When Tim Duncan Gifted Spurs Legend David Robinson a Rare Piaget Watch as Retirement Gift: “My Teammate, Mentor, and Friend”

San Antonio Spurs icon David Robinson has an affinity for watches and is an avid collector of them. However, his most cherished timepiece, a Piaget Upstream Chronograph, wasn’t one he bought. Instead, it was gifted to him by his teammate and the heir to his throne, Tim Duncan.

In an episode of Talking Watches for HODINKEE’s YouTube page, Robinson revealed the backstory of receiving the Piaget watch from Duncan. He said:

“My teammates have always known about my love for watches. And when I was playing and I won MVP, I gave everyone on my team a watch. It was a Bertolucci at the time. I thought that they were a lot of fun, stainless steel, Bertolucci, beautiful watches. Just to kind of tune them into what this world of watches was all about. And when I retired, Tim Duncan gave me this watch.”

Robinson spoke about the uniqueness of the watch and showed the back of the watch, which is engraved with a tribute from Duncan that read, “To 50, teammate, mentor, friend.” Robinson explained he typically doesn’t wear watches with small faces, but this piece held a special place in his heart and will never leave his collection.

Robinson’s incredible watch collection is worth close to $955,000. However, the watch on the lower end of the price spectrum in his collection is the one he cherishes most. This is a testament to just how fond Robinson is of Duncan. He understood that while his teammate was never into watches, his gift of one came from the heart. It is no wonder that he cherishes the timepiece so much.

David Robinson reveals the truth about Tim Duncan’s personality

Tim Duncan was a systematic, unselfish, yet destructive force on the basketball court. However, he was always reserved and had a quiet personality and kept himself safeguarded from the public scrutiny that is a part of being an NBA superstar. Many assumed the San Antonio Spurs icon had a “boring” personality. However, in an interview with News 4 San Antonio, David Robinson pulled back the curtain on his teammate.

Robinson and his son, Corey, discussed the NBA Hall of Fame Class of 2020, headlined by Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett. Speaking of his former teammate, Robinson said:

“Tim is the coolest customer. He reminds me of the old ‘Cheetos’ cat who used to be on their ads. He’s just so cool.”

Not many will use “cool” to describe Duncan, but Robinson has spent more time with the Hall of Famer than most. His testimony holds weight.

Robinson and Duncan are great friends off the court, and on it, they were among the most devastating duos in NBA history. Called the “Twin Towers,” the two MVPs were hard for opposition teams to contain. In Duncan’s second season, the duo led the Spurs to their first NBA title. After the Los Angeles Lakers won three straight titles, Duncan and Robinson broke the monopoly and won their second title together in 2003. Robinson retired at the end of the 2003 season, while Duncan carried on another 13 seasons and added three more NBA titles to his resume.

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• David Robinson
• San Antonio Spurs
• Tim Duncan