Aerial photographs often show this contemporary resort as a dramatic silver stingray nestled in a eucalyptus forest beside Great Oyster Bay.

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And since 1997, when the 6-foot-11 Wake Forest grad first donned the silver and black as the NBA draft's No. 1 overall pick, no American sports team has done that job better. it's hard to imagine that's not primarily a product of Duncan's no-nonsense efficiency, though Fratello points out that Popovich and the Spurs' front office -- as well as the personnel it's paired with Duncan -- deserve credit.

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Silver leaf monkeys and troupes of macaques are also common sightings in this forest.

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