Veteran NBA player signs contract with team of 15 years without testing free agency.
Apart from being one of the best forwards to ever step foot on the basketball court, Tim Duncan has also earned a reputation for being one of the most down to earth and humble guys in the NBA. In an era where players strive to
become superstars first and money dictates most of their professional decisions, Duncan with his old school philosophy of loyalty and focusing on the work at hand has made him an icon, the type of player many younger stars aim to become. And if his legacy
weren’t cemented in the NBA history books already, Duncan once again chose loyalty and love for his team over anything else when he decided to take a 54 percent pay cut to stay with the San Antonio Spurs for the next season.
Duncan was a free agent this summer, but did not talk to any other team, neither did he ever even think of the idea of playing anywhere else but in San Antonio, his home ever since he came to the NBA 15 years ago. Technically,
Duncan was a free agent for about a week in the early part of July, but quickly reached an agreement with the organization for a new contract, that did not even include much negotiation.
“I’m an awful negotiator. My agent was mad at me the whole time. I’ve been here for so long. This is home for me,” said the veteran, who seemed to be in good spirits as he got ready for the 16th training camp of his
NBA career.
Duncan earned well over $20 million last season, but agreed to sign on with the Spurs for a reported $9.6 million for the next season, and that too without even testing free agency to see what any other team was willing to offer
him. From being one of the highest earners in the NBA last season, Duncan will now drop behind players like Al Jefferson and Carlos Boozer. Even Hedo Turkoglu, Corey Maggette and DeAndre Jordan will earn more than Duncan next season. Duncan’s decision was
motivated by the fact that he wanted to remain with the Spurs, while at the same time give them the cap flexibility to keep their core together for the next couple of years as they look to win one more title in the Tim Duncan era. In a league dominated by
superstars and super teams, Duncan’s simplistic approach comes as a breath of fresh air.
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