How bullies paved the way for Spurs draft pick to play basketball

SAN ANTONIO— Eighteen years to the day after selecting Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs chose another former swimmer in the first round of the NBA draft by taking Serbia’s Nikola Milutinov with selection 26 on Thursday.

Milutinov was a promising swimmer with Olympic aspirations when he said he was literally run out of the pool. Two bullies pushed a 12-year-old Milutinov off the side of pool, nearly breaking his jaw. He began playing basketball two days later and has since become one of the top European centers.

The 20-year-old averaged 10.1 points and 7.7 rebounds last season while playing for Partizan in the EuroCup and Adriatic and Serbian leagues.

The Spurs used the No. 1 selection in 1997 to select Duncan, who also held Olympic aspirations as a swimmer before turning to basketball.

As a youth in the Virgin Islands, Duncan was a standout in the 50-, 100- and 400-meter freestyle with hopes of qualifying for the 1992 Olympics.

Those dreams were dashed in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo destroyed the Virgin Island’s lone Olympic-sized swimming pool. Duncan trained briefly in the ocean, but has said a fear of sharks drove him from the water and ended his swimming career.

The rest is history. Duncan is perhaps the greatest power forward in NBA history after leading the Spurs to five championships and 18 straight postseason appearances.

While Duncan had an immediate impact with the Spurs, Milutinov is expected to spend at least a few seasons overseas before joining San Antonio.

The Spurs have found great success with international players, winning five titles since 1999 while selecting Tony Parker from France and Argentina’s Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter out of the EuroLeague. San Antonio has also signed France’s Boris Diaw, Australia’s Patty Mills and Italy’s Marco Belinelli to shore up the roster and play in the Spurs’ vaunted system under coach Gregg Popovich.

Spurs general manager R.C. Buford has only tinkered with the roster instead of overhauling it over the past two decades but that will likely change this season as the team only has five players currently under contract.

Duncan and Ginobili have not announced whether they will retire or return. NBA Defensive Player of the Year and 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is a restricted free agent. Stalwart role players Danny Green and Belinelli are unrestricted free agents.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs open title defense with win; Rockets spoil Bryant return

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Tony Parker scored 23 points, including a big 3-pointer late in the game as the San Antonio Spurs opened their title defense with a thrilling 101-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

Manu Ginobili added 20 points for San Antonio, which shot 53 percent from the field. Tim Duncan had 14 points and 13 rebounds for his 14th double-double in a season opener, the most by any player in NBA history, according to Elias Sports.

Monta Ellis scored 26 points for Dallas, and Dirk Nowitzki had 18. Devin Harris finished with 17 points.

Following a video recap of the 2014 season narrated by actor and Spurs fan Samuel L. Jackson, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presented San Antonio’s staff and players with their championship rings. The inscription inside the ring was “Good to Great,” which was coach Gregg Popovich’s mantra last season.

After Nowitzki gave Dallas a 100-98 lead with a fadeaway jumper over Boris Diaw with 1:37 remaining, Parker drained a 3 in front of the Mavericks’ bench off a feed from Diaw. Parker was 4 for 4 from long range, matching a career high for 3s in a game.

Houston’s James Harden scored 32 points, and Dwight Howard added 13 points and 11 rebounds before getting into a shouting match with Kobe Bryant as the Rockets spoiled Bryant’s return to the Lakers with a 108-90 victory.

Bryant’s comeback game got even worse when Lakers rookie forward Julius Randle seriously injured his right leg in the fourth quarter, leaving his NBA debut on a wheeled stretcher. The seventh overall pick out of Kentucky collided with two Rockets under the basket and landed awkwardly.

Bryant scored 19 points in his first game back at Staples Center after missing most of the Lakers’ worst season in a half-century with two major injuries.

Trevor Ariza and Terrence Jones scored 16 points each for Houston.

At New Orleans, Anthony Davis had 26 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 101-84 season-opening win over the Orlando Magic.

Ryan Anderson, coming back from surgery on a herniated disk that cost him more than half of last season, scored 22 points. The Pelicans’ new 7-foot (2.13-meter) center, Omer Asik, had a double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds.

Tobias Harris scored 25 points for Orlando, while Nikola Vucevic added 15 points and 23 rebounds.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs celebrate 5th NBA championship

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs celebrated their fifth title in franchise history by climbing onto barges that floated down the river walk followed by a triumphant rally at the Alamodome arena.

The National Basketball Association champions were greeted by about 100,000 people on the river walk parade and about 75,000 at the downtown Alamodome on Wednesday.

The celebration began at the Arneson River Theater and moved through the River Center extension before finally concluding at the Convent Street Bridge. Players and coaches then addressed fans inside the Alamodome during a special ceremony.

“It is soaking in, but I’m still going to live it up for about the whole summer,” said Kawhi Leonard, who was named MVP of the NBA finals. “I’ve been trying to live the moment. It’s been hard to sleep. Thought I would get some sleep after we won the finals, but I’m still celebrating.”

Some fans began lining up outside the Alamodome in 90 degree Fahrenheit heat five hours before the celebrations began.

The Spurs completed their five game demolition of the Miami Heat with a 104-87 win Sunday night in San Antonio.

They have five championships since 1999 and Tim Duncan has been part of all of those.

Asked if he would be back for an 18th season, Duncan declined to answer on Wednesday.

Duncan has a $10 million player option for next season.

“It’s been too long. Seven years since the last one,” Duncan said of the 2007 championship. “Toward the end of my career, it’s been sweet. It’s a great team, a great bunch of guys, a lot of fun.”

Once inside the Alamodome, Australian point guard Patty Mills introduced coaches and players. Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker received standing ovations after being introduced to the crowd.

“What I think we enjoyed the most is that we’re all friends before we’re teammates,” Mills said.

Duncan thanked former Spur and Hall of Famer David Robinson, who sat in the crowd wearing a championship T-shirt. The two played for San Antonio from 1997-2003.

“I give a lot of credit to David,” Duncan said.

source: sports.inquirer.net