April 30, 2002 – William Duncan, the father of San Antonio Spurs superstar forward Tim Duncan, died Monday afternoon in North Carolina. He was 71.
Duncan, a native of Anguilla, sold lottery tickets on St. Croix until he retired. He also was an avid fisherman. He was, like his famous son, a man who did not seek excessive limelight.
In an story published in a Daily News supplement in 1999, the elder Duncan said, "I don't go out looking for the spotlight. But if someone wants to talk to me, I won't be rude to anybody."
The father of the St. Croix son who has bounded down the court to phenomenal success as, among other things, an NBA All Star referred to himself as an "ordinary man on the street."
Little could be learned about Duncan's death. A media advisory from the San Antonio Spurs said only that the family asked the media to "respect their privacy during this difficult time."
Duncan died on April 29, four days after Tim's 26th birthday. His wife, Ione, Tim's mother, died of cancer on April 25, 1990, on Tim's 14th birthday.
The Spurs release said, "No public ceremony is scheduled for Mr. Duncan."
Tim Duncan was to have played with the Spurs in Seattle on Wednesday in Game 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the ball player, who flew to North Carolina on Monday, will rejoin the team when he can.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
