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Phil Jackson may be known as the “Zen Master,” but I’d argue Tim Duncan also embodied that particular mindset over the course of his legendary NBA career.
The mild-mannered Bank Shot King (and surprisingly devastating trash-talker) spent 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and is currently ranked sixth on the all-time lists concerning the NBA players who’ve managed to rack up the most rebounds and points during their time in the league.
The man known as “The Big Fundamental” retired in 2016 and took a well-earned break from basketball for a few years before briefly returning to the only franchise he played for to serve as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich.
While he no longer works for the Spurs, it appears he’ll be serving as a mentor for Victor Wembanyama, although the French phenom isn’t the only highly-touted prospect who’s gotten the chance to benefit from Duncan’s tutelage.
On Tuesday, Patrick Ngongba II—a 6’11” rising senior at Paul VI High School who’s currently being recruited by a number of notable programs including UConn, Duke, and Kansas—revealed he’d gotten the chance to spend the previous weekend working out with Duncan.
However, their time together wasn’t limited to the basketball court, as Ngongba posted a video of himself chilling on the back of a boat while a dreadlocked and shirtless Duncan trailed behind it on a wakeboard.
Had great week of workouts with a legend pic.twitter.com/4VIEG3RJs9
— Patrick Ngongba II (@NgongbaPatrick) August 2, 2023
I can’t say I woke up today expecting to be oddly enchanted by a three-second clip of Tim Duncan wakeboarding, but that’s exactly what happened once I laid eyes on a video I’ve already watched a dozen times (and counting).
I’m just glad to see Duncan is living his best life.