Philippines, 02 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Tim Duncan, the most coachable great player of all time - Tony Parker


PhilBoxing.com




Former San Antonio Spurs guard, who just signed a $10 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets, bade his old team goodbye with an emotional letter he said he wished to share before he joins his new club.

Contained in the letter, published in the Players? Tribune, are his thoughts on the Spurs organization, his former teammates for 17 years like David Robinson, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan as well as coach Gregg Popovich.

Duncan, who, the 36-year-old Parker described as ?the biggest reason why Spur culture exists,? was one of the personalities he focused more on his post.

?Of course, the biggest reason why Spurs Culture exists ? this is pretty simple, isn?t it? We had one of the best players of all time, for 19 seasons, in Tim. But the thing with Tim is that he wasn?t only the greatest player for those years,? Parker said.

?He was also the greatest teammate. O.K., maybe this is a clich?. But I don?t think people realize how much of our team?s entire culture could really be brought back to just Tim being Tim. That?s the truth,? he assured.

Parker then went on to say that while he isn?t sure if Duncan was the greatest player of all time, he knows the big man was the greatest he ever played with, and that he was ?absolutely ? the most coachable great player of all time.?

?That was always our secret weapon, to me: You see this all-world player, this All-NBA First Team, MVP of the Finals, about to be MVP of the league guy, and here he is in practice, willing to be coached like he?s fighting for a spot on the team,? he related.

?It was unreal. And if you think that?s too passive for a star player to be? Well, then you?re not thinking it through on Tim?s level. Because Tim knew the truth: which was that to let himself be coached in this way, you know ? that?s true charisma, and that?s true swagger,? Parker continued.

?It?s like he was challenging everyone else in our gym: The best player in the entire league is willing to put his ego aside for the good of this team ? are you?? he remarked.

Parker also told stories about coach Pop, like how the coach took a chance on him, even though he didn?t perform as well as he should have in his first workout in front of the Spurs before they drafted him.

Likewise, Parker talked about how everything Popovich does is for the good of the franchise, and how sometimes that can affect players in positive and negative ways.

The Hornets will be Parker?s first team since the Spurs drafted him 28th overall in 2001.

"Thank you to the Spurs organization, from top to bottom, for the most amazing opportunity of my life -- and for 17 years of the greatest job on earth," Parker wrote in his letter.

"Thank you to Spurs fans, everywhere, for always showing up, always being loud, and always, always having my back. And thank you to the city of San Antonio, for being the only thing that I could ever possibly call it now: home," he quipped

Parker also touched on his transition to the bench for the first time in his career last season, when the Spurs made Dejounte Murray their new starting point guard. Parker said he first approached head coach Popovich about making the change.

"I came up to Pop one day, and I told him my thoughts: It was time for Dejounte to take over full-time as our starting point guard," Parker wrote. "I didn't want it to be a dramatic thing, or this ego thing, or one of these big media things, but I just wanted to get it out in the open -- for the good of Dejounte's development, and for the good of the team.?

"Pop agreed, and thanked me. And then I went and had the same conversation with Dejounte. He was grateful."

Parker also offered a few thoughts on what he expects from his time with the Hornets.

"It will be this brand new experience for me, with a brand new organization," Parker wrote. "And if you are looking for a second team to root for, in the East, you know ... maybe even give us a look. I promise we are going to give them hell," he vowed.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 30 June 2025: Zurdo Outpoints Dorticos, Keeps WBA/WBO Cruiser Titles; Mbilli Stops Sulecki in 1; Wins by Kuroki, Wilder and Jake Paul
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • IIEE Titans secured Finals in BPBL, IIEE Chessmasters retain on top level in Bundesliga
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • MARIO BARRIOS LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • CATTERALL AND EUBANK LAY THEIR 'CARDS ON THE TABLE' AHEAD OF MANCHESTER SHOWDOWN
    , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Dumadag holds chess tourney
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025
  • Manny Pacquiao's Case for the Greatest of All Time
    By Ace Freeman, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • DavNor Adventure Race 2025 set July 2
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Gumila rules Antipolo rapid chess tilt
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • FULL CIRCLE AT WILD CARD: Jhay Otamias’ Tribute to a Fighter and a Fanbase
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Wins by 4th Round KO Over Sarawut Thawornkham to Capture the IBF Pan Pacific Super Flyweight Title
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Team USA's Quest for Gold Set in Stone at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • SBA SEASON 2 DRAFT UNVEILS RISING STARS AND STRATEGIC MOVES AS TEAMS COMPLETE THEIR ROSTERS
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Filipino Elwin Retanal wins Saudi rapid chess meet
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025
  • Jake Paul Earns Boxing Legitimacy with Dominant Decision Over Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Zurdo Ramirez Defends Cruiserweight Crowns with Unanimous Decision Over Dorticos
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Vince Paras Faces Sarawut Thawornkham Today at Venue 88 in Gensan
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • USA Elite High Performance Team Sets Sights on Gold at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025
    , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri bags silver in blitz
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chavez Jr: Can Julio Derail Jake Paul?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Dr. KO: Christian Mbilli Stops Maciej Sulecki in 1
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • GOLDEN BOY SIGNS UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT AMARI JONES
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is a Go: All Fighters Make Weight in Anaheim Ahead of High-Stakes Bout
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • IIEE Chessmasters Overall Champion in the International Bundesliga with GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Kittipong of Thailand Battles Bhavesh of India in Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Bangkok
    By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Weights from Philadelphia
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.