people still talk about the legendary squad and their undying influence on the game.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.