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San Antonio Spurs legend turned assistant coach Tim Duncan made a triumphant head coaching debut on Tuesday, leading the team to a razor-close 104-103 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.
Duncan, who will be headlining the star-studded Hall of Fame class this year, eagerly filled in for Gregg Popovich who was unavailable due to personal reasons. The two-time NBA MVP quickly proved he was ready for the responsibility and even earned praise from his former teammate Patty Mills.
“It’s hard to believe that was his first game as a head coach because it was handled very well, with the backing of the other assistant coaches as well,” Mills, who won a championship with Duncan in 2014, said per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News.
As a coach, Mills added that Duncan commands the same respect he once had as the Spurs' low-key superstar for 19 seasons.
“He obviously has that presence. Everyone obviously listens to what he says, and he’s very calm in situations and very constructive and everyone listens. It was good to hear or see everyone dialed in to what he was saying,” he furthered. Mills
Mills scored 13 points in 22 minutes for the Spurs on Tuesday.
Duncan, meanwhile, certainly learned a lot after spending over 20 years under the tutelage of Pop both as a player and a coach. The now 43-year-old all-time great seems to carry the same demeanor he once had when he led San Antonio to five NBA titles.
More Patty on Tim: "I saw a lot of similarities as to how he was as a player and as a coach. Very thoughtful, very quick to be able to answer questions and obviously very knowledgeable. When guys asked questions, he gave them constructive feedback to go out and get the job done."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) March 4, 2020
The Spurs' leading scorer DeMar DeRozan also chimed in on Tim Duncan's successful head coaching debut. The 30-year-old guard quipped that the huddle was “a bit more mellow” compared to Pop's.
DeMar on what it was like having Tim at the helm: A little bit more mellow. Nah, it was good, fun. It was fun just getting in the huddles, especially for a guy like me who had the privilege to play against Tim and now be in the huddle listening to him coach. It was great."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) March 4, 2020
DeRozan pitched in 12 points and 10 assists as the Spurs improved to 26-34.
