Tim Duncan has exited the NBA the same way he seemed to play in it. Quietly but leaving a big impact.
Tim Duncan has retired at age 40, after 19 years and 5 NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs https://t.co/I5gHXrfVgj
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 11, 2016
Monday, the Spurs star announced his retirement after 19 seasons in the NBA that yielded unbelievable results on multiple levels. He was a five-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, two-time League MVP, 15 time All-Star, Rookie of the Year back in 1998 and the list goes on.
What may be even more remarkable than the personal achievements and championships was where Duncan was able to do it.
Before we had Golden State, there was Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs who at times seemed to railroad the rest of the NBA. And it was during that time the NBA model changed from a League that didn’t seem to favor the small market to a League that really put the small market at a disadvantage.
Crazy Stat of Day: Tim Duncan made the playoffs each of his 19 seasons since the Spurs drafted him in 1997. pic.twitter.com/3MQUvIj9Ss
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 11, 2016
When you had super teams being constructed in New York and Miami, Tim Duncan stuck with San Antonio and continued to have success with guys like Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard. Good players but didn’t have the hype that a LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Love or Carmelo Anthony had or continue to have within their own right.
But Duncan didn’t just stick with the Spurs, he held the Spurs together. He was a guy that didn’t demand the spotlight, it came to him. He was quiet, reserved and simply did his job, brilliantly without the need for any type of recognition.
Duncan was the anti-hero for the current NBA model of superstar who is outspoken and in search of the bright lights of a big market. Duncan didn’t need any of that. He simply let his game do the talking for him which in turn put San Antonio on the map.
