The Assist That Changed Everything

On June 8, 2014, San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan did something remarkable in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. With the Spurs up by double digits, Duncan — a fifteen-time All-Star, two-time MVP, and future Hall of Famer — set a screen for teammate Danny Green. Not a flashy play. Not a highlight-reel dunk. A screen. The kind of thing a rookie does without complaint.

That series, Duncan averaged modest numbers by his standards. He did not care. He rebounded. He defended. He made the pass that led to the pass that led to the open shot. The Spurs won the championship in five games, playing the most beautiful team basketball the league had seen in years. When reporters asked Duncan about it afterward, he deflected every compliment to his teammates.

Tim Duncan spent nineteen seasons in San Antonio and never once demanded a trade, never publicly criticized a teammate, never made himself the center of the story. Five championships. Zero autobiography deals.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Tim Duncan played basketball like that verse reads — as if the glory belonged to something bigger than himself.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less. The question for us this morning is simple: are we setting screens for the people around us, or are we always demanding the ball?