HoopsHype.com Rumors

Jeff McDonald: Tim Duncan did not practice today, out with stomach bug. Should be fine for Game 1. Twitter @JMcDonald_SAEN

San Antonio Spurs, Injuries, Tim Duncan 

Fabricio Oberto, the starting center on the Spurs’ 2007 title team, was at practice Wednesday doing some work for a TV network that is sending features back to Argentina about the Spurs and Manu Ginobili. The sixth man is the undisputed star of the “golden generation” Argentina national team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. One of the most popular teammates in recent Spurs history, Oberto visited with old friends, former teammates and media members still around from his playing days. Oberto walked off the court with Tim Duncan, his frontcourt mate from 2005-09. “Absolutely great to see him,” Duncan said. “One of the all-time greats.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Fabricio Oberto 

Jeff McDonald: Tim Duncan's take on contentious GSW-DEN series: “It’s playoff basketball. Everybody shakes hands the first game. The second game you kind of give a five. By the third game, you don't talk to anybody.” Twitter @JMcDonald_SAEN

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan 

Metta World Peace: Marc Gasol and Tim Duncan are the best big men in the game. Glad they are not on the same team Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol, Metta World Peace 

Against Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker. And in this universe, that can only mean one thing: Final score, 120-89, the worst home playoff loss in franchise history. San Antonio up 3-0 in the series. “I thought our guys played as hard as they could play,” head coach Mike D’Antoni said after. “but they ran out of gas toward the end.” SheridanHoops

Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Mike D'Antoni, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan 

Danny Green: Happy bday to the greatest to ever do it at his position...Timmy D Twitter @DGreen_14

San Antonio Spurs, Danny Green, Tim Duncan 

Tim Duncan’s sixth-place finish in the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year voting sparked debate in the Spurs’ locker room about the difficulty media members face in choosing a winner for that award. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan 

“It is the toughest award they give away because players don’t vote,” Ginobili said. “It’s the player that (goes) against other players who know. Sometimes the best rebounder is not the best defender; or the best in steals is not a great defender. He just gambles a lot. It could be (an award for players to choose), but it’s been going on for so many years. It’s not that I’m complaining, but probably we do know better than the media.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan 

Mike Trudell: Asked Popovich how Duncan does it at this level 16 years in. Said Tim had extremely rare commitment, physically/mentally. Just like Kobe. Twitter @LakersReporter

Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Kobe Bryant, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan 

Do you have any kind of relationship with Gregg Popovich? Goldstein: I’m not very close with Pop. We speak occasionally, but I don’t have the same kind of relationship I have with Peter Holt, for example. He can be a little sarcastic at times, to put it lightly. But obviously I respect him tremendously as a coach. I’ve always been a fan of the Spurs. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Peter Holt 

What about Tim Duncan? Goldstein: Tim is very quiet and shy. He says hello when we pass each other, but I’ve never been able to get very close to him. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Jimmy Goldstein 

Tim Duncan swears he has never even logged on to Twitter.com. “I’m probably the only person I know that hasn’t,” Duncan said. The Spurs star wouldn’t know a Tweet from a twit, although he would probably agree the latter is often responsible for the former. At nearly 37, Duncan isn’t necessarily too old for social media. Just too private. “I have no desire to tell you guys what I’m doing,” Duncan said. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Twitter, Tim Duncan 

Marc J. Spears: On why he isn't on social media, Spurs Tim Duncan says: "Because I have no desire to tell you what I'm doing." Twitter @SpearsNBAYahoo

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan 

Jeff Caplan: 2-seed anyone?: Spurs announce Tony Parker (sore neck), Kawhi Leonard (sore left knee) & Tim Duncan (sore left knee) out tonight at GS. Twitter @Caplan_NBA

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Injuries, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard 

Denver Nuggets: #Nuggets coach G. Karl on Spurs F Tim Duncan: "He must be going to the same guy as Kobe Bryant in Germany. It's the fountain of youth." Twitter

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan 

If the same rules applied in this brief Tim Duncan interview that were in place in 2007 when the San Antonio Spurs forward was so famously ejected from a game for the simple act of laughing, then this would be a technical foul. "The Big Stoic," "The Big Recluse" or — if you care for the classics — "The Big Fundamental" has agreed to field two questions about his latest Father Time-defying feats. And the first query about how he's doing it — "What drives you at this point in your career?" — inspired a smirk that, much like the secrets to his remarkable season, will go unexplained. And the answer, as is almost always the case when it comes to him, isn't nearly as compelling as his one-of-a-kind career. "It's a lot of different stuff, but honestly I just feel healthy right now." Duncan told USA TODAY Sports during what evolved into a five-question session. "I feel like I have my legs underneath me for the first time in a while. My knee pain is way down, and I just feel good on the floor." USA Today Sports

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan 

While Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has called Parker the best point guard in the game this season, he deemed Duncan the team's "psychological foundation." As Parker said Friday, "It's vintage Timmy." And everyone but the people he works with every day are the ones left wondering how he's doing it. "He doesn't surprise me or amaze me every year," Popovich told USA TODAY Sports. "I think fans are (surprised), because listen — if you see him walk, that one leg doesn't even straighten out (because of knee injuries). Obviously he doesn't have the athleticism he used to have. But the guy is uniquely intelligent as far as knowing what his strengths and weaknesses are. "He looks very cold-heartedly at himself. He looks at himself and says, 'This is my age, this is my body. What do I have to do?' " USA Today Sports

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan 

He really didn't have much proof to the claims as the Spurs never advertise for the away team's fan base. They never said Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili were actually going to be there and such claims were going to be made by the Miami Heat. He wouldn't sue his favorite team of course, so decided to take his frustrations out on the away team. As of today, McGuinness has dropped his claim against the Spurs but has not replied to any attempts of being reached. McGuinness did not immediately respond to an email Friday seeking comment about dismissal of his lawsuit. This lawsuit may have scared teams into playing some of their players in either a meaningless game or sacrificing rest for the playoffs, but it seems they can breathe a sigh of relief for now. After all, the Spurs are watching out for their organization and fan base and not the other team's. ProjectSpurs.com

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Law, Tim Duncan 

And he's played well lately, making eight of 10 shots in two of the past three games, with a 7-for-11 performance between them. If the point guard play were better, Dirk could be even more effective. "What we're seeing now with Dirk is what we can expect to see next year and the year after, if he stays healthy," Cuban told reporters recently. "And the year after that. "Is Kevin Garnett a role player? Is Tim Duncan a role player? Do you think Tim Duncan is going to be a role player next year? You think Kevin Garnett is going to be a role player next year? And those guys are based more on athleticism than Dirk is, you know?" ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Mark Cuban, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett 

Jeff McDonald: Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard are available for tonight's game against Dallas. Go ahead and pencil them into the Spurs' starting five. Twitter @JMcDonald_SAEN

San Antonio Spurs, Injuries, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard