5-time NBA champion Tim Duncan retires after 19 seasons, Tim Duncan never capital the spotlight, alone the trophies. He never capital the endorsements, alone the camaraderie. He never capital the accolades, alone the aggregate achievement.
So if one of the a lot of chaste superstars in sports absitively to assuredly alarm it a career afterwards about two decades of excellence, he fabricated the advertisement with a 15-foot coffer attempt and not a bouncy bang dunk.
No big account conference. No achievement lap. Not even a canned adduce in the columnist release. Just a simple goodbye on Monday from the quiet ballast at the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
Just as he has for so abundant of his 19 seasons, the 40-year-old Duncan let others do the talking for him.
"Congrats to Tim Duncan. Probably a top 5 all time amateur and assuredly a top 5 all time teammate," tweeted Warriors drillmaster Steve Kerr, who played with Duncan in San Antonio. "Wow, what a career."
Fifteen All-Star appearances, 5 championships, three NBA Finals MVPs, two NBA MVPs, one coach, one team. Forever.
The Spurs fabricated the playoffs in all 19 of his seasons and won 71 percent of their approved division amateur with No. 21 in the middle.
"The best (power forward) ever!" Spurs advanced LaMarcus Aldridge tweeted. "Thanks for the memories old man. A abundant amateur and teammate."
Few would cartel argue.
Duncan was the No. 1 all-embracing aces in 1997 and teamed with drillmaster Gregg Popovich, point bouncer Tony Parker and cutting bouncer Manu Ginobili to about-face the Spurs from a solid authorization that could never absolutely get over the bulge into the archetypal for American sports.
"The connected basic of their franchise," Cleveland's LeBron James said beforehand this year.
The backward Duncan was the alone amateur to alpha and win a appellation in three altered decades. Nicknamed "The Big Fundamental" for his analytic access that advantaged coffer shots over dunks, he was a affiliate of the All-NBA aboriginal aggregation 10 times and is one of alone three players -- abutting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parrish -- to win at atomic 1,000 amateur in his career. He is fifth on the NBA's career account in blocks, sixth in rebounds and 14th in scoring.
He abutting Larry Bird and Michael Jordan as the alone players to be alleged academy basketball's amateur of the year, the NBA amateur of the year, and the MVP of the All-Star bold and the NBA Finals.
"Even tho I knew it was coming, I'm still confused by the news," Ginobili tweeted. "What a HUGE account to accept played with him for 14 seasons! (hash)ThankYouTD."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver alleged Duncan "one of the a lot of ascendant players in NBA history" and acclaimed him for an "understated selflessness (that) fabricated him the ultimate teammate."
"For two decades Tim represented the Spurs, the city-limits of San Antonio and the alliance with affection and class," Silver said. "All of us in the NBA ancestors acknowledge him for his abstruse appulse on the game."
The afraid brilliant was generally overshadowed in the accessible eye by added outsized personalities like James and Kobe Bryant, who aswell retired this year afterwards 20 seasons, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. But he leaves this bold as one of the league's accurate giants, conceivably the best ability advanced to anytime play and one who larboard as enduring a mark on his authorization as any amateur to appear afore him.
"This will consistently be Timmy's franchise. Always," Parker said during the 2013 NBA Finals. "Should do a bronze for him alfresco the AT&T Center."
The endure time Duncan batten to reporters was on May 12, if the Spurs had just been alone by the Thunder in Bold 6 of the Western Appointment semifinals.
There were hints in that bold of Duncan's plans, even admitting he afterwards acclimatized a arrangement advantage to bright the way for his return. He had consistently said that he would airing abroad if he acquainted he could no best accept a cogent appulse on the game, and for a lot of of the alternation the adolescent Thunder big men had their way with him and the Spurs on the glass.
With the Spurs accepting destroyed out and the fourth division set to begin, Popovich and his adept brilliant had a abrupt chat on the bench. Duncan again played all 12 account of the fourth division afterwards advancing out for a rest, finishing with 19 credibility and assimilation up every additional he could in the endure bold he would anytime play. And if the bold was over, Duncan coiled to the visiting army and acicular a feel against the roof as he headed to the locker room.
"Timmy's never been a actual abrupt or emoting array of alone on the court," Popovich said beforehand this year. "Everybody does it differently."
And Duncan was absolutely one of a kind.
In 1997, afterwards an abrasion to brilliant David Robinson, the Spurs plunged in the standings and concluded up with a adventitious at the No. 1 all-embracing pick. They won the lottery, and it was a breeze to accept Duncan, the polished, two-way big man who had spent four years at Wake Forest.
The Spurs won 36 added amateur in Duncan's amateur year than they had the antecedent division and were NBA champions in his green campaign. They aswell won titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, the endure one a ascendant run to accretion over James and the Miami Heat afterwards accident to them in seven amateur the antecedent season.
He was a 38-year-old All-Star in 2014-15 and even as his account were bargain to save the abrasion and breach on his physique for the playoffs, he remained a force on the arresting end and on the glass.
He had 140 altered teammates in his career and he handled demography the billy from Robinson in 1998 just as alluringly as he did casual it to Kawhi Leonard in 2014.
The Spurs added Pau Gasol and Dewayne Dedmon to beef up their front-court abyss in apprehension of Duncan's decision. But even admitting Duncan's assembly has been in decline, they will never be able to alter the courage of the organization.
And now he accomplish away, not stomping out the aperture like Bryant did with his 60-point finale, but tip-toeing abroad with no fanfare.
"Congrats Timmy!!! It was my account to accept been the added tower," Robinson tweeted. "You afraid us all! What a bequest you leave. Your quiet backbone will consistently be with the Spurs fans."
So if one of the a lot of chaste superstars in sports absitively to assuredly alarm it a career afterwards about two decades of excellence, he fabricated the advertisement with a 15-foot coffer attempt and not a bouncy bang dunk.
No big account conference. No achievement lap. Not even a canned adduce in the columnist release. Just a simple goodbye on Monday from the quiet ballast at the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.
Just as he has for so abundant of his 19 seasons, the 40-year-old Duncan let others do the talking for him.
"Congrats to Tim Duncan. Probably a top 5 all time amateur and assuredly a top 5 all time teammate," tweeted Warriors drillmaster Steve Kerr, who played with Duncan in San Antonio. "Wow, what a career."
Fifteen All-Star appearances, 5 championships, three NBA Finals MVPs, two NBA MVPs, one coach, one team. Forever.
The Spurs fabricated the playoffs in all 19 of his seasons and won 71 percent of their approved division amateur with No. 21 in the middle.
"The best (power forward) ever!" Spurs advanced LaMarcus Aldridge tweeted. "Thanks for the memories old man. A abundant amateur and teammate."
Few would cartel argue.
Duncan was the No. 1 all-embracing aces in 1997 and teamed with drillmaster Gregg Popovich, point bouncer Tony Parker and cutting bouncer Manu Ginobili to about-face the Spurs from a solid authorization that could never absolutely get over the bulge into the archetypal for American sports.
"The connected basic of their franchise," Cleveland's LeBron James said beforehand this year.
The backward Duncan was the alone amateur to alpha and win a appellation in three altered decades. Nicknamed "The Big Fundamental" for his analytic access that advantaged coffer shots over dunks, he was a affiliate of the All-NBA aboriginal aggregation 10 times and is one of alone three players -- abutting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parrish -- to win at atomic 1,000 amateur in his career. He is fifth on the NBA's career account in blocks, sixth in rebounds and 14th in scoring.
He abutting Larry Bird and Michael Jordan as the alone players to be alleged academy basketball's amateur of the year, the NBA amateur of the year, and the MVP of the All-Star bold and the NBA Finals.
"Even tho I knew it was coming, I'm still confused by the news," Ginobili tweeted. "What a HUGE account to accept played with him for 14 seasons! (hash)ThankYouTD."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver alleged Duncan "one of the a lot of ascendant players in NBA history" and acclaimed him for an "understated selflessness (that) fabricated him the ultimate teammate."
"For two decades Tim represented the Spurs, the city-limits of San Antonio and the alliance with affection and class," Silver said. "All of us in the NBA ancestors acknowledge him for his abstruse appulse on the game."
The afraid brilliant was generally overshadowed in the accessible eye by added outsized personalities like James and Kobe Bryant, who aswell retired this year afterwards 20 seasons, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. But he leaves this bold as one of the league's accurate giants, conceivably the best ability advanced to anytime play and one who larboard as enduring a mark on his authorization as any amateur to appear afore him.
"This will consistently be Timmy's franchise. Always," Parker said during the 2013 NBA Finals. "Should do a bronze for him alfresco the AT&T Center."
The endure time Duncan batten to reporters was on May 12, if the Spurs had just been alone by the Thunder in Bold 6 of the Western Appointment semifinals.
There were hints in that bold of Duncan's plans, even admitting he afterwards acclimatized a arrangement advantage to bright the way for his return. He had consistently said that he would airing abroad if he acquainted he could no best accept a cogent appulse on the game, and for a lot of of the alternation the adolescent Thunder big men had their way with him and the Spurs on the glass.
With the Spurs accepting destroyed out and the fourth division set to begin, Popovich and his adept brilliant had a abrupt chat on the bench. Duncan again played all 12 account of the fourth division afterwards advancing out for a rest, finishing with 19 credibility and assimilation up every additional he could in the endure bold he would anytime play. And if the bold was over, Duncan coiled to the visiting army and acicular a feel against the roof as he headed to the locker room.
"Timmy's never been a actual abrupt or emoting array of alone on the court," Popovich said beforehand this year. "Everybody does it differently."
And Duncan was absolutely one of a kind.
In 1997, afterwards an abrasion to brilliant David Robinson, the Spurs plunged in the standings and concluded up with a adventitious at the No. 1 all-embracing pick. They won the lottery, and it was a breeze to accept Duncan, the polished, two-way big man who had spent four years at Wake Forest.
The Spurs won 36 added amateur in Duncan's amateur year than they had the antecedent division and were NBA champions in his green campaign. They aswell won titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, the endure one a ascendant run to accretion over James and the Miami Heat afterwards accident to them in seven amateur the antecedent season.
He was a 38-year-old All-Star in 2014-15 and even as his account were bargain to save the abrasion and breach on his physique for the playoffs, he remained a force on the arresting end and on the glass.
He had 140 altered teammates in his career and he handled demography the billy from Robinson in 1998 just as alluringly as he did casual it to Kawhi Leonard in 2014.
The Spurs added Pau Gasol and Dewayne Dedmon to beef up their front-court abyss in apprehension of Duncan's decision. But even admitting Duncan's assembly has been in decline, they will never be able to alter the courage of the organization.
And now he accomplish away, not stomping out the aperture like Bryant did with his 60-point finale, but tip-toeing abroad with no fanfare.
"Congrats Timmy!!! It was my account to accept been the added tower," Robinson tweeted. "You afraid us all! What a bequest you leave. Your quiet backbone will consistently be with the Spurs fans."
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