It's finally happening. The world as we know it has come screeching to a halt with the latest announcement that Tim Duncan, legendary San Antonio Spur and NBA icon, has retired after 19 seasons. Duncan was a five-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, Rookie of the Year, and 15-time All-Star selection.
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He led the Spurs to championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, making him the only player to start and win the Finals in three different decades —- John Salley played, but did not start in some of his Finals appearances over three decades. He went out of the league much the same way he played in it and that was quietly.
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Here's the full announcement from the team:
As the only player in NBA history to play over 9,000 career minutes in the playoffs, Duncan ranks first all-time in postseason double-doubles (164) and blocks (568), third in rebounds (2,859) and sixth in points (5,172). For his career, Duncan appeared in 251 postseason contests (second all-time) and averaged 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 37.3 minutes while shooting 50.1 percent (1,975-3,939) from the field.
Duncan will be remembered as much for his greatness as for his longevity in a league that's been known to chew up and spit out No. 1 picks that don't pan out quickly. He most certainly did that and it's only right we remember his career with this awesome video:
