Tim Duncan’s Greatest NBA Finals Performance Ever (Near Quadruple-Double 🤯)

Let's check in with the rest of our starting five as we go to Stuart Scott. Brad, the nets are exactly where they were a year ago. The birds have been getting a little taste in his mouth. They said, well, what did it taste like? He thought about it and said, bad. Got five points, 11 boards last year. He just one more win, which has sharpened their focus. His hope is that the offense shows up. He said, we haven't played good offense since game one. We hope to see it tonight, Brad. Dan Crawford threw it up. The ball has come to the nets, and we're underway. Bob Delaney and Ron Garretson, the other officials tonight. Here's Kenyon Martin. Jefferson with a tip. When you don't shoot well, it's always nice to get easy buckets. Amazingly enough, the rebounds have been dead even in this series. Jackson lost it on the dribble. Nets have a chance to go up five if that goes, and it does. Tony Parker looking for a pick from Duncan. Gives it right back to him. Now Tim driving on Kenyon Martin and got it. Martin faces Duncan. Too much standing around. And another shot blocked inside. Had three great games to start and a terrible one he'd like to forget. Kenyon Martin, top of the circle, got another one. To help his squad down the road. Almost halfway through the quarter. We haven't seen a foul yet. And Tim Duncan's got his second basket off the glass. Nice-looking shot. How rough and fast these final finals games go. Jefferson hangs in the air. And R.J. knocks it down. He's got four. He's trying to get back to get on Kittles, and Kittles feeds Collins again. They're finally realizing, New Jersey, that the big men are coming every time. Kidd taking Parker to the baseline and brings him way back outside of Jefferson. Five on the shot clock. Jefferson will go deep. Got it. Just inside the three-point line. Spurs are approaching three-and-a-half minutes without a field goal. And that one doesn't go either. But Duncan will take another, and he knocks it in. Where would the Spurs be without Tim Duncan? Probably not in this series. They're going to be in great shape. How long is that going to last, though? They said if it could. Jefferson, nice feed inside to Williams. But Tim Duncan has blocked his third shot of the quarter. Anthony Johnson in there with Williams and Jefferson. Jefferson has an open look, and he knocked it off the backboard. I don't think he called that one. Excuse me? Duncan wants it down low. 21 seconds left. Nice. The feed to Jackson as he slices through the lane. Helps seal game five. He's in there, and so is Speedy Claxton. Nice feed from Duncan to Jackson, and Jackson points as if to say, thanks, Tim. Well, now with Duncan on the bench, how do you generate your offense? Who do you go to? Anthony Johnson got the roll. Williams on Rose. Nice push pass to Claxton. Out to Jackson for three. Got it. They have not done that tonight. They've got to get back to what makes them the odds on favor to win this championship. Inside, outside, and Claxton knocks it down again. When Duncan draws a double team. Jason Kidd waits for Bowen to go in the air and gives it down to Williams. Williams' hook is nice off the glass. Do not forget that Aaron Williams' grandmother suffered a life-threatening stroke in the Detroit series in the Eastern Conference finals. He had to miss some time. Tim Duncan, chance for a three-point play. Zone defense again, and Kenny Martin got that side block shot by Duncan. But Collins is there. Duncan with his fourth block shot. The human being he is and the things he's done in this city. Here's Duncan. Kick out to Bowen. Good three-point shooter. Got it. Six on the shot clock. Kittles will try to quiet him, and he does. That's the way you come back and get your first field. Absolutely remarkable. Robinson on a drive. Reverse layup. David Robinson. All right. I think things are changing, though. San Antonio starting to come alive. Duncan blocks another shot. He's going to set the record in the first half. He's got five. Tony Parker, the rebound. Duncan's in front. He didn't see him in time. Now he got it to him off the glass. In and out. Duncan's second chance. Spurs down four. A chance to cut further into the Nets' lead that at one point was ten. Nice pass. Robinson from Duncan. They play so well together on both ends. Duncan in the low block for the tie. Got it. Seven on the shot clock. Jefferson almost had it stripped. Kitt for three. Big shot for Jason Kitt. Parker, Bowen, Ginobili, Rose have got to come alive. The extra pass. Duncan to Robinson. And Tim Duncan is working on a quadruple double. Here's Kenyon Martin facing Duncan. The hook. Got it. He makes that look easy. Kitt looking to feed the post to Jefferson. Comes out to Kittles who's wide open for three, and he hit it. Parker normally would have taken the shot from the outside. Instead, he tries to penetrate and misses. Oh, what a hand. What a feed to Jefferson. And a chance for a three-point play as he lays it in, and Ginobili got it. Robinson went up and helped Duncan get that rebound. Tony Parker is trying to become the second youngest player in NBA history playing on a winning title squad. There's more about what we were talking about. Parker in trouble in traffic. The follow in there by Robinson. Double cramp. Just throw it up there. Duncan trying to get it to Robinson and can't find the opening. Tim will take the outside shot and got it. Duncan's first basket of the quarter from the outside. Matumbo in there. He'll guard Duncan. Not from out there, he won't. And Duncan got another. We are looking at a flawless performance. A lot of standing around. Kenyon Martin missed from the elbow, and Duncan's got another rebound. Both Duncan and Robinson with double-doubles, and in Tim's case, big-time double-doubles. And as Bill said, it might swell to triple-double or quadruple-double before the night's over. Claxton, outside. The speed, he got it. And now almost stolen by Claxton. Kittles got a good look and knocked it home. And Kerry Kittles is having a good night and a great third quarter. Can Rodney Rogers deliver for Byron Scott? Jason Kittles tried. Another. Off the glass. Back-to-back baskets for Jason Kittles. If you're in New Jersey, you better recognize that, too. Kittles tried three in a row. Tipped in by Matumbo. Claxton gets it to Duncan, who faces Matumbo. Duncan scores inside. Big guys aren't supposed to cross over like that. What a master. Make that big push and take the lead. Nets working around the perimeter. Lucius Harris, he misses a three. Jason Kitt trying to keep it alive and does. And goes right back to Rogers in the baseline. And Rogers hits it. A three for Rodney Rogers. Backing him in. Up and under. Blocked by Duncan. Of course, Duncan knew that, too, so he was waiting for that. You've got to let Duncan isolate against Matumbo here. Rose is all alone. They came over to help out. And Duncan, the assist man, finds Rose. And Dikembe is just irate. Rogers packs it back inside of Martin. Blocked by Duncan. That's his 31st blocked shot of this series. That's a new record. Seventh of the game tonight for Duncan. You cannot just go right into his face and throw up weak stuff. Duncan gives it up. Jackson for the first lead. Got it. Duncan in traffic. What a pass. Robinson. Over Matumbo. They've come up empty on their last seven trips, have the nets offensively. Now it's Duncan. Backing in. The kick out. Jackson's hit two big threes. He's hit three. Speedy Claxton, 10 on the shot clock. We're under four minutes. Claxton trying to weave through traffic. Robinson finds the handle. Claxton before the shot clock. Problem for New Jersey. They're seriously out of timeouts. Jason Kidd ends a 19-0 run by San Antonio. A little tired and that leaves it open for the Nets. Jason Kidd for three. They have to have that one. It didn't go. It was halfway down. Duncan the rebound. His 20th. He had a 20 rebound plus performance in game one. Now saving his best for the end once again with the MVPs all about. 145 for San Antonio. They lead 82-74. Duncan over Martin. Kenyon Martin with a rebound. He got a push and first good shot you see. You got to take it. A steal by Jackson. They called him out of bounds. Out of bounds. Boy, has he played a whale of a fourth quarter. He's hit three three-pointers. Jackson. And look at the numbers. Holy mackerel. See if they're resetting the shot clock I think is what the discussion is about. The question is whether he had possession of the ball before he stepped out of bounds. They're saying no, so that will not be a full reset of the shot clock. They only get half of it back. Ginobili on Kittles. Trying to set a screen for Kittles and a foul. Steven Jackson. Well, it's fitting. That's his third foul in a fourth quarter that's seen him hit three threes. Nets need points. They need them fast. Great screen, Williams. Jefferson, he's going to try a three. Robinson has the rebound. You might want to think about fouling. They're trying to. And they finally get Speedy Claxton, does Jefferson. One minute, 11 seconds. An eight-point lead. Look what's in the house. That might be coming out on the court in 71 seconds. Not over yet. Speedy Claxton has been sensational. At the free throw line, Speedy with 12 points in this ball game in relief duty. Make it 13. And they're getting some bubbly ready as well. Everything's covered. What is that? Apple cider, Bill. Hot apple cider. Thank you. With some cinnamon? No. Missing the second. 83-74. We're down to just over a minute. Jason Kidd. Big shot for Jason Kidd, a three-pointer. Move the ball if you're San Antonio. Don't wait. Forget a foul. Under a minute. And Kidd gets Duncan. You don't have time to really wait and pick a two. It worked out well for him. But you've got to try to stretch this game out as long as possible. Tim Duncan came in in 10 games in the finals between 99 and tonight, averaging 26 points and 15 rebounds. He's been even better than that tonight. Maybe not with the points, but with everything else. Look at Steve Smith and Kevin Willis. How long have they waited? A long, long time. And that's the last time out for the New Jersey Nets, a 20. Some of the elder statesmen who don't have a title to show for their career. Steve Smith hasn't played, but he's been an integral part of this team, not only this year but last. Danny Ferry, his dad, part of five championship teams, would be the first Duke player to win an NBA championship. And then Kevin Willis, first finals after 1,342 games, making him the oldest guy to make his finals debut. And he's thinking about a ring. Jason Kidd had to take the shot. The foul will be on Kittles with 51 seconds left. And of all the guys for San Antonio, as they celebrate their second championship in five years, I'm happiest for Kevin Willis, the guy who has come so far, who came into this league out of Michigan State 19 years ago, and now a chance to be part of something so very special. Steve Smith, who's done so much for Michigan State also in his 12th year and Danny Ferry in his 13th as Ginobili hits the free throw. Ginobili got them both. 86-77, nine-point lead. Martin will take a three. The rebound whistled out of bounds. It'll be to the Nets with 41.8 left. At this point, there could be no discriminating. If you happen to be the player that's wide open for a three, whether you're a three-point shooter or not, it's time to go. Kenyon Martin takes another jumper. Ginobili with the rebound. And Jason Kidd will foul Ginobili. And now the end is near. Jason Kidd, is this the last game we'll see him in that uniform? Everybody's starting to celebrate. Kevin Willis is about to check in, and this place will light up again. Look at the smile on his face, and here comes Steve Smith, the admiral fighting the final wave, about to come to shore with his second crown. 13 points and 17 rebounds for David Robinson. Tim Duncan coming out. I wonder who your MVP is. Ginobili calmly hits the free throw. How about Kevin Willis? He means business. He came in with 35 seconds left and still put his elbow pads on. There is no greater feeling than what the San Antonio Spurs are feeling right now. It's what you live for. An 11-point lead. Johnson missed. Kevin Willis had his hands on the rebound, but Ginobili pulls it down. We're down to the final 20 seconds. San Antonio, a lot of people talked about their 99 title having an asterisk next to it. The 2003 title's about to have an exclamation point next to it. The San Antonio Spurs are your world champion. There's no greater joy than being a father when your father can watch you and your three kids can look on and your career comes to a close with a championship on Father's Day. It don't get much better than that. Nobody believed at the beginning of the season that San Antonio would be in this situation. Many thought they were a couple more years away. But with the old veterans and the young crew combined and those two guys, anything was possible, and they proved it tonight. Two old Spartans get to taste a championship. Twice to the finals, twice proving to be the most valuable player. Greg Popovich, the coach of the year, and now for the second time, the coach of a champion. Let's go to Michelle DeFoy. All right, I want David to put this moment into words, David. I knew you'd put this moment. To finish my career in the NBA finals and win the championship, that's a plan only written by God. I just praise him. Today is an incredible day for me. I'm just blessed. Your father told me before the game that he was waiting on his Father's Day gift. This is what he wanted. How aware were you of that? Oh, man. I wish I could give him a lot more than this. He deserves more than this, but this is the best I got right now. You were twice in this game. You trailed by double digits. What was this team talking about, and how did it overcome that to get this victory? We talked about just grinding it out. We're the type of team you have to keep playing. I was just trying to give us whatever energy we could, and everybody just hung in there. Man, it was awesome. Then finally we got some shots to go in the fourth quarter, and that's when I turned it around. I can't imagine anything like this, David. You have so many players, opponents on the other team who respect you. What did Tekembe Mutombo say to you at the end here? Well, a couple of those guys, especially the young guys, they said as youngsters they watched me, and I was one of their favorite players. Besides making me feel old, it makes me feel great. You take this in and then walk away. I'm ready. How can you walk away any better than this? I just praise the Lord. This is awesome. Four series, all one in six games, four games to two by your NBA champion, San Antonio Spurs. Peter Holt, chairman and CEO, a happy man. He and his wife, Juliana, here courtside. Greg Popovich hugging Manu Ginobili, sometimes saying I have no idea what he's going to do on the court, but he did well on the court tonight. Speedy Claxton was sensational. The ceremony for the NBA championship trophy. Let's go to the PA announcer, Stan Kelly. And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the presentation of the NBA championship and most valuable player trophies, please welcome ABC's Mike Tirico. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to honor the 2003 NBA champion, San Antonio Spurs. With us here at center court, the chairman of the Spurs, Mr. Peter Holt, his wife, Juliana, the co-captains, Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Somewhere up here is head coach Greg Popovich. Pop, come on up. Here for the presentation, the commissioner of the NBA, Mr. David Stern. It was a great series. Congratulations to a worthy opponent, the New Jersey Nets. And what a year for San Antonio. One of the greats we get a chance to say goodbye to tonight. David Robinson, thank you. To a team that had the best record in the league, that had the coach of the year, the repeat MVP, and now this. Congratulations to Peter and Juliana, to the entire Spurs organization, and to this great city of San Antonio for your 2003 NBA champion, San Antonio Spurs. Mr. Holt, not a bad way to open up a new building. Oh, what a great way. Thank you to our great fans. What a fantastic year we've had. Congratulations. Where's Greg Popovich, the head coach? Greg, come on up here. Typical Greg Popovich, letting the players enjoy the moment. You are one of very few men, just a dozen, to have won two NBA championships as a head coach. Is this one any more satisfying than the one in 99? Each one is wonderful in its own way, and neither one of them would have happened except for one thing. We got the greatest guys in the world. Congratulations, Pop. Time now to bring the commissioner back up for the presentation of the most valuable player. What can I say? He led his team in points, in rebounds, in blocks, and assists for this entire series. Your two-time consecutive NBA MVP is the most valuable player of the 2003 NBA Finals. Congratulations, Tim Duncan. Tim, not only do you go out this season with the regular season in the Finals MVP, you become the first man in ten years to have a triple-double in the NBA Finals in a single game. Was tonight any tougher than any of the other games along the way in this series? Absolutely, it was. Those guys didn't want to go home. They didn't want to give up, but our team stuck with it. Our guys were incredible tonight. We played the whole way through. Just a lot of credit to our guys. Same thing I asked Pop. Is this one any sweeter than 99? It is, because it's now. A word about your running mate, the other seven-footer, David Robinson, as he says goodbye. Yeah, I'd hate to see him go. We're going to try to talk him into coming back another year, but I don't know if that's going to work. Congratulations, Tim Duncan. Does anybody want to hear from David Robinson? Where are you, David? David Robinson, a champion on Father's Day on your way out, your dad, your kids here. You couldn't write a better script. What words to the fans in San Antonio and those watching around the world as you say goodbye to the NBA as a player? Everybody here in San Antonio especially knows what I'm going to say. Man, I just praise the Lord because he carried us through this year. He gave us a solid foundation. And I'll tell you what, I will give Peter Hope, Greg Popovich, RC, credit for bringing in some fantastic guys. They played together. We won this thing together. Man, I love these guys. They're awesome. Tim Duncan, David Robinson, the 2003 NBA champion, San Antonio Spurs.