NBA Rumors: San Antonio Spurs Face Tim Duncan Retirement; LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard Take Over Lead Role

By Mitch de Leon
Tim Duncan
The San Antonio Spurs prepare for the retirement of Tim Duncan by signing LaMarcus Aldridge. Wikimedia Commons/Keith Allison

The San Antonio Spurs are quietly trailing behind the Golden State Warriors this NBA regular season. With the Stephen Curry squad leading the Western Conference and beating basketball teams, including LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers, left and right, the Tim Duncan group gradually gains momentum. With the entry of highly sought after free agent LaMarcus Aldridge into the San Antonio Spurs locker room, the Tony Parker bolstered its defense and offense substantially. Moreover, the former Portland Trailblazers star provided the much-needed support for an aging Duncan.

The game against the Houston Rockets last Sunday, which saw the Kawhi Manu Ginobili squad victorious at 103 121, saw a shocking revelation in the scoreboard. That is, Duncan failed to sink a single basket against the James Harden squad - an unprecedented incident in the basketball career of the San Antonio Spurs star. Spectators present in the said game only witnessed Duncan's glory in the hardwood court for 13:45 minutes. Nonetheless, the absence of any point of the basketball star was baffling.

"I just heard," said Ginobili of Duncan's scoreless night, according to ESPN. "It's very unusual, of course, but he didn't play much. He hadn't played in a week. If he's playing until he's 48, I guess he's gonna have that a couple more times."

Duncan's failure to score in the Dwight Howard face off saw the end of his 1,359-game streak, wherein he consistently managed to score at least one point per match. Members of the San Antonio Spurs roster were all in awe over the incident. Danny Green, an up and rising shooting guard for the NBA team, expressed his astonishment over the matter.

"I didn't realize that. It's gonna happen," shared Green. "It's rare. At his age, you expect that, but not from Timmy. The way he's been playing each year, he makes it look easy. I don't think he played a ton either tonight. It's his first game back in three games. He's still trying to get his rhythm, but he didn't get many attempts, either. We don't need him to score for us to be effective. He rebounds. He outlets. He alters shots, blocks shots. He's great for us on the defensive end of the floor. Timmy's gonna do what he does. It's only a matter of time."

Meanwhile, sports analysts are voicing out their belief that the San Antonio Spurs' Big Three are reaching the end of their era. With that in mind, the Next Three are said to be making quite a splash in the recent games this NBA season. According to Fran Blinebury of NBA.com, the next batch of leaders for the Gregg Popovich squad will be composed of Aldridge, Leonard and Green.

Aldridge has a four-year deal with San Antonio worth $80 million while Green has a $45 million contract following his decision to re-sign with the NBA team for the next four years. As for Leonard, his $94 million contract makes him the highest-paid San Antonio Spurs star to date.

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