Retired San Antonio Spurs superstar Tim Duncan is reportedly set to become one of the franchise's front office executives soon, according to recent reports.
CBS Sports reported that the Spurs will "get to keep" the 40-year-old five-time NBA champion as "many inside the organization expect him to take a personnel position with the team".
The said development is obviously great for both sides as the player still gets to earn a living after retirement from the franchise the he loves the most while the team will have a proven winning NBA veteran around "to get advice from, and more than anything, to live up to his standard of excellence and professionalism".
The report continued that since San Antonio "built their culture around Duncan", the club definitely could use "his legacy and quiet presence" in order to make a smooth transition from past to future.
Surely, if ever an arrogant rookie walks in the Spurs' facility and meets a "five-time NBA champion, former (two-time) MVP, future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, Greatest Power Forward of All Time" in Duncan, the rook will definitely get back to his senses on where he stands at that moment.
More importantly, though, having Duncan around will ease the pressure of change for head coach Gregg Popovich himself as well as teammates Toni Parker and Manu Ginobili and of course, the fans.
Duncan had been with the Spurs for 20 seasons where they made the playoffs in each one. There is definitely no easy way to part with such a cornerstone of the franchise, but San Antonio will have to deal with it in any way they can.
Meanwhile, Fansided backed up the report, saying that Duncan "could be back with the Spurs, in a different role, sooner rather than later".
Having Duncan stay with the Spurs is really not shocking and it is another testament of what being a loyal and productive partaker of any sports organization can really do for an athlete's future after retirement.
Duncan is one of the most decorated players in the NBA. With all that he has won and accomplished in the league, he ranks as one of the greatest players of all time. Aside from the achievements mentioned above, he is also a three-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, one-time All-Star Game MVP, 10-time All-NBA First Teamer, and 1998 Rookie of the Year, to name a few more.
