Jul 11, 2016

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SAN ANTONIO (July 11, 2016) – San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan today announced that he will retire after 19 seasons with the organization. Since drafting Duncan, the Spurs won five championships and posted a 1,072-438 regular season record, giving the team a .710 winning percentage, which is the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and was the best in all of the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over the last 19 years.

Originally selected by the Spurs as the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan helped San Antonio reach the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons and became the only player in league history to start and win a title in three different decades. The Silver and Black won at least 50 games the last 17 seasons, the longest streak in league history, and posted at least a .600 winning percentage in each of Duncan’s 19 seasons, an all-time record for most consecutive seasons with a .600 win percentage in the four major U.S. sports.

The 40-year-old Duncan comes off of a season in which he led the NBA in Defensive RPM (5.41) and became just the third player in league history to reach 1,000 career wins, as well as the only player to reach 1,000 wins with one team. He helped the Spurs to a franchise-best 67-15 record and also became one of two players in NBA history to record at least 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks in his career (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

Duncan totaled 15 All-NBA Team selections (tied for most all-time) and 15 NBA All-Defensive Team honors (most all-time), garnering both honors in the same season 15 times, the most in league history. The 1998 Rookie of the Year was named NBA MVP twice (2002, 2003) and NBA Finals MVP three times (1999, 2003 and 2005).

In his NBA career, the 15-time All-Star appeared in a total of 1,392 games and averaged 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.17 blocks in 34.0 minutes. He shot .506 (10,285-20,334) from the floor and .696 (5,896-8,468) from the free throw line.

The Wake Forest graduate is the Spurs all-time NBA leader in total points (26,496), rebounds (15,091), blocked shots (3,020), minutes (47,368) and games played (1,392), as well as third in assists (4,225). In NBA history, Duncan is fifth all-time in double-doubles (841) and blocks, sixth in rebounding and 14th in scoring.

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 .501 (1,975-3,939) from the field.

Along with teammates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, Duncan is part of the NBA record for most wins by a trio in both the regular season (575) and postseason (126). Duncan and Gregg Popovich have the most wins by a player-coach duo in NBA history (1,001) and the Spurs forward finishes his career in San Antonio as one of just three players in NBA history, along with John Stockton and Kobe Bryant, to spend 19 seasons with one franchise.

@NBAsxn

 

Jul 11, 2016

Legend

 

Jul 11, 2016

Hall of famer, one of the greatest, but some how it feels like its still underrated how great this guy was.

 

Jul 11, 2016

Best PF of all time, top 15 player of all time. h--- of a career.

 

Jul 11, 2016

i'll always remember him for the bank-shot. pretty cool he was able to play his entire career with ONE team. that's so usual nowadays with free agency.

 

Jul 11, 2016

Crazy to think how much Duncan and Kobe got in each other's way in terms of winning. I honestly believe if Kobe was in the league and Duncan wasn't, Kobe could have 8+ rings and if Duncan was in the league without Kobe, same for him. Lakers and Spurs dominated for like a decade there. So many classic Lakers/Spurs battles, saw that Duncan won 43 of them and Kobe 39.

Glad Duncan retired when he did though, wouldn't have been much of a benefit to going 1 more year plus his game took a dip last season.

 

Jul 11, 2016

GOAT

 

Jul 11, 2016

He knew this day was coming... that's why he has looked so sad for the last 40 years.

 

Jul 11, 2016

Such a Duncan way to retire. No bright lights. He simply walks off, never to be seen again.

 

Jul 12, 2016

I think an argument can be made for Karl Malone, although he doesn't have the rings.

I'd still pick Duncan, but it's close.

 

Jul 12, 2016

The consummate professional. No frills, no fanfare, just got the job done.

It was WAY before my time, but if he joined Orlando the same time as T-Mac and Hill, that would've been something.

Sayonara Timmy D.

 

Jul 12, 2016

Tim Duncan should've been a Celtic. Pretty disappointing career when considering that he ended up on the Spurs tbh.

 

Jul 12, 2016

g.d. Celtic homers.

 

Jul 12, 2016

I'll never get over it, or Durant.

 

Jul 12, 2016

@Fitzy don't forget Kobe, he could have been a Celtic too, worked out for them pre draft. There's even a disgusting picture somewhere out there of him at that pre draft work out with a Celtics shirt on, ugh.

 

Jul 12, 2016

Well, Celtics never had any intentions on drafting him (LMAO fml), but I know they wanted Duncan, but ended up with Billups.

They SAY now that they would've drafted Durant in 07, but they would've drafted Oden.

Celtics had such s--- luck for two decades. Between Len Bias, Reggie Lewis, passing up on Kobe for Antoine Walker, getting f----- with the ping pong ball with the Duncan draft, then the 2007 draft with Durant.

2007 worked out with the trades for Allen and KG, but Durant and Pierce would've been awesome to watch. (Again though, they would've drafted Oden so fml).

I hate the 90's as a Celtic fan. f---ing disgusts me.

 

Jul 12, 2016

Hey man, at least you have a ring from the KG/Ray Ray/PP era.

 

Jul 12, 2016

If KG didn't blow out his knee in 09, I guarantee we would've had more. @Kon knows this to be true. After that injury, KG wasn't the same. f--- you @Kon

 

Jul 12, 2016

But hey, no disrespect to Duncan's thread, since he should've been a Celtic. He got screwed over. Could've probably won 10 titles with Kobe in Celtic green.

 

Jul 12, 2016