Spurs announce plans to retire Tim Duncan’s jersey

Tim Duncan will have his No. 21 Spurs jersey retired on December 18th.

After appearing in 1,392 career games with the San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan will receive the team’s highest honor. Duncan will have his jersey raised into the rafters of the AT&T Center on Sunday, December 18th. The ceremony will take place after the Spurs’ matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Duncan won five NBA championships in his 19-year Spurs career. The team made the playoffs every season in which Duncan played and he is the only player to win an NBA title in three different decades.

Coming out of Wake Forest, Duncan was drafted 1st overall in the 1997 NBA Draft. He won the 1998 NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season. In 2002 and 2003, Duncan earned MVP honors and was named NBA Finals MVP three times (1999,2003,2005).

Duncan averaged 19 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in his career, compiling a 1072-438 win/loss record. As a result, he was selected to 15 All-Star games.

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He was coached throughout his career by the legendary Gregg Popovich and they currently have the most wins by a player-coach combination, with 1,001.

In an era where players go on farewell tours in their final seasons, Duncan announced his retirement in the offseason. Always known for his quiet demeanor, he chose to not be a distraction during the 2015-16 Spurs season.

He will be the eighth Spurs’ player to have his jersey retired. Duncan will join Avery Johnson, Bruce Bowen, Davis Robinson, Sean Elliott, George Gervin, James Silas, and Johnny Moore.

Tim Duncan is the all-time leading scorer in San Antonio Spurs history.

Wake Forest also honored Tim Duncan by retiring his No. 21 jersey