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NBA FINALS: HEAT v SPURSJune 14, 2014Tim DuncanSAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Practice Day Q. I know you guys are always talking very specifically about the process and respecting the process, never letting yourself think ahead and all those good things. When you're this close and at home and have a chance to win it, how do you avoid maybe the human condition of thinking to what that might feel like tomorrow night? TIM DUNCAN: I think we go back to last year and we learn from that. We're 30 seconds away. We feel that we have it in the bag and it slips out of our fingers. So I think we learn from that, and we draw on that, and we say, hey, it's not over till it's over. Our goal right now is to just win one more game. We'd love to do it tomorrow. We'd love to do it in one game. But luckily we've put ourselves in a situation where we have a couple opportunities and we're going to take whatever it takes. They're going to come out and give us their best punch possible. We know that they're back‑to‑back champs and they've been in this situation before and they have all the confidence in the world that they can win these games. So we have to do just the same. Come out there and say, hey, we're going to take it little by little, quarter by quarter, and see what happens. Q. Tim, the last two games, have you seen anything from Kawhi that's surprised you, like, man, I didn't know he could do that? TIM DUNCAN: I think just the level of confidence he's playing with more than anything. I think after the first two games where he didn't play well and he was trying to find himself. He comes out in 3 and 4 and just turns a switch and shoots the ball with confidence, attacks whoever is guarding him with confidence, and just finds away to make plays. I think some of the most impressive plays are some of the ones where making real physical and ones, and obviously the last game where he came out of nowhere and dunked that one back in. I was right underneath him for that one, so that was impressive. Q. There's been a lot of speculation about your future, Manu's future, Pop's future. Pop just told us that he wants to continue coaching. He's not tired. How does that factor into your decision, and can you squash right now any speculation about your retirement if you guys win it? TIM DUNCAN: I don't have any plans on doing anything. I'm going to figure it out when it comes. I'm not saying I'm retiring. I'm not saying I'm not retiring. I'm not saying anything. I'm going to figure it out as it goes. I've always said if I feel like I'm effective, if I feel like I can contribute, I'll continue to play. Right now I feel that way, so we'll see what happens. Q. Do you have a timeframe? TIM DUNCAN: I don't have a timeframe. I don't think about it. Whatever people are saying or who has insight on whatever, they're getting it from somewhere else because I haven't told anybody anything nor have I thought about it in any respect. Q. You talked the other day about Kawhi's quietness, and you've been a guy over 17 years that hasn't said much on the court. You're not a demonstrative guy. But how have you maintained your sanity and cool when I'm sure you've heard your share of trash talk over the years from various guys? How have you not gotten into that exchange? And it seems Kawhi doesn't say anything. LeBron said he doesn't say anything to him on the court. Do you encourage him to be quiet? TIM DUNCAN: No, that's his nature. That's how he is. You let your play, you get your game, you let your winning do your talking. And those guys who want to talk or want to change the game in that respect, they're just trying to get in your head. And you stay away from that as much as possible, the more effective you are. That's always been the way I've thought about it. But I've never said anything to Kawhi about how he carries himself. That's how he chooses to carry himself. He doesn't talk to us, so I'm guessing he's not going to go out there and talk to anybody else. Q. Was that a learned characteristic to not talk back, or was that always the way you've been? TIM DUNCAN: That's just how I've been. It's how I've been. You find what works for you and you go with it, and that's what worked for me. Q. Last year a major story line in the Finals was it could be or it probably was the Swan song for the Spurs big three, yourself included. That isn't as much of a story line this year. Why is that? I guess, making it back to the Finals, did that have a lot to do with it? TIM DUNCAN: We've been on our last run for the last five or six years from how everyone wants to put it. We show up every year, and we try to put together the best teams and the best runs possible because what people say doesn't matter to us. As I said, as long as we feel we're being effective, we're going to stay out here and we're going to play. We feel like we can be effective, and we have been. Q. Is the sky still the limit despite the ages of you guys right now? TIM DUNCAN: With the front office putting the teams together that we've had and us playing smaller roles and our roles changing over the years, and us happy to accept the roles that we're in, I feel we can do it until we feel we don't want to do it anymore. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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