NBA
Tim Duncan Wasn’t Going To The Magic As A Free Agent In 2000
Over the years, we’ve heard about the Orlando Magic possibly missing out on Tim Duncan in 2000. Duncan was a free agent at that time and had a championship on his resume. According to his close friend, Darrell Armstrong, who was with the Magic during that time, knew he never was going to leave the Spurs to join the Magic.
“Man, Tim wasn’t going nowhere,” Armstrong told Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio. “I mean where Tim played at and finished at, that was where Tim was going to be. Tim wasn’t going to go nowhere. We all love to entertain and see who is going to be out there. I don’t even believe he even thought about leaving San Antonio, especially after winning that first championship.
“So, I just knew he wasn’t going anywhere. Sometimes you call the guys when free agency starts, and you call them and talk to guys, and they [Orlando] wanted me to call him, and I was sitting there like, ‘I am not calling him, you shouldn’t even call this guy, he isn’t leaving.’ ”
What Could’ve Been For The Magic
Later that summer, the Magic signed Grant Hill away from the Detroit Pistons and Tracy McGrady. If Duncan would’ve joined the Magic, the history of the NBA would’ve changed drastically. The Spurs wouldn’t be the model of consistency we’ve witnessed since 1997.
The Magic probably would’ve had a big three of their own in Duncan, Hill, and McGrady. They probably would’ve added the elusive championship the Magic have been looking for since Shaquille O’Neal was their franchise player.
Why Duncan Staying With The Spurs Was For The Best
For Duncan, staying in San Antonio was for the best. He knew the Spurs organization, and the city was built around him. He also was the driving force in the Spurs run to the NBA Championship in 1999. In 17 playoff games that year, he averaged 23.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. In the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, which the Spurs won in five games, he averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Duncan’s dominance proved he didn’t need to join another team of superstars. He knew he could put the Spurs on his back on a nightly basis. He went on to win five NBA championships and become the NBA’s best power forward ever. In 1,392 games with the Spurs, he averaged 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 50.6 percent from the field.
