SAN ANTONIO - Here in the News 4 WOAI sports department, I get the chance to do a lot of different jobs. I produce, report, and anchor, but usually the most interesting job that I do is shoot the Spurs games. The reason, I'M SITTING AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THESE GUYS!
So while I'm there I get the chance to see a lot of things most of the fans watching on TV - and even the fans that are in attendance - don't see.
Lets start from the beginning of the night....
For me, the pregame shoot-around is just as interesting as the game. You get to see the guys unfiltered, since there are no fans around.
Dejuan Blair might be the hardest worker during these pregame sessions. No one steps off the court more out of breath or sweatier then ‘The Beast.’ Keep in mind this is a few hours prior to tip-off. It seems counterintuitive for someone to waste this kind of energy before the game, but it seems to work. You can see the development of his offensive game through these small workouts.
Everyone knows about Tim Duncan's pregame ritual of hugging the ball, but that's not the most interesting one he has on the court. Before the teams are announced the Spurs will turnout the lights in the arena and show a video on the Jumbotron. During that time, Tim will jump up and hang on the back of the rim facing the other side of the court. He swings there for a few seconds, and then gets back to the line for his name to be announced.
Now onto the game...
Last night Manu took over. We all saw that, but he also added a new move to his repertoire. On four or five different plays Manu started looking up like he was going to get a pick and even started talking like he was talking to his screener. As soon as the defender looked to see where the screener was coming from, Manu ran right by them. It was the first time all season I'd seen him doing something like that. Just another tale in the Legend of Manu.
Until next time....
