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San Antonio Spurs legend George Gervin poses with his iconic Nike poster at the George Gervin Academy on\u00a0Dec. 16, 2021.<\/p>\n
Kin Man Hui\/Staff photographer<\/p>\n
George\u00a0Gervin puts up a shot using his signature finger roll move in this undated file photo. Gervin, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, retired in 1986. On Dec. 5, 1987, the Spurs retired his No. 44 jersey. In 1996,\u00a0Gervin was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO<\/p>\n
While legions of San Antonio Spurs fans are boisterously and loudly celebrating their\u00a0team during its current run through the NBA playoffs, there’s one staunch supporter who holds a calm, silent vigil during their games: Spurs legend George \u201cIceman\u201d\u00a0Gervin.<\/p>\n
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Gervin watches the action on his big screen TV, sitting in his big chair, calmly analyzing plays from the perspective of a seasoned\u00a0NBA veteran.<\/p>\n
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He sees big possibilities for the current team, which features 22-year-old superstar Victor\u00a0Wembanyama.<\/p>\n
Gervin said the Spurs’ return to being an NBA championship contender is a testament to the entire organization. He credited Spurs coach Mitch Johnson for installing a system that \u201cworks with the talent he has on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese guys are playing hand in hand with each other and that\u2019s what it takes to get where they are today,\u201d Gervin said. \u201cIt looks good to see these youngsters playing like they\u2019re playing.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘We had our turn’<\/p>\n
A day after the Spurs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97 to take a 3-2 lead in the teams’ playoff series,\u00a0Gervin reflected on the Spurs playoff run, his career and how the game has evolved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Originally from Detroit, Gervin began his professional basketball career in 1973 with the Virginia Squires of the old American Basketball Association. Because of his cool manner, Fatty Taylor, a Squires teammate, nicknamed him Iceman, after \u201cIceberg Slim,\u201d a Chicago pimp who wrote a memoir about his days hustling on the street. The nickname grew to represent\u00a0Gervin\u2019s calm against defenders and during high-pressure\u00a0moments during games.<\/p>\n
Gervin played for the Spurs from 1974 to 1985. He was known for his signature finger roll move. Some fans said he could make the shot from half court. He\u2019s also known for the iconic 1978 Nike poster of him sitting on a throne made of blocks of ice, palming two silver basketballs that match his silver tracksuit with \u201cIce\u201d embroidered over his heart.<\/p>\n
The NBA has called\u00a0Gervin “one of the greatest scoring guards.” Highlights of his career include scoring 63 points in a single game, a career scoring average of 26.2 points per game and an All Star Game MVP award.<\/p>\n
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Gervin, a five-time All-NBA First Team member, retired in 1986. On Dec. 5, 1987, the Spurs retired his No. 44 jersey. In 1996,\u00a0Gervin was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gervin said the game has evolved but it\u2019s still a joy to watch. He said players in his era didn\u2019t have the same opportunity to take an extra step or get a referee\u2019s call for a defender putting hands on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had our turn,\u201d Gervin said. \u201cThe game has changed for these guys to play a certain way. I don\u2019t have a beef with that. You still have to play and put the ball in the hole.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘In love with the game’<\/p>\n
Gervin said he\u2019s proud to be an alumnus of the franchise that\u2019s included hall of fame players like Davis Robinson, Tim Duncan and\u00a0Manu Ginobli.<\/p>\n
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He’s also proud of the team\u2019s current roster and its young star, Wembanyama.<\/p>\n
Watching Wembanyama block shots and sink baskets, it sometimes seems as if the young star has “tentacles like an octopus,” Gervin said.<\/p>\n
When asked if he sees any of his moves in Wembanyama’s arsenal, Gervin said he’d be the last one to say it, but he’s glimpsed moments when Wemby has pulled up for a mid-range jumper or attacked the basket that remind him of himself.<\/p>\n
Most of all,\u00a0Gervin said he\u2019s impressed with Wembanyama’s attitude and character, and how he appreciates the game.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou could tell that he more than loves the game. He\u2019s in love with the game,” Gervin said. “We\u2019ve never seen anything like him.\u201d<\/p>\n
“I’m proud of him,” Gervin said. “And I know where it comes from, it has to be how he was raised. You have to give them their flowers because they raised a beautiful young man.”<\/p>\n
Gervin was watching when Wembanyama was ejected in Game 4 of the Spurs’ playoff series against the\u00a0Timberwolves for hitting Minnesota player Naz Reid with a high elbow.\u00a0Gervin said he looked at the elbowing incident from all different angles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t a malicious attack,\u201d Gervin said. \u201cIt was just a reaction.\u00a0His greatness is undoubtedly his strength and can\u2019t nobody stop that kid but himself. That\u2019s the beauty of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Spurs veteran had a message for Wembanyama:\u00a0Stay humble, keep making good decisions and never stop being in love with the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it\u2019ll be a beautiful sport for you,\u201d Gervin said, \u201cfor a long time to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘It’s something special’<\/p>\n
Gervin said from his beginning as a Spur, he knew the team was part of a great city. Many players choose to stay here when they hang up their jerseys, he said.<\/p>\n
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Gervin has worked to give back to San Antonio. Thirty years ago, he\u00a0and his sister Barbara Gervin Hawkins co-founded the George Gervin Academy, a first-generation charter school from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. In February, the veteran\u2019s legacy was furthered when the boys varsity basketball team, the Coyotes, won the 2026 Texas Charter School Academic and Athletic League championship.<\/p>\n
Gervin said he\u2019s thankful to have been part of San Antonio and of the Spurs franchise, which still treats him like family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great place to play,\u201d he said. \u201cThe fan base is unbelievable. The franchise has always been owned by locals. They bought into what the Spurs are to the city and it\u2019s something special.”<\/p>\n
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