stadiums on the road, he said. Taking into account the transient

SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs power forward Tim Duncan spoke for the first time on Wednesday since announcing his retirement two days prior, expounding upon his 19-year NBA career and explaining why he made the decision to leave the game.I can still do this. I could probably still play, Duncan said in a wide-ranging interview with ViVid Streaming. But when its time, its time. Its time. I started not enjoying myself. It wasnt fun at times. And I always said when that point comes when its not fun anymore then Im done.As hoops fans all over the country spent Monday and Tuesday watching highlights and tributes to Duncan among the various sports television outlets, the power forward spent the day of his retirement watching the Discovery Channel. Duncans reaction seemed typical of the man of few words, who spent an entire career leading by example, while spearheading the?San Antonios current culture of?selflessness.In the days since announcing his retirement, Duncan said he received an outpouring of support from friends and family, as well as from coaches and executives around the NBA. Included among the well-wishers was?Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who despite playing with Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls, once called the power forward the greatest teammate he ever has played with.He actually sent me a message and said something along those lines, said Duncan, who won a pair of NBA titles alongside Kerr during Kerrs two stints with the Spurs. And again, Ive gotten some incredible notes, messages, from so many different people that are honestly blowing me away. I didnt expect all of this; didnt expect the reaction I got. But its been amazing. Ive spent the last two days trying to respond to everybody and trying to get back to everybody to make sure Im thankful for their messages, their words. I did actually get a personal note from Steve.Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on Tuesday delivered an emotional goodbye to Duncan during a 15-minute meeting with local reporters. Duncan watched the footage of Popovichs interview on Tuesday and admitted, I about lost it on that one.Duncan also expressed appreciation for his near-universal standing as one of the NBAs all-time greats -- not just arguably the greatest power forward.I dont know how their ranking goes or anything else, and I tell people I dont really care how the rankings go. Im in the conversation, Duncan said. Im OK with that. Thats above and beyond anything I ever thought I would be. So Im in the conversation. I dont care where you rank me or what you say it is or how you want to say things go. Im in the conversation. That in itself is an honor.Having won five NBA titles with the Spurs, along with earning two NBA MVP awards in addition to making 15 All-Star Game appearances, Duncan, 40, played his final game on May 12 in the teams Game 6 loss to the?Oklahoma City Thunder?in the Western Conference semifinals.In what would be Duncans final NBA appearance, he displayed flashes of his previous All-Star form in scoring 19 points to go with five rebounds and one block in 34 minutes. Just before the fourth quarter with the Spurs trailing, Duncan asked Popovich if he could remain in the game for the final 12 minutes.As the game concluded and the confetti fell from the rafters, Duncan walked off the court in Oklahoma City waving to the crowd with one finger pointed toward the roof.Over the years, Duncan took less money in contracts from the Spurs to give the organization more ammunition to field successful teams; he explained on Wednesday that the money had not ever been a deal for me.I took a little bit less money at certain points [so] that we could stay competitive, so that we could bring players in, so that we could put pieces around, so that we could win championships, he said. Thats all it was about. I dont really care who was making what. Honest truth is I didnt really know from year to year what people were making. I think that was the best perspective to have.That approach led to championship results and back-to-back MVP awards for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.The good old days when the knees were really good, remember those days? Duncan said jokingly. At that point, I believed in what I could do. Being a competitor, I wanted it year after year after year. I remember being disappointed in the years after that, when I wasnt able to be an MVP. But thats just my competitive nature in that respect. But I believed in what I was. I didnt know that was gonna translate in ending up in five championships or anything else. But I knew that I could affect the game. I knew that I could control the game in ways. I knew how to do it.It was just about being in the right situation with the right bunch of guys and getting it done.Duncan also explained his competitive nature, which he always displayed in a stoic manner, without any hit of boisterousness.I think Ive always approached it in a different way. I think competitiveness is taken in a different way by different people, Duncan said. So Im not a yeller and a screamer, a jumper and a pusher. Im not gonna do all that stuff with my teammates or opponents. But Ive been competitive from Day 1. Whether people recognize that or not, I dont know how they cant. Im not gonna go out there and try to hurt somebody or win at all means. But if its up in the air, Im gonna try harder than you to get it done.Duncan and teammates?Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili rank as the winningest trio in NBA history in the regular season (575 wins) and postseason (126). Duncan and Popovich have combined for the most regular-season victories by any player-coach duo in NBA history (1,001). And the forward ends his career as just one of three players in league annals, along with John Stockton and Kobe Bryant, to spend 19 seasons with one franchise.Duncan said playing alongside Parker and Ginobili meant a great deal to him.We took pride in representing where we came from, took pride in being from small places, and places all around the world and being able to come together and make ourselves into a team, into a group of guys with one goal and get that done, said Duncan, who was born and raised on Saint Croix. A kid from the islands, a kid from somewhere in France, a kid from somewhere in Argentina, and we find ways to get things done. But Pop on top of that, and him having the vision to put us all together to see what we could be. You look back and thats just an amazing feat: to have all these kids from all these different places come together and be what we were.In the end, Duncan made sure to thank the San Antonio fan base for its support.Duncan is the only player in NBA history to play over 9,000 career minutes in the playoffs, and he ranks No. 1 all time in postseason double-doubles (164) and blocks (568), third in rebounds (2,859) and sixth in points (5,172). Duncan played in 251 postseason games (second all time) and averaged 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 37.3 minutes, in addition to shooting .501 (1,975-3,939) from the field.Just thank-you. I dont think theres anything better to say than thank-you, Duncan said. Over the years, weve been blessed. Weve been great about winning games and everything else. Weve lost some big ones, lost a couple of chances at championships. But the fans here have just been so awesome in their support and their love for the team. Everybodys always shown such appreciation and love for myself and the team. We have some of the best fans in the NBA -- in sports, in general. Im so appreciative of that. People come out, people support, people love the Spurs. Thats special. Thats not everywhere. Cheap USA Soccer Jerseys . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. Fake USA Soccer Jerseys . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. Custom USA Soccer Jerseys .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. USA Soccer Shirts . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. WASHINGTON -- The Milwaukee Brewers didnt get the sweep they were shooting for, yet they derived a huge sense of satisfaction from their holiday visit to the nations capital.Matt Garza yielded three home runs, and the Brewers fell to the Washington Nationals 7-4 on Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series.Milwaukee won the first two from the NL East leaders, including a 1-0 thriller against Max Scherzer on July 4. So as they packed their bags to head home, the Brewers felt pretty good about what they had accomplished.Builds our confidence, knowing you can play with the best, said Scooter Gennett, who drove in two runs and stole home.A three-run homer by Bryce Harper in the first inning and a solo shot by Jose Lobaton put Milwaukee in a 4-0 hole in the second inning.The Brewers came back with a four-run third against Tanner Roark that featured five singles and Gennett scoring on the front end of a double steal.After that, however, the Nationals pulled away.You come on the road and play a first-place team and win two out of three, for sure thats a good series, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. But after you tie it up you feel like you left something out there.Garza (1-2) gave up seven runs, eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. He is 1-5 with a 7.69 ERA in 10 career starts against Washington.Behind in a lot of counts today and I had to pitch from behind and thats what happens, Garza said. You just put it in the back of your mind and get through it and get to the next one.The right-hander ran into difficulty almost immediately, giving up singles to Ben Revere and Jayson Werth before Harper hit his 18th home run, an opposite-field poke to left.After Milwaukee drew even, Stephen Drew hit a two-out RBI double in the bottom half for a 5-4 lead.Ryan Zimmerman chased Garza with a two-run drive in the fifth foor a 7-4 lead.ddddddddddddRoark (8-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings. The right-hander beat the Brewers on June 26 to help Washington dodge a three-game sweep.He pounded the strike zone, Harper said. When he goes out there, its usually a quick game and a lot of fun.Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances.MAKE SOME NOISENationals manager Dusty Baker is asking the home fans to crank up the volume in the second half of the season. Some of the guys on the team wish our fans were more boisterous and crazy, like we see at different stadiums on the road, he said. Taking into account the transient nature of Washington, Baker added, We realize a lot of fans are new. Were trying to win everybody over to us. We need their energy, big time.CLOSE CALLAccording to Major League Baseball, the 88-vote margin by which Chicago Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist defeated Washingtons Daniel Murphy to start in the All-Star Game (3,013,407 to 3,013,319) was the closest margin since 1982, when Manny Trillo defeated Steve Sax for NL 2B by 1,625 votes.WIN AND OUTBrewers: RHP Zach Davies, who started and won Tuesdays game, was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. 1B Andy Wilkins was recalled from the same club.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: RHP Joe Ross (right shoulder inflammation) has been inactive since being placed on the DL on Sunday. Hes shut down right now. Were trying to get the inflammation out of there, Baker said.UP NEXTBrewers: After taking Thursday off, the Brewers welcome St. Louis for a three-game series leading up to the All-Star break.Nationals: The Nationals send rookie Lucas Giolito to the mound Thursday night. He pitched four scoreless innings in his debut. ' ' '