Interviews with Tim Duncan are rare, which means when the San Antonio Spurs legend sits down with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton for the “Road Trippin’” podcast, you must listen. Here are five of the most notable parts of the hourlong chat.
- Frye revealed that he and Duncan used to be in the same World of Warcraft guild. Frye’s character was named “Dookiedrawls.” They’d play at 3 or 4 a.m., and they’d marvel at Andrei Kirilenko’s characters. Frye said Kirilenko could have sold some of them for upwards of $100,000 each. “That game was a life-sucker,” Duncan said.
- Jefferson and Duncan reflected on their experience with Team USA at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. That was the disappointing, Larry Brown-coached team that won a bronze medal. Jefferson said that, when they got together and clearly weren’t jelling, Duncan told him, “We’re going to be lucky to medal with this group.” I guess they were lucky then.
- Duncan joked that the Spurs’ success this season isn’t reflecting well on him. “Every time they win I’m at home, like, dammit!” Jefferson then said you could give coach Gregg Popovich the Phoenix Suns and he’d probably turn them into the third-best team in the league.
- Duncan revealed he has a week-old daughter named Quill -- named after Peter Quill from “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
- Jefferson and Duncan didn’t sound wistful for Popovich’s film sessions, but they both at least liked that they weren’t too long. “They’re short and direct,” Jefferson said. Duncan added, “It’s not sustained beatings.”
Again, you should listen to the whole thing. Unlike Duncan’s formal interviews when he was a player, the future Hall of Famer clearly enjoyed himself. Near the end, he says that what he misses most in retirement is being around his teammates, which is why he still shows up at Spurs practices and plays 3-on-3 with the young guys. That comes across in the way he jokes around on the podcast.
