Tim Duncan Retires from the NBA

[stereoxide]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/tim-duncan-announces-retirement
For me easily the greatest PF of all-time. Sad to see he will not get the same attention as the Kobe retirement tour.

[PeacemanNOT]

I'm happy to see he isn't getting a Kobe tour. That was so painful to watch.

Nevertheless, I don't think anyone could argue that he isn't the best PF of all time. Just all around greatness.

[ThePointForward]

Umm.... Brian Scalabrine anyone? C'mon now.

[Andrew]

If he did have a retirement tour, I think it would go down a lot differently, as he'd already accepted a lesser role. I was hoping he'd make it an even 20 seasons, but it's not a bad time to walk away, and he does so with grace and dignity.

The hashtag on social media is #ThankYouTD, and that seems very appropriate. He's been a class act, and goes down as one of the greatest players of all-time. and I would agree the best power forward we've ever seen. When you look at his accomplishments, it's bizarre when you think how quietly he achieved them all.

So much has been made about Stephen Curry and LeBron James challenging Michael Jordan's accomplishments in the past couple of years, and many were saying the same things about Kobe Bryant a few years back as well. While I don't think Jordan has been surpassed, if we're talking about players who we could possibly consider in that discussion, Duncan's name doesn't come up nearly as often as it should.

He won back-to-back MVPs in 2002 and 2003, he has five titles in six Finals appearances (being named the Finals MVP for three of them) in three different decades, he's been a staple of the All-NBA, All-Defense, and All-Star teams, and has some fantastic numbers on his career. I doubt anyone would argue that he wasn't superbly skilled. The Spurs have won 71% of their games since they got him, the best 19 year stretch of any team in NBA history, and the best stretch in any of the big four sports in the past 19 years. He's also one of the few stars who's aged gracefully, and passed the torch while still being effective in a reduced role. It's somehow easy to overlook all that, because other players grabbed the headlines.

I have to admit that I wasn't a huge fan of Duncan when he first entered the league. It seemed like everyone was raving about him when he hadn't accomplished anything yet, and he wasn't even a flashy player; at least in the usual way. In my defense, I was thirteen going on fourteen when he was Drafted, so my perspective wasn't the most mature. It wasn't too long before I came to appreciate him though, and hoping that the Bulls would land him in 2000. While I certainly would've enjoyed that, I also have to respect and admire his loyalty, and it's kind of special that he ended up spending 19 years all with the Spurs. For me, he's a top ten player of all-time; top fifteen at the very least. Very quietly, he's been great for the NBA. Thank you Tim Duncan, indeed.

[mp3]

Can you imagine Tim's face as he watches those appreciation videos on the big screen in each city?

[Brave Sir Rubin]

So long and thanks for all the fish, Timmy.

Truly a dying breed, both as a player and as an individual within the league. I wish there were more like him.

Now it's up to Aldridge to carry the legacy... no easy task.

[Phil89]

Tim Duncan really was the ultimate professional and he let his game do the talking. He had no ego and caused no drama. For me, he was the perfect cornerstone player that a team could wish for.



In his 19 years in the league the Spurs never missed the playoffs once. They averaged 57 wins a season during his career (excluding the 1999 lockout season). Legend.

[Valor]

A very typical Timmy way to retire, just announce it quietly and tries to slip away....

With the way the league is right now him and Kobe might be the last great players to play their entire careers with one team. Truly an end to a terrific era.

[mp3]

There has being many great Timmy moments but one really sticks out in my mind that was a game his rookie year vs Keith Van Horn, I thought KVH could of been a star in this league lol

[[Q]]

Anyone who's rooted for the Lakers in the last 17-18 years should not be sad about this

[Andrew]

Popovich transcript: Spurs coach calls Duncan 'the most real, consistent, true person'

Well worth a read, and punctuated in a way that only Popovich can do without looking like a complete jerk.

[Sauru]

duncan has always reminded me of the nba's version of barry sanders. sucks knowing he wont be around anymore

[NovU]

Ahhh. I remember arguing who the best player was going to be from his draft. My friend argued Tim Thomas was gonna pan out better, lol. For that reason I vividly remember Wake Forest Duncan and his dominance alongside Robinson from day 1. Sad to see him retiring. Feeling old...

[Andrew]

That's one hell of an off-the-wall prediction, even before Duncan achieved what he did.

[Jackal]

Anyone who's rooted for the Lakers in the last 17-18 years should not be sad about this

As a fan of basketball though, you definitely should.

Duncan has undoubtedly been my favorite player behind Shaq since I can remember. So much skill. Just so. much. skill.

I'll miss the Big Fundamental and disagree with Aldridge being the guy who will take over for the Spurs. I think the new guy is and will definitely remain Leonard for the time being.

Go quietly in to the night Timmy, it's only fitting. Thanks for the show.

Insane to think Duncan has been ejected once over his entire career. And that too for laughing.

phpBB [video]

[Andrew]

And funnily enough, Duncan and Crawford both called it a day after the same season.

[[Q]]

Anyone who's rooted for the Lakers in the last 17-18 years should not be sad about this

As a fan of basketball though, you definitely should.

Duncan has undoubtedly been my favorite player behind Shaq since I can remember. So much skill. Just so. much. skill.

I'll miss the Big Fundamental and disagree with Aldridge being the guy who will take over for the Spurs. I think the new guy is and will definitely remain Leonard for the time being.

Go quietly in to the night Timmy, it's only fitting. Thanks for the show.

Insane to think Duncan has been ejected once over his entire career. And that too for laughing.

phpBB [video]

sure, as a fan of basketball, yes. but damn i still can't root for anything related to Boston or the Spurs. Or Pistons. Or Bulls. I like Kawhi Leonard too and it's hard to not cheer for him lol

Joey's retired too, so now they're free to fight!

[mp3]

I do feel sorry for Timmy in one respect that he has taken so many pay cuts for the good of the team but then opted in to the final year of his career meaning that he ties up some of the Spurs cap space, I know they will get some kind of exception for him retiring but still.

[Allen Iverson101]

Is it true that the kevin durant to the warriors thing had a big effect to him retiring

[Sauru]

Anyone who's rooted for the Lakers in the last 17-18 years should not be sad about this

As a fan of basketball though, you definitely should.

Duncan has undoubtedly been my favorite player behind Shaq since I can remember. So much skill. Just so. much. skill.

I'll miss the Big Fundamental and disagree with Aldridge being the guy who will take over for the Spurs. I think the new guy is and will definitely remain Leonard for the time being.

Go quietly in to the night Timmy, it's only fitting. Thanks for the show.

Insane to think Duncan has been ejected once over his entire career. And that too for laughing.

phpBB [video]

sure, as a fan of basketball, yes. but damn i still can't root for anything related to Boston or the Spurs. Or Pistons. Or Bulls. I like Kawhi Leonard too and it's hard to not cheer for him lol

Joey's retired too, so now they're free to fight!

i am a fan of all boston sports but i can root for someone who has earned it through out their career. a good example was kobe bryant. i was rooting for him like crazy that last game. tim duncan has earned everyones respect or at least he should have.


also watching that highlight just pisses me off. its hard to argue the game is not "rigged" when you see shit like that happen. it was not just the ejection but the other horrible calls they were making.

[Brave Sir Rubin]

Is it true that the kevin durant to the warriors thing had a big effect to him retiring

Being 40 years old had a big effect "to" him retiring.

[ThePointForward]

Yeah, you gotta be 40 to say "I'm too old for this shit".

[Allen Iverson101]

True True