'There is no wasted motion and no wasted emotion' - Bill Russell on how Tim Duncan's game is similar to his

When the San Antonio Spurs were building a dynasty, they gained a fan like no other in Bill Russell.

"Whiskers" was the greatest winner in basketball history. Bill was the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics teams that won 11 championships from 1957 to 1969. Not surprisingly, he was a fan of San Antonio winning one championship after another during the 2000s decade. It was also not a surprise that Russell's favorite player to watch was Tim Duncan, the man at the center of the Spurs' franchise.

After TD led the Spurs to their fourth championship in 2007, the 11-time champion could not hide his admiration for the Spurs' big man.

"I feel very privileged to see the things he does as a basketball player," Russell said. "I see and understand it. There is no wasted motion and no wasted emotion. It's an absolute thrill because he only concentrates on things that are important."

Timmy was a great teammate who made everyone around him much better

Duncan was known as the "Big Fundamental" because of his no-nonsense playing style, which was also the trademark of Russell's game. Tim wasn't a flashy and fancy player but always got the job done. Aside from being a silent worker, TD was also a great teammate who made everybody around him better.

As we saw in the 2007 NBA Finals, Tim allowed Tony Parker to shine and win Finals MVP honors. However, it was clear that the Spurs wouldn't have even made it that far had it not been for his silent but dominant presence. Russell compared that to his role in Boston.

"Tim and I both play in a way that I can do my thing and leave room for other guys to do their things without bumping into each other," added Bill.

Russell's favorite player

Two years later, the NBA renamed the Finals MVP award "The Bill Russell Trophy" for the obvious reason. That same year, Timmy and Bill sat down for a one-on-one conversation. While exchanging notes, both realized they had more in common than just their parallels on the basketball court.

"It's kind of eerie, the similarities we've had in our lives and in our careers," Duncan told Russell. "I love that you're a basketball mind. You never know that about people until you're able to sit down and talk to them, so it was a lot of fun learning that about you."

Bill went on to tell Tim that he was his favorite player and that he thought TD was not yet done. True enough, the Spurs won a fifth NBA title in 2014.

Unfortunately, Timmy didn't win Finals MVP. Just as he did in the 2007 Finals when he allowed Parker to shine, "The Big Fundamental" had no qualms about Kawhi Leonard taking charge and winning "The Bill Russell trophy." "Whiskers", however, was probably prouder of TD for being a selfless teammate yet again.