"We probably couldn’t have screwed up worse than we did" - Spurs CEO on how they nearly lost Tim Duncan in 2000

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The San Antonio Spurs faced a huge obstacle when Tim Duncan hit free agency in the summer of 2000. At the time, the Orlando Magic was gaining traction in stealing "The Big Fundamental." Spurs CEO R.C. Buford, along with the team's brass, attempted to persuade Duncan that Orlando wouldn't be the right move for him. Looking back, Buford realized it was a mistake.

According to Buford, they were close to losing Duncan because they weren't true to themselves. Instead of showing Timmy that together, they could create something in San Antonio, they focused on what Orlando couldn't do for the star power forward.

Fortunately for the Spurs, Duncan's strong relationship with Gregg Popovich prevailed, prompting him to stay.

"We probably couldn't have screwed up worse than we did," Buford told Adrian Wojnarowski on "The Vertical Podcast with Woj" in 2016. "You know, I think we spent years preparing for that time…"

"Orlando at the time had draft picks, Disneyland, a very bright picture," R.C. continued. "I think we focused more on trying to convince him that Orlando wasn't a place for him than we focused on who we were, and the meeting we shared with Tim was a disaster. I mean, I walked out of it, and we blew it. What saved us was Pop and Tim's relationship and their trust."

How it all became clear to Duncan

As he reflected on the impactful moment in Spurs history, Buford reckoned that loyalty and trust are rare and precious qualities any NBA front office and players should have. That was also the biggest takeaway of Duncan's free agency in 2000.

Buford pointed out that Tim's decision to stay can be attributed to his deep appreciation for the authenticity and sincerity, which Popovich, David Robinson, and the Spurs organization as a whole embodied. As far back as the Spurs boss can remember, it almost felt as if Timmy was leaving San Antonio when things took a quick turnaround overnight.

Buford said Duncan spent a night with Robinson and Popovich, and something magical happened. The three cornerstones of the Spurs bonded and Tim grasped that that kind of genuine relationship was something the Magic couldn't guarantee.

"I think, there was a…a late-night, David flew back from Hawaii, had dinner with Timmy in his house," Buford recounted. "That, I think, the two of them were real to each other, and then Tim stopped by Pop's home after leaving David's house. The two of them rolled around on the floor and wrestled and cried and laughed… the purity of their relationship, the respect that Tim had for David, and that David had for Tim, I think became clear at the time."

Appreciating honesty

Another thing that became clear to Buford at the time was how vital transparency is in not only achieving excellence but, more importantly, in keeping a generational player like Duncan. From that point forward, R.C. implied that honesty became one of the core values of the Spurs dynasty.

By fostering a culture of openness, Buford concluded that the Spurs have not only won multiple championships but have also earned a reputation as a team that upholds integrity. In conclusion, he said those were the lessons they learned from Duncan's free agency situation.

"What it also did was…the confidence that came with that was, at that point, it became clear: Don't ever go into these circumstances trying to be something who you aren't. Know who you are, know what works. That is what will be the key to the success, or the failure of opportunity that come in the future. If you try to do something that you aren't, or if you try to be someone who you weren't, it won't work, at least not in our environment," he concluded.

What it looked like through Orlando's lens

Former Magic star Grant Hill still vividly recalls how then-Magic head coach Doc Rivers botched the Duncan trade. According to Hill, it was a mindless response from Doc that made Timmy and his entourage back out.

"Not only have I heard that, I was there," Hill recalled. "I made my visit with Tim Duncan. I was at the dinner when someone in Tim's entourage, I'll just leave it that way, asked Doc, 'Can significant others travel on the plane? And Doc said no... And afterward, my wife said, 'He should have just lied. He should have said yes.'"

Since the summer of 2000, the Spurs have never had to deal with the same situation again with Duncan. He went on to play the rest of his legendary career in San Antonio and retired as arguably the greatest player the franchise has ever had.

In retrospect, the story of how the Spurs convinced Tim to stay highlighted the importance of player-coach relationships in the NBA. It was a prime example that free agency decisions are not always based on the team or the city. Sometimes, it's the people in an organization that truly make a difference.