Support NeoGAF

[SteveO409]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/tim-duncan-announces-retirement

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 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.

5x NBA champion

GOAT...watched this guy for most of my childhood into adulthood.. sad day for fellow Texans ;_;

 

[CapitalismSucks DonkeyBalls]

Genuine legend and a good person. An unsung hero of the NBA. Sad to see him go.

 

[Acorn]

Long consistent career, very few ever reach his heights let alone maintain it.

 

[StoOgE]

Top 5 players of all time, and the absolute best PF to ever play the game.

 

[Dougieflesh]

Best Power Forward ever. No contest

 

[Blastoise]

o7

 

[Heysoos]

:'(

 

[Ronin Ray]

One the best of all time.

 

[Muzy72]

I wanna cry!! My whole life I've been watching him play basketball. Terrible day for San Antonio.

 

[Sulik2]

The Spurs run of excellence is really spectacular and Duncan was a huge part of it. Class act and fantastic player. What a career.

 

[SiDCrAzY]

Will miss you Timmy

 

[El Topo]

One of the greatest players of all time. A sad day for basketball.

 

[Butane123]

GOAT power forward. I'll miss him playing.

 

[Blablurn]

legend

 

[Kill3r7]

GOAT PF. An incredible player and a joy to watch.

 

[jmdajr]

Heck of a run

 

[CountBlack]

mjcry

Duncan will be missed

 

[darkside31337]

The best player of his era. Dude was a legend. Fitting for him his retirement is so low key although personally I wish he had a better send off.

 

[Anth0ny]

Greatest power forward of all time.

enjoy retirement my man.

 

[Rune of Destiny]

Kobe and Duncan in the same year. Might be good time to step away from following the NBA.

 

[EnlightenedMint]

Nba without Kobe and Duncan next season is going to be so strange.

 

[Warxard]

;~;7 the Spurs fan within me salutes you

 

[teruterubozu]

The most glorious bank shot. Unstoppable.

 

[Haloid1177]

Gonna be surreal watching the Spurs without him.

 

[RoKKeR]

Legend.

 

[hoserx]

A great player. His skillset transcends all generations of basketball.

 

[Basketball]

Upmost respect

 

[Plinko]

I'll always remember him as one of the few remaining guys to regularly use the backboard when shooting. He was always fun to watch.

 

[Ric Flair]

One of the greatest of all time, he picked the right time to leave, it was looking like father time had finally caught up to him in that playoff series.

 

[Nakazato]

Wow. Lost two legends

 

[PIMPBYBLUD]

I bleed Black and Silver until the day I die. Thank you Tim for being a shining example of a true NBA player. Selfless, Team Oriented and above all Classy. You will be missed. GOSPURSGO!!

 

[1emons]

Greatest of his generation. Thank you Timmy :'(

 

[crazyprac]

San Antonio going to build this guy a monument

 

[GravityInsanity]

Farewell Old Man River Walk

 

[Dark_castle]

Damn. End of an era.

 

[Sephzilla]

Legendary player. I'd seriously consider putting him in my Top 5 all time

 

[Onemic]

Greatest PF of all time.

Easily top 10 player of all time.

 

[JimJamJones]

Wade leaves Miami and Kobe and Duncan retire.

This year, man.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

WP, Timmy.

Legend.

 

[Yaphett Kotto]

The best player of his era. Dude was a legend. Fitting for him his retirement is so low key although personally I wish he had a better send off.

He is pretty low profile compared to other players, but he does deserve a better send off. It will be hard for another Spurs player to reach his resume by retirement.

 

[starchild excalibur]

Even for as little as I know about basketball, I've always known that he was a good player and had a reputation for seeming like a nice dude.

He's definitely earned his retirement.

 

[Marz]

Top 10 center of all time.

 

[Abounder]

Top 5 legacy, Spurs were the winningest sports franchise under his era.

This is a big man that led his team in assists for a championship run, and did it as a one-man band ala Hakeem. Played until the wheels came off, Timmy!

 

[PrankT]

Thought he'd sneak another year in. His play and demeanor will be missed.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

One of the best big men in NBA history. The length of his dominance on both ends of the court, since his first year where he averaged 21 PPG/2.5 blocks/3 assists/12 rebounds...is practically unprecedented. Not a flashy player with a bunch of ready made highlight reel moves, but somebody who deeply understood and mastered the fundamentals of basketball. The San Antonio Spurs have been consistently strong for each and every year of his career, and he's the centerpiece of that.

And like his play, he did it all without fanfare. That's why this retirement was so perfectly Tim Duncan. He was never gonna do a big Kobe Bryant "Everybody Loves Me!" farewell tour, he would always just...disappear quietly. No letter. No speech. Just a legacy of basketball excellence left.

And the fact that he has NEVER committed a foul, EVER*

*according to Tim Duncan

 

[GraveRobberX]

I still remember Boston wanting him so bad, they thought NBA rigged it ala Ewing to the Knicks, was hilarious hearing all the conspiracy theories

Him and David Robinson Twin Towers was no joke, got The Admiral his ring at least

Much Respect, always team play before ego
Amazing him and Kobe are gone, they are like the last players who will have that loyalty of playing for only one team

Crazy how players shift around now, soon staying with one team will be a unicorn scenario


The moment which is weird that will stick with me about him is he got ejected from the fucking game for laughing on the bench...
For fucking laughing...

 

[Redd]

Arguably the best of his era. Greatest power forward in history. Omg......last player I followed since childhood. Easily in the top 10 all time.

 

[metalslimer]

Top 10 players no doubt. Looking at him in the playoffs though I'm glad he didn't force another year to go for a championship. Funny how Kobe and Duncan both retired in a way that's appropriate for both.

It's also crazy that SA are losing a legend and will still be a top team in the NBA

 

[Pastry]

As a San Antonian this is a super bummer but I got a chance to see his last game in San Antonio and a bunch of games this past season in person. He'll be missed, I hope he joins the coaching staff.

 

[MontyMarx]

Certainly a fantastic example, one and off the court, for young players to follow.

I always preferred flashier players but Duncan is one of best ever.