Tim Duncan is coming back to the San Antonio Spurs. Not as a player, but as an assistant coach to Gregg Popovich. The team announced the move on Monday afternoon. 

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Will Hardy and Tim Duncan will be added to Gregg Popovich’s bench as assistant coaches.

“It is only fitting, that after I served loyally for 19 years as Tim Duncan’s assistant, that he returns the favor,” said Popovich.

Duncan retired from the Spurs in 2016, after spending the entirety of his illustrious 19-year career with the franchise. He helped them win five titles, earning two MVP Awards and three Finals MVP Awards along the way. He was also a 15-time All-Star, and holds a unique distinction of making both the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams for 13 seasons in a row. Shortly after his retirement, the Spurs raised Duncan’s jersey to the rafters in an emotional ceremony. 

Always heralded as one of the most coachable superstars of all time, it’s not much of a surprise that Duncan will finally make his official foray into coaching — except perhaps for the fact that he’ll now have to wear suits all the time. No plaid button-downs and jeans, on the bench during games, and definitely no cargo shorts. 

Following his retirement, Popovich announced that Duncan was sticking around the franchise as “coach of whatever he feels like,” and the big man would often show up at the facility for practice, sometimes even taking the court. Now, he’ll be taking on a more official role with the team, and that should only be good news given his wealth of knowledge about the game.