National Basketball Association

Gregg Popovich explains how he believes Tim Duncan can help the Spurs

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

PHOENIX -- The San Antonio Spurs are getting set to begin an NBA season without Tim Duncan for the first time in 20 years, but head coach Gregg Popovich is holding out hope that his Hall of Fame big man will continue to help behind the scenes.

Duncan showed up to practice the moment training camp began, and has been hanging around the gym even though no official position for him exists. Popovich once joked that Duncan could hold the title of "Coach of Whatever He Wants to Be," but elaborated more seriously on how Duncan could provide guidance while speaking to reporters in Phoenix before San Antonio's first preseason game against the Suns.

"I hope so," Popovich said, when asked if Duncan will be a fixture throughout the season. "I’m going to let him do whatever he wants. [Spurs GM R.C. Buford] and I have talked to him, if he wants to scout a little bit, come and run a drill one day — he can do whatever he wants. I’m hoping it’ll infect him a little bit and he’ll want to do more. But I don’t see him ever signing a contract, calling himself coach or anything. He just likes to walk around."

Popovich then cited a specific moment when Duncan was able to help one of the team's rookies.

"You know, guys are playing in the gym, and he’ll just go and put his arm around Dejounte Murray, and it’s like a little puppy dog," Popovich said. "He looks up and is like, ‘Timmy Duncan just talked to me.’ Then he runs back out on the court and tries to do what he’s supposed to do — that kind of thing, that’s what Timmy can do. [Guys will] pay a lot more attention to him than he will me, so having him around is pretty cool."