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photos by Andrew Link

RIDES Magazine recently visited Black Jack Speed Shop—Tim Duncan’s new car and truck customization spot in San Antonio—and spoke with the Spurs big man to learn a little about his cool side gig and relatively newfound love for cars. Check out some photos from RIDES’ shoot with the four-time NBA champion in the gallery above, and read some excerpts from the mag’s sit-down with TD below.

RIDES: You grew into loving cars. Where did the idea of building your own shop come from?

Tim Duncan: When [the NBA] had the lockout, and I had a couple extra months where I wasn’t playing or working or anything like that. I was just working out. We’ve [Duncan and friend Jason Pena] been throwing around the idea for, like, five or six years, like, When are you gonna open your own shop?

RIDES: You just kept thinking about it?

TD: I kind of got a preview of my life after basketball [during the lockout]. I was like, Man, I’m gonna be pretty bored if I don’t start setting something up now.

RIDES: So you started looking for a place and developing a business plan.

TD: A building became available right where I wanted it to be. I was like, I’d love it if I could get that building right there. Sure enough, it becomes available and I get it. And it starts rollin’ from there. It all started ’cause I realized I’m gonna have to do something after I’m done playing, and I wanna do something fun, something I’m passionate about and something I’ll really enjoy.

RIDES: It seems like you strayed from the centralized area of San Antonio that’s devoted to automotive. What was the reasoning?

TD: It’s where my practice facility is and where I live; I live up in that end of town. I thought we could just hit a whole other territory moving out toward the Northwest. So it was a fun area, and a new area where we don’t believe there is anyone around, and it’s easy access for me. It’s not like I have to go out of my way to get there; I’m gonna be rolling by there just about every day anyway.

For more, be sure to pick up the December/January issue of RIDES, on newsstands now.

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