HoopsHype.com Rumors

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 

Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard did not accompany the Spurs on their overnight flight to Minnesota for tonight’s game against the Timberwolves, the team announced Tuesday. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Injuries, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard 

So Tony, what's it like when Popovich stops by armed with a challenge? Parker chuckled. Fortunately, Popovich didn't want a report on the selected works for Russian poet Sergei Yesenin, or whatever book he was reading at the time. "He just told me 'Timmy (Duncan) and Manu (Ginobili) are getting older, and it's your turn now. You have to carry the team night in, night out. You have to play good every night. You have to be consistent,' " Parker told USA TODAY Sports. "He said 'Good players have a great season one year. But great players have great seasons more than once.' "The belief that he has in me shows a lot of respect and makes me want to go out there and play hard every night." USA Today Sports

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan 

Forty-five seconds into one of his least favorite All-Star weekend activities, Tim Duncan’s response was interrupted from afar during a mandatory Friday morning session with reporters peppering him with questions both perceptive and inane. “How are you doing, old man,” former Spurs forward Robert Horry shouted across a hotel ballroom overflowing with inquiring minds. “What’s up?” Duncan shouted back to “Big Shot Rob,” the seven-time NBA champion who helped the Spurs win their third and fourth NBA titles in 2005 and 2007 before retiring in 2008, at age 37, after five seasons in silver and black. “Can you still walk?” Horry said, punctuating the question with a cackle. “A little bit,” Duncan said. “Just a little bit, but I’m still younger than you, buddy.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Robert Horry 

Duncan also credits rigorous adherence to a program of healthy eating and offseason conditioning that has made the 36-year-old lighter and quicker and taken some of the strain off the creaky left knee. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has held him out of games in recent seasons, even when healthy, because he wants him at optimal health for the playoffs. “The only thing we really do, and we’ve done it for a lot of years, is we usually sit down and pick a number for (average) minutes,” Popovich explained. “That’s what we try to stick to for the season. We’ve done that with Timmy, Tony (Parker) and Manu (Ginobili). That’s the one thing we do before the season starts, and we see how close we can stay to that. “As far as what games they play and what games they don’t play, that depends a lot on the nicks and bruises they have and how quickly the games are coming. If there are a lot of back-to-backs or four in five nights or seven in nine days, five in eight days, we try to put some money in the bank for later in the season, so to speak.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan 

Paul Flanner: Robert Horry to Tim Duncan: "What's up old man. You can still walk?" Twitter @Pflanns

San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Robert Horry 

Jordan plays his new favorite trivia game, asking which current players could be nearly as successful in his era. "Our era," he says over and over again, calling modern players soft, coddled and ill-prepared for the highest level of the game. This is personal to him, since he'll be compared to this generation, and since he has to build a franchise with this generation's players. "I'll give you a hint," he says. "I can only come up with four." He lists them: LeBron, Kobe, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki. As he's making his point, Yvette walks into the living room area and, in a tone of voice familiar to every husband who argues sports with his buddies, asks, "You guys need anything?" ESPN.com

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan 

Jeff McDonald: What originally was termed a "sore knee" for Duncan was actually a bone bruise. He re-aggravated it when Martell Webster fell into him. Twitter @JMcDonald_SAEN

San Antonio Spurs, Injuries, Tim Duncan 

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich confirmed after shootaround this morning at the Target Center that his team will open its 11th rodeo road trip without All-Star forward Tim Duncan and key sixth man Manu Ginobili. Both have been ruled out of tonight’s game in Minnesota with leg injuries and are considered day-to-day as the trip proceeds from here. Duncan, 36, suffered a sore left knee and mildly sprained right ankle in Saturday’s win over Washington, when Wizards forward Martell Webster rolled into the back of his legs. Ginobili, a 34-year-old guard, is dealing with tightness in his left hamstring, which he initially strained in a Jan. 13 victory over the Timberwolves. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Gregg Popovich, Injuries, Tim Duncan