Wake Forest basketball player Tim Duncan on the court.

Wake Forest basketball player Tim Duncan on the court.

One of the all time greats in Wake Forest history, Tim Duncan, announced his retirement.  The Winston-Salem Journal has run an article about Tim.  If you prefer to read the ESPN story, here it is.

I did not know Tim personally, but I bet I went to 90% of all the games he played.  He was an incredible talent, obviously, but he was also a great member of our campus community.  In the times I saw him walking about on campus, he looked like any other Wake Forest student (only taller).  Focused. Serious. Smart.

Once I bumped into him after a monster game he’d had, and it was one of those moments where we were the only two people on the same walking path, and as you do at Wake Forest, you make eye contact and nod your head or say “hey” or whatever.  I could not resist saying to him “Man, you had a great game.  That was amazing!”  And Tim’s reaction was sort of a sheepish smile and he said “thanks.”  No bragging, no grandstanding, no blowing me off because he didn’t know me.  Just a polite and somewhat introverted interaction and we both went on our way.

He stayed all four years at Wake, though he could have left at any time to make bajillions of dollars.  He was a psych major and he was smart, and he wanted to be in college.  He was not someone who talked a lot on the court or off, but sometimes he could deadpan a remarkable zinger that was beautiful (Greg Newton of Duke would know this firsthand).

Tim, along with our much-beloved point guard now coach, Randolph Childress, were a one-two punch that propelled us to some of our very greatest years in ACC play.  Facebook had a nice tribute video.

Congratulations to Tim on a remarkable career.  I hope you come to campus often now that you have some free time 🙂

— by Betsy Chapman

 

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