One of the greatest players of all time was discovered via a pleasantry.
It was the summer of 1992, and Wake Forest graduate Chris King was visiting the Virgin Islands with a group of NBA Draft picks on an exhibition tour. When he returned to Winston-Salem and stopped by the basketball offices, coach Dave Odom inquired about his trip.
“You didn’t see anybody we ought to be interested in?” Odom asked. King said there was one kid. Tall. Thin. Maybe 6-9 and 190 pounds. Had good hands, good feet. King didn’t know his name.
Odom asked his staff if they knew anyone in the Virgin Islands. Assistant coach Larry Davis did, and he soon had a number and a name: Tim Duncan.
On Saturday, that kid from St. Croix will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a two-time consensus All-American, college basketball’s national player of the year, five-time NBA champion, two-time MVP and 15-time All-Star.
