Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs haven’t been to the NBA Finals since 2007. While it seems like a short time, it’s light years when you look at what has happened with sports media.

Duncan will encounter a much more intense spotlight this time around. Given the scope of his great career, the media will try extra hard to pry  some deeper insights from the reticent superstar. After all, this might be his last trip to the big dance.

Well, good luck with that.

Tommy Tomlinson of Sports on Earth did a terrific piece on Duncan this week. He writes how nobody is able to penetrate the shell.

Tomlinson writes:

Even when athletes seek out the camera and are in our faces all the time, it’s hard to say we know them. Sometimes beneath the surface is just more surface. But we really don’t know Tim Duncan. He keeps his life off the court private. He turns down most endorsements. He declines soul-searching interviews. The vast majority of what we know about him, we know from watching him play basketball. More than any other modern athlete, Tim Duncan is what he does.

Later, Tomlinson writes:

The star of the game usually goes to a separate interview room to meet the media. Duncan does not come. Manu Ginobili comes instead. But Duncan does say a few words in the locker room.

“I thought I was a lot more hesitant throughout the game, for whatever reason,” he says.

“In overtime, I just got it and shot it,” he says.

“It’d be fun to get it done again,” he says about playing for another title.

His quotes add almost nothing. And that’s exactly the point.

The storyteller’s first rule is Show, don’t tell. Tim Duncan doesn’t need to say a word to show his love for the game. He doesn’t need to explain how you can build towering greatness out of the same small things done night after night, year after year. His actions speak. Just watch the wizard.

Welcome back to the NBA Finals, Tim Duncan. Looking forward to what you don’t have to say.