After the Spurs’ once promising season came to a crashing halt last night in Oklahoma City, speculation naturally turned to the future of some of their old stars, namely Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. After less than stellar performances against the Thunder, many are wondering if time is up for two of the men that became the backbone of the Spurs dominance.
Duncan was terse.
“I’ll get to that after I get out of here and figure out life. That’s it,” he said after the Spurs’ Game 6 loss.
Ginobili’s response was more thoughtful and worldly.
“Of course, it’s been an amazing run,” said Ginobili, 38. “We all enjoy playing with each other. I’m so proud of having played with those guys for so many years and winning so many games, and even playing with the new guys. If there’s a reason why you always want to come back and keep being part of this, [it’s] because of the amazing chemistry, the good times and the good people that you play with and spend time with. It’s not always about winning a game or winning a championship. But you learn from losses, and it’s important to enjoy every day. Being a part of this team, I’m very proud of it, even if sometimes it doesn’t go our way.”
Both men have player options for next season, with Duncan’s coming in at $6.4 million and Ginobili’s coming in at $2.9 million. If Duncan plays next season, he would tie Kobe Bryant’s record for playing the most seasons with a single team at 20. He’s currently tied with John Stockton at 19.
Coach Gregg Popovich seemed surprised when the question about Duncan’s future was brought up to him after the game.
“Why do you say that?” Popovich asked. “Do you know something that I don’t know? I just wanted to make that clear. Tim was playing really well. So we played him as much as we possibly could because he earned the minutes. He really did a good job.”
For the first time in quite a long time, the Spurs are asking questions about the very core of their team, and they enter the offseason with more questions than answers.
[ESPN]
