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San Antonio Spurs announce Tim Duncan’s retirement

By Dave Stevenson

Feb 10, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) looks on against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) looks on against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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After days of speculating, San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan has officially announced his retirement from the NBA.

On July 4, 2016 the NBA saw two unexpected news stories. The first involved Kevin Durant agreeing to sign with the Golden State Warriors. Naturally, the second one went a little bit unnoticed. The second piece of news that day was that San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan was leaning towards retirement. After considering his options, Duncan has officially announced his retirement from the NBA. He did it in a very quiet manner, appropriate for the silent but extremely efficient Duncan.

From NBA.com:

"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."

Duncan was often overlooked by players like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Garnett because unlike those players, Duncan was quiet. Fans rarely heard him speak or showboat. He simply showed up and played basketball.

He has career averages of 19.0 points per game, 2.2 blocks per game, and 10.8 rebounds per game. Duncan retires with a 24.0 PER, proving his case that he is one of the most efficient players of all-time. He never needed to brag about it because he let his play do the talking for him.

Duncan made 15 All-Star games during his career. He won two NBA MVPs (2001-02 and 2002-03). Duncan won five NBA titles during his career and was named the three Finals MVP three times.

He ranks seventh all-time in games played (1,392), 28th in rebounds per game, and fourth in defensive rebounds (11,232). Duncan was named to 10 All-NBA first teams, three All-NBA second teams, two All-NBA third teams, and 15 All-NBA defensive teams (eight first teams and seven second teams).

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