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You’d think this would be a case of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich havin’ a laugh. After all, his Spurs were in Indiana to take on the sub-.500 Pacers, he was on the verge of what would turn out to be his 1000th career win , and the subject of the story was just a few feet away from him when he was reliving the days that led up to the 1997 NBA draft. That draft gifted San Antonio with Tim Duncan, an All-Star presence in his first season, and a deserved All-Star in this, his 18th season. The Spurs beat the odds and jumped up to grab the first pick in that year’s draft during the NBA’s draft lottery, seemingly knowing right away that they’d jump at the chance at taking the Wake Forest senior with the top overall selection. To hear Popovich tell it, though, there was a slight bit of consternation. Not in consideration of Keith Van Horn, the consensus second overall pick. And not to decide on accepting Boston’s trade offer of the third and sixth picks in exchange for the top spot. No, it was to briefly consider the merits of Kansas senior Scot Pollard. From a talk with NBA.com’s Mark Montieth : “It’s a true story,” Popovich said before the Spurs played the Pacers Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. “I loved the way Scot played. Timmy was really smooth and all that, so (you wonder) ‘is that going to translate? Is he going to be tough?’ He was long and lanky and thin and Scot Pollard was out there kicking you-know-what and taking names. “It was actually a conversation. I also have to say that notion didn’t last real long. But it did come up.” Pollard, who currently works as a Pacers analyst, was in earshot as Popovich professed his past ponderings. From Mike Monroe, the man who literally wrote the book on the 1997 NBA rookie class , at the San Antonio Express-News : Blushing a bit, Pollard questioned Popovich’s veracity. “You’re just saying that because I’m standing here,” he said. Popovich insisted he was serious. “No, it’s true,” he said. “Ask my Jayhawk GM. Ask R.C (Buford). It was actually a conversation. Now, I have to say that notion didn’t last real long, but it did come up.” Pollard, you’ll recall, was taken 19th in the 1997 NBA draft by Detroit, just after Johnny Taylor ( not that one ) and Chris Anstey were selected. Duncan would be taken first overall; he would win the Rookie of the Year award and go on to a legendary career that includes five NBA championships. And counting. [ Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball ] The Kansas big man was no joke as a player, it should be noted, even if many remember him for this goof gone wrong : Pollard played, and played well, until 2008 – outlasting seven of the players chosen before him in the 1997 NBA draft. His career began inauspiciously, as Pistons coach Doug Collins saw little reason to play him during his rookie year. He was dealt to Atlanta for Christian Laettner the following offseason, but only after Laettner tore his Achilles tendon and with most expecting the former All-Star to miss the entire lockout-shortened 1999 season. Two weeks into that campaign, without having played a minute for the Hawks, he was waived. Sacramento quickly picked Pollard up, however, as a reserve big man in a frontcourt that featured Chris Webber and Vlade Divac in their first seasons with the Kings. With Webber injured down the stretch of the 1999 campaign, Pollard strapped in to start four of the Kings’ last five games – all wins – playing fantastic ball as the Kings clinched just their third playoff appearance in 14 seasons in Sacramento. Pollard would continue to act as one of the NBA’s top reserves for years, alternating at both center and power forward, staving off boredom with a series of goofy haircuts and facial hair tricks. He won a ring, pictured above, with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Gregg Popovich, meanwhile, wasn’t merely attempting to butter Pollard up in retrospect – there was genuine concern that Tim Duncan was going to turn into a lighter version of Brad Daugherty, as opposed the greatest player of his generation, and Pollard’s no-frills approach would seem to both translate well to the NBA, and to a spot alongside David Robinson. Perhaps not as a top overall pick, but possibly someone to trade for in the first round should the opportunity present itself. Popovich and Pollard never got to work together, but Monday evening’s back and forth was a sound enough pairing of the two minds. - - - - - - - Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops
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