Spurs icon Tim Duncan is probably one of the last NBA players to consistently use the backboard to knock down medium-range jumpers.
Although Duncan doesn't go to it as often as he did in his prime, he remains synonymous with the bank shot.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked before Sunday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks why thinks the bank shot has become a lost art.
"I guess it's just not cool," Popovich said. "People work on their 3-pointers, and their dunks or their step-backs. Bank shot is old school. It's not tough. It's not a difficult shot. It's an easy shot. It's actually a very accurate way to shoot, and more people should use it, so he (Duncan) was just smart enough to do it."
Asked why he thinks more players don't use the bank shot, Popovich reiterated: "It's not cool."
Kind of like the sky hook is not cool?
"Yeah, exactly," Popovich said.
Duncan, 39, is in his 19th season with the Spurs and has been the constant on all five of their championship teams. He is averaging 9.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.34 blocks and 26.2 minutes this season.
Nicknamed the "Big Fundamental" early in his career by Shaquille O'Neal, Duncan set the tone for the Spurs with his competitive ferocity and leadership. He also redefined the power-forward position with his unique skill set. A force on both ends of the court, Duncan could mix it up with the best under the basket or hit a jumper consistently.
Generally regarded as the best power forward of all time, Duncan was selected by the Spurs with the No. 1 overall pick of the 1997 NBA draft. He has made the All-NBA team 14 times and is one of only five players in league history with 14 All-NBA selections.
A Wake Forest graduate, Duncan also played in 15 NBA All-Star games, and is the only player in league history to make the All-Defensive Team 14 times. He appeared on the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams in the same season 14 times, a league record.
Duncan, who will turn 40 on April 25, was the NBA's MVP in 2002 and 2003 and was named Finals MVP in 1999, 2003 and 2005. He is just the second player in history to earn Finals MVP honors in his first three appearances in the Finals, joining Michael Jordan, who was named Finals MVP all six times he played in the championship series.
From the soft touch on his signature bank shot to his footwork and mastery of fundamentals to his even-keeled temperament, Duncan's remarkable consistency transformed a good NBA franchise into one of the best in pro sports.
While Duncan never won a national championship in college, he had a stellar four-year career at Wake Forest. He earned All-America honors and received the Wooden Award as the player of the year as a senior in 1997, when the Spurs finished 20-62 and landed in the NBA lottery.
