After nearly 2 decades, Spurs prepare for first season without Tim Duncan

Spurs star retired during the offseason

SAN ANTONIO – A new era has begun for the Silver and Black. The San Antonio Spurs opened their 2016-17 training camp without Tim Duncan.

"Yeah, it is going to be weird. It is going to be weird without him," Spurs guard, Tony Parker, said.

The Spurs held their annual media day before head coach Gregg Popovich puts them through the paces of their first practice Tuesday.

"(It’s) quite strange," Spurs guard, Manu Ginobili, said as he described the atmosphere at the facility.

The big three now are now down to the big two, and that is going to take some getting used to. Manu said he finds that he has to catch himself.

"It is going to be something that we will, Tim, Tony, huh Tim. See? We started we started already,” Ginobili said.

"I think it is going to hit me tomorrow (Tuesday) when we are going to be on the court," Parker said.

After being the face of the franchise for 19 years there are a lot of things the team is going to have to get used to. Although many times they will still wonder, “What would Tim do?”

"I am pretty sure on many occasions we are going to say, well Tim would have said this, or Tim's face at this point would have been this. So it is going to take a little bit," Ginobilli said.

"We are definitely going to miss him,” Parker said. “You can't replace a guy like that."

Below is a slideshow and a sights and sounds video from Spurs media day 2016: 

But Duncan will still be around. He won't be a bench coach but he will be hanging out at the practice facility doing what he can to help, although he does not any kind of title, as of now.

"I haven't made up a title yet, his position is, he is the coach of whatever he wants," Popovich said. "I think he'll start out just checking us all out, seeing how we're doing, make some suggestions here and there. We certainly don't want to say goodbye."

Current Spurs players said they look forward to getting an assist from Duncan whenever he can deliver one.

"He is going to live in the city. He is going to be involved in the franchise. He is going to be around so that will make it easier," Parker said.

Still the team has to move on, and one of the steps will be for Ginobili and Parker taking up some of that leadership role Duncan filled.

"Myself and Manu are going to have an even bigger role you know leadership wise. Make sure we keep that same mentality in the locker room and make sure everybody cares about winning," Parker said.


About the Author:

David Sears, a native San Antonian, has been at KSAT for more than 20 years.