SAN ANTONIO — The time will come and Tim Duncan will know it.
But the time for the Spurs great to retire is not now.
“I’ve not come to that point yet,” Duncan said Wednesday when asked about the possibility of retiring if he wins a fifth title with San Antonio. “I don’t know when that’s going to come about. I don’t know when I’m going to retire, I don’t know what the factors are going to be. I don’t know any of that and I don’t care about any of that stuff right now. I’m not thinking about that. … It will happen when it happens. I’ll feel it and I’ll know it and I’ll call it a day.”
Spurs point guard Tony Parker is good to go in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday following left ankle soreness. Parker said the long layoff from Game 6 of the Western Conference finals did wonders.
“It’s been huge,” said Parker, who sat out the second half of Game 6 against the Thunder. “These days have been huge for me. I was proud of my teammates to get it done for OKC because those five days made the difference for me to be ready for Game 1.”
LeBron James admitted he never spoke to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird or anybody else about the perspective of all his Finals appearances (four straight, five in eight season). But he did talk to some legends about dealing with and overcoming failure. He dialed up Isiah Thomas and Jerry West after losing with the Heat to Dallas in 2011.
“I talked to them after I lost in the Finals my first year in Miami and asked them questions about what it took to get over the hump … and they gave me some great pointers, that I like to keep in my Rolodex, until I decide to write a book when I’m done,” James said.
“Those guys were very helpful. But for me, my role has been kind of walk by myself and learn from experience. Even though I’ve got so many great words from Isiah and Jerry West, you can only live in your own life and on your own path and make your own course, and I’ve been fortunate enough to do that.”
Dwyane Wade was asked for a percentage of how much better he feels this season than last: “No percentages. I feel better. That’s my Gregg Popovich moment,” Wade said, referring to the Spurs’ tight-lipped coach. … The more things change: Miami veteran Shane Battier reflected on all the times he faced the Spurs in the West playoffs with Houston and Memphis and played their consistency. “The way they play, their style, their culture. They’ve run the same plays for 13 years. … Some of the same sets they’re running now are the same sets I was learning as a rookie.”