Okay so I was cleaning out my old basketball cards this weekend, right? Found this TJ Ford rookie card buried under a pile of Tim Duncan ones. Got me wondering whatever happened to that guy with the Spurs. Felt like digging deeper.
The Brain Fart Moment
Started typing “TJ Ford Spurs stats” into the search bar. Tons of basic career averages popped up, but man, they felt dry. Like eating plain toast. Wanted something juicier, something nobody really talks about anymore. You know, that forgotten player story.
Grinding Through Dusty Data
Went down the rabbit hole. NBA website archives? Checked. Old Spurs forums from like 2006? Dug through those like an archaeologist. Basketball reference tables? My eyes started to cross staring at all those numbers. Took hours. Seriously. Needed coffee, maybe two.
The “Whoa, Really?” Discoveries
Finally pieced together the good stuff. Forgot Ford barely even played for the Spurs! He got traded mid-season 2006-07, right? But the patterns when he DID get minutes? Wild.
- Steal Machine: Small sample, sure, but per minute? Dude was a pest. Grabbed steals like it was candy.
- Pass First, Last, Always: Barely looked to score when on the court with the main guys. His assists per touch ratio? Actually kinda high.
- Popovich Trust? Weirdly, in a handful of close games Pop threw him in during tight 4th quarters? Not garbage time. Made me wonder.
Putting the Puzzle Together
This wasn’t about his points per game. Nah. It was the small, scrappy energy he showed in those limited Spurs minutes that got me thinking. Looked like the coaches wanted him purely as a super fast, disruptive backcourt pest. A temporary solution.
That Sinking Feeling
Then I remembered why he disappeared. Those terrifying spinal injuries came roaring back. Had to step away. Seeing those flashes of potential in those Spurs stats sheets knowing how it ended? Damn. Felt heavy.
The Takeaway
Lesson learned? Don’t just look at the box score headlines. Dig into the minutes. See how a guy was used, especially someone who wasn’t the star. TJ Ford with the Spurs? Pure speed and chaos in short bursts. That’s the real story buried under the stats.
