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Duncan rejected Rio invite from Obama

Soobum Im / USA TODAY Sports

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Even an invitation from the U.S. president wasn't enough to convince Tim Duncan to attend this summer's games.

Uncomfortable with the idea of staying in Brazil, the recently retired San Antonio Spurs big man rejected Barack Obama's offer to fly down to Rio de Janeiro with him to watch the Olympics, according to Duncan's ex-teammate Bruce Bowen.

"He was offered an opportunity to fly here with the president of the United States, and he discussed it with me and I'm like, 'You're going, right?' He was like, 'You know I'm not about that stuff,'" Bowen told Sports Illustrated's Deantae Prince. "Even that moment where you'd say, 'I sure would like to be a part of that,' it doesn't happen with Tim because he's not concerned with that stuff."

Given how little Duncan cared for the spotlight as a player, it comes as little surprise that the 40-year-old would turn down such an offer, even from a person of enormous stature.

"Tim, his legacy is always going to be more of the foundation guy in San Antonio and a guy that wasn't ever concerned with the limelight, but more importantly concerned with others, making sure that they could really reach the most out of their potential," Bowen said.

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