One of the league’s top defensive players during his career, Duncan made the NBA All‐Defensive First Team eight times. The 40-year-old basketball star, who is regarded as the best power forward and the fourth highest paid player in NBA history, ended his glorious career after 19 seasons with the franchise.
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San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan smiles from the bench during the second half of the San Antonio Spurs 111-89 win over the Boston Celtics in an NBA basketball game in Boston Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014.
Along with teammates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, Duncan is part of the National Basketball Association record for most wins by a trio in both the regular season (575) and postseason (126). He holds the Spurs record for the most points, rebounds, assists, minutes played and games played.
Tim Duncan retirement news broke the Internet.
The announcement comes two months after the Spurs were upset by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, a six-game exit that immediately had people wondering yet again if it was Duncan’s last hurrah. Nicknamed “The Big Fundamental” for his clinical approach that favored bank shots over dunks, he was a 15-time All-Star, a member of the All-NBA first team 10 times and is one of only three players – joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parrish – to win at least 1,000 games in his career.
The towering figure was selected first overall in the 1997 NBA Draft and went on to turn the Spurs franchise into one of the best in North American sports for almost two decades.
What are your thoughts on Duncan’s retirement?
Duncan had a Hall-of-Fame career for sure. As a Knicks fan, I know how tough it is to win year in and year out in this league.
Most of the players he played against admire him for being humble and simple.
Kobe Bryant – who like Duncan won five league titles over a two-decade career with the same team, the Los Angeles Lakers, before retiring – tweeted: “Congrats TD #19yrs #GoSpursGo”.
“Man, he’s meant a lot, a great amount”, Spurs small forward Kyle Anderson said.
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But Duncan was also a dominant defensive player who was still making plays in his final season.
