Tim Duncan, who always disappeared once the offseason arrived and was difficult even for media reporters to photograph, had no choice but to show up for an interview this time because of Goodwin's remarks and respond to the matter.
Not only that, Tim Duncan personally called Goodwin and "furiously cursed him out," saying that his perfectly good offseason had been ruined.
Faced with this, Goodwin refused to back down and shot back, "Who's to blame for that, Tim? If it weren't for you, I would've surpassed Jordan and become the greatest player in history long ago!"
Hearing this, Tim Duncan flew into an even greater rage and fired back furiously, "Haha, keep dreaming. No matter how hard you try, you'll never surpass Jordan's achievements in your lifetime!"
However, despite their heated argument over the phone, there was no deep-seated grudge between them. This was simply how they got along. On the contrary, they were actually very good friends.
At the same time, Tim Duncan knew perfectly well that it was precisely because he had such a formidable opponent as Goodwin that winning the championship in 2005 had become all the more precious and meaningful.
Did Goodwin really care about losing in 2005? No, he did not.
Perhaps during the two years when he had been defeated by Tim Duncan, he had indeed been unwilling to accept it. But after successfully getting his revenge in 2007, he had put it all behind him.
So why did Goodwin say that? To put it bluntly, whether he surpassed Jordan or not, it would stir up arguments and dissatisfaction among fans on both sides.
Therefore, he chose to push Tim Duncan into the spotlight, create a wave of attention for him, and keep him busy during the offseason.
That way, it would both make