Tim Duncan gave rookie Steven Adams a taste of his infamous trash talk: “I was shocked and didn’t really know how to respond”
Adams disclosed Duncan’s minimal trash-talking approach.
If there’s one NBA player known for mastering the art of trash-talking, it could very well be Tim Duncan. This recognition largely stemmed from his unique method of getting into opponents’ heads.
Duncan’s list of victims included quite a few, including Steven Adams. The two big men clashed in a memorable 2014 playoff showdown, an event that the young center from New Zealand certainly wouldn’t soon forget.
“His trash talk was amazing. Amazing because there was none of it. I was ready for some veteran, aged-like-fine-wine insults. Instead he looked at me and asked how I was doing and said something about it being my first playoffs. I was shocked and didn’t really know how to respond to such a nice guy. Then he turned around and scored 27 points on us,” Adams penned in his book ‘Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight.’
Clash of generations
The 2014 Western Conference Finals highlighted a clash between two teams differing significantly in age and experience. On one side stood the youthful OKC Thunder, led by rising stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, poised for future NBA domination. The seasoned and esteemed San Antonio Spurs were perennial title contenders on the opposing end.
“The whole squad was old, but in a good way…playing against the Spurs in 2014 was like playing a team who had been together for a decade, which for their big three – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker – was actually true,” Adams described.
The 17-year vet Duncan and rookie Adams perfectly embody this differing dynamic when they match up as centers for their respective teams. Their age gap was similarly big, which the ‘Big Kiwi,’ perhaps fueled by his youthful enthusiasm, initially saw as an advantage.
“I even figured I just might be able to get an edge on him since I was 20 and he was 38. Surely, I could use my size and speed to shut him down,” he claimed.
A rookie’s rude awakening
Adams was drafted with the 12th pick out of Pittsburgh a few months prior, and soon learned the opposite, namely the hard way.
“That’s the thing with legends. They don’t need to be the fastest and strongest,” Steven stated. “Timmy knew exactly where to be and how to plant and what angles to use to make my size and strength ineffective. You can’t shut someone down if you have no idea what they’re doing.”
‘The Big Fundamental’ scored his 27 points just as he talked trash – quietly and efficiently – by going 11-19 from the field and 5-6 from the free-throw line. In the Spurs’ win, the Hall of Famer also secured 8 rebounds.
After the game, Stev-O naturally felt disappointed because of the botched series opener and also due to succumbing to Duncans’ verbal taunts before being outplayed by one of his all-time idols – however, Adams nevertheless took it with humor.
“To be honest, I would have preferred it if he had just punched me in the face,” he wrote hilariously.
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