Media Conference after 2003 NBA Finals Game 1

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan spoke with the media after game 1 of the 2003 NBA finals. The Spurs, playing at home, beat the New Jersey Nets.

Q: Tim, it seems like you got almost more pleasure out of seeing David Robinson playing well compared to your own fabulous performance.

Tim Duncan: When David plays like that, we are so much tougher to beat. He was incredible tonight. He was all over the place, he played with some great energy. He really had some pop in his legs and when he plays like that, we're really dangerous.

Q: You showed a lot of emotion throughout the game, a little bit more than we're used to seeing from you. Why is that, just the Finals or the crowd?

Tim Duncan: I don't think I played any different. It's just, if it was, it's because of the crowd, because of the situation. What's not to be excited about?

Q: It didn't seem like they came to you in the first quarter. Was that the game plan?

Tim Duncan: The first half, as I said, it was kind of like everybody was kind of jittery. We had a bunch of turnovers. People were trying to find their way, trying to loosen up and just trying to find a way to attack their defense.

I thought Kenyon did a great job in the first half of fronting and getting behind and really being active. I credit what he did and what some of the other guys did in that first half more than anything else.

Q: At the end of the Lakers series, you said maybe David needed to play one more year, were you kidding or do you ever talk to him about it?

Tim Duncan: I'm not going to even talk about that. That's his three boys' decision.

Q: Did they do anything differently in the second half? Why were you able to have so much success? And also, do you want to be known as someone who surprises people when you show that emotion?

Tim Duncan: Second half, a lot of the same. I thought that they called a few more plays for me and had an opportunity to get the ball in there and draw some double-teams. Our guys hit some shots and really loosened them up a little bit. I thought our guys really loosened it up for me.

Q: As far as your image of being stoic, do you --

Tim Duncan: I don't care about my image. You guys, you write something good. (Laughter).

Q: You attacked them from their weak side in the second half, is that what you were able to pick up when you went over the first half?

Tim Duncan: Defensively? The weak side was big for us. With their motion offense, them coming off of screens, they seem to get a lot of layups. They are very good on the offense and hitting that back door, so our weak-side defense was big all night. We've been talking about it for the last couple of days and I thought David did an excellent job of getting across there when we got some drives without drawing the foul that the ball defender didn't draw the ball and David was able to affect a shot.

So for the entire series, that's going to be big for us. If we can get that guy across there and shoot tough shots and rebound the weak side.

Q: Is winning this game in the fashion that you guys did a big confidence-booster?

Tim Duncan: It is a big confidence-booster, knowing the kind of streak that they were on and the kind of confidence they were coming in here with. It was a big win for us to get this one but it puts that much more pressure on Friday. We really want to get that one and we really want to leave out of here 2-0, knowing that we have going there and play three games, it's good to get this one. It's good to start. It's good to know what we can do against these guys and it's just good to know how to attack these guys.

Q: Tony was talking about how he played a lot more aggressive, looked for himself in the second half as opposed to the first half and he was more concerned with setting up his teammates. How much more important is it and how much better is it for him to be aggressive and to look for his own stuff?

Tim Duncan: I thought he had an excellent mentality in the second half. I thought he came off of screens and really got in the middle and really made them pay for playing halfway on him. I thought his focus changed really well, letting the first half go. I don't think anybody played really well in the first half.

Coming out the second half, establishing what he wanted to do, he got a couple shots and it kind of changed the game for us.

Q: I know David has said that you guys should just be thinking about the team, but what would it mean for you guys to get this done for him?

Tim Duncan: It means so much. To send him out this way -- along with that, we have a lot of guys that have not been here before, Steve Smith and Kevin Willis and Danny Ferry I, and these guys have never been in this situation. Along with David, getting a ring for those guys, that's what makes this even more important.