Gregg Popovich Was in Rare Form for Emotional Tim Duncan Retirement Speech

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich got emotional while talking about the legendary Tim Duncan's retirement.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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All sports TV channels' tickers were pretty damn long detailing career records and statistics upon Tim Duncan's retirement Monday. The NBA legend's curtain call on his illustrious 19-year career in San Antonio. The man who drafted Timmy D in 1997 out of Wake Forest was then-nascent Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Together, they won all of the five of the franchise's NBA championships, along with 1001 regular season wins together, the most ever for a player-coach duo in league history.

At his press conf today, #Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wore a Tim Duncan shirt with "impossible is potential" on it. pic.twitter.com/88ztOdcSvz

Popovich is ubiquitously known for his stoic and sometimes irascible attitude when dealing with the media. But on Tuesday, he got visibly choked up when he spoke to the media about his greatest asset ever to don a Spurs uniform—like he was watching his child all growed up graduating from college.

In the clip above, you can listen to Pop tell a heartfelt story about Tim's father William Duncan, who gave him the reins when he was a rookie to watch over Tim and ensure that his kid stays the same throughout the money, fame, and glory that they would go on to achieve together.

Papa Duncan is truly looking down from heaven, immensely proud the job that Pop did to live up to his promise.

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