(Kevin Duckworth) was at the center of one of the more memorable moments in team history. Before Game 7 of the 1990 Western Conference semifinal against San Antonio, he made a dramatic entrance.
Duckworth had missed the first six games of the series after breaking his right hand in a first-round matchup with Dallas. He was projected to miss the rest of the playoffs. But behind closed doors, Duckworth had been experimenting in practices with casts, wraps and splints to see if he could play.
As the teams warmed up, Duckworth waited in the locker room in order to make a big entrance.
"They wanted to maximize the shock factor and bring him out after we took the court," Terry Porter said. "I always remember him saying that was one of the best moments of his life. It was like Willis Reed, the way the crowd jumped and reacted."
Kersey called it a "surreal" moment.
"It was like everything stopped, and the only thing moving was big Duck going through the tunnel," Kersey said. "We already knew the fans loved him, but when that roar came out, it was crazy. For the rest of the team it was like, 'OK. Ready. Set. Go. Let's get this.'"
Even though Duckworth finished with only six points and five rebounds, he played good defense against Spurs star David Robinson, holding him to 3-of-12 shooting entering the fourth quarter.
"He played David well, really bodied him up," Kersey said. "But it was more of an emotional lift. We had our team back."..
