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Dennis Lindsey couldn't have been more direct. He says he wouldn't be where he is today without Tim Duncan. Without the San Antonio Spurs.
On Monday, the Jazz general manager treated Duncan's retirement from the NBA similar to a celebration of life. He spoke of all of the good Duncan contributed to the Spurs as a team and the league overall. He attempted to put Duncan's career in historical context, comparing his era to Karl Malone's, to Bill Russell's, to the greatest of the NBA greats.
And yet, there was a tinge of sadness in Lindsey's voice. Not only had the NBA lost an ambassador, someone whom Lindsey worked closely with for years as he made his way through the front office ranks. Lindsey also lost a friend to retirement, one who will probably go down as the best power forward in NBA history.
"On a personal level, I'm not a general manager without Tim or the Spurs, so I have huge personal gratitude towards him," Lindsey said. "Obviously, Tim is one of the all-time greats. You can make the argument that he's the greatest player that anyone has ever built a program around. He and Karl Malone were similar to each other. Malone gets credit for being one of the great workers ever, but I think Tim is in that conversation. Those guys worked like gladiators, but they were technicians to the game."
As word spread of Duncan't retirement, Jazz players paid tribute via twitter.
"Congrats TD on your unbelievable career," center Rudy Gobert wrote. "Loved to compete against you. Always an inspiration." #ThankYouTD
Jazz legends from the past also weighed in.
"Tim is a terrific player and person," said former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, whose team waged some legendary battles with San Antonio and Duncan in the '90s. "I can't say enough good things about him. He always had the right frame of mind when he played - he contributed so much to basketball because of the way he played the game."
Duncan won five NBA titles in almost two decades as a pro. He was one of the last NBA superstars to play four years of college basketball. He was one of the few players who produced at an all-star level as he aged well into his 30s. He was the centerpiece of a Spurs franchise that consistently figured out how to build and reload around his talents.
Consider: Duncan in 19 years never missed a postseason. He retires as San Antonio's franchise leader in points, rebounds, blocked shots and games played. Duncan has 1,158 career wins. That's more than six franchises. Before Monday, he was one of the few active guys who played in the 1990s. One of them — Kobe Bryant — retired in April. Two more — Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett — appear to be on their very last legs. Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki is the only player who saw action in that decade still going strong.
Duncan will be remembered for his incredible offensive skills, his ability to score in the post and away from the basket. At the height of his career, he was a consistent 20 points per game scorer, and a complete player offensively because he was such a good passer and midrange shooter.
And for as good as he was offensively, he is simply one of the greatest individual and team defenders ever. He was consistently among league leaders in rebounds and blocked shots. He was always a premier rim protector due to his timing and his long arms. He was smart and thought the game on both ends.
Most of all, he will be remembered for his quiet professionalism. In an era where players beat their chests after seemingly every made basket — no matter how insignificant — Duncan went about his business in a stoic manner. He never trash-talked. He almost never called undue attention to himself. He just went out and played the game with resolve.
"He's the epitome of what a pro should be in this league," former Jazz assistant coach Phil Johnson said. "When he first came into the league, he came into summer league and I remember he actually struggled a little bit. He was trying to find his way. Once he got going, there was no stopping him. He always impressed me with his maturity and the way he conducted himself on and off the floor."
And now, the Spurs move on without the only starting power forward the franchise has known since 1997. San Antonio did sign Pau Gasol in free agency, and he's more than capable of replacing Duncan's production from last year. But the Spurs will be hard-pressed to replace his leadership and the calm he brought to a team that's been one of the best in the league during the Duncan era.
twitter: @tjonessltrib
Reporters Aaron Falk and Steve Luhm contributed to this report —
End of an era
• Tim Duncan played his entire career for one franchise, and one head coach
• Then and now: When Duncan began his career, he played with people like David Robinson, and Sean Elliott, and Avery Johnson. He ended his career with Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge
• Over the course of his career, Duncan played with 140 teammates
• Duncan beat 18 different teams in the NBA playoffs
• Duncan won five NBA championships, the last in 2014
• Duncan averaged 19 points and 10.8 rebounds over his career