Did the NBA witness the end of an era Thursday night when Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs received an unexpected boot from the postseason?
After winning 67 games in the regular season, the Spurs couldn’t even make it to the Western Conference finals, losing in the semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder and throwing the futures of San Antonio’s big three—Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili—into question.
It’s not hard to imagine all three hang up the sneakers together, with even one prompting a domino effect. Ginobili is going on 39 years old this summer and just averaged a career low 19.6 minutes per game off the bench. Duncan just turned 40 in April and likewise just hit a low of 25.2 minutes per game. Only Parker, 33, didn’t see a gigantic dropoff, averaging 27.5 minutes and posting an 11.9/5.3/2.4 slash line.
And the truth hurts—it hasn’t been the Big 3’s team for a while now, not after Kawhi Leonard’s emergence and the arrival of LaMarcus Aldridge. But did the sudden dismissal by a new era of superstars when it matters most drive one final knife into things, or is it simply another part of the transition?
Duncan didn’t feel like elaborating on the topic after Thursday’s loss:
Tim Duncan on evaluating his future. pic.twitter.com/jIoRk0UnsP
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) May 13, 2016
“I’m still proud of having played with those guys for so many years and winning so many games,” Ginobili said, according to the Express-News. “It’s the reason why you always want to come back and keep being a part of this.”
Nobody should have expected any of the three to have an immediate answer, of course. But context is important, as both Duncan and Ginobili have player options this offseason. And if the two decide they’re ready, Parker might not be far behind.
One of the more interesting wrinkles to this nobody seems to want to talk about? The Spurs might not mind if both Duncan and Ginobili hang it up and clear cap space—so long as it means Kevin Durant comes to town after hitting free agency this summer.
Maybe that’s thinking too far ahead. If it is farewell, Duncan is undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever play. A small Twitter sampling after San Antonio’s elimination said this well enough:
Tim Duncan raises his hand to the crowd as he departed the floor in OKC perhaps saying goodbye to one of the greatest careers in NBA history
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) May 13, 2016
If Tim Duncan is done, he’s going out as the consummate pro, with 5 rings to flash. No tears over this loss. Career well done.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) May 13, 2016
If that’s it for Tim Duncan, it’s been a pleasure. Probably one of my five favorite players ever: David Thompson, Bird, MJ, Duncan, Steph…
— Pat Forde (@YahooForde) May 13, 2016
If this is Tim Duncan’s final game, it was a great one: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 7-of-14 shooting. Played 35 minutes at 40 years old.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 13, 2016
It’s quite the different farewell compared to Kobe Bryant’s retirement tour, if that’s what it is.
Unlike Bryant, Duncan and Co. leave the Spurs in an incredible position after humbly moving over to let new superstars emerge or join the ranks, with more perhaps ready to join once they open up cap space via their departure.
And if they choose to come back, it’s hard to imagine anyone could complain.
Will they? Impossible to know. The sting of going out so early after a memorable season might mean they play out their contracts. And if so, watch out.