Tim Duncan ‘The big fundamental’
Timothy Theodore “Tim” Duncan (born April 25, 1976) a 6-foot 11-inch (2.11 m), 255-pound (116 kg) power forward – Center (many still debate what his true position is) and currently in his 16th season all with the team that drafted him #1 out of Wake Forest the San Antonio Spurs. For all that Tim Duncan has accomplished in his amazing career, it’s what he hasn’t done that makes him truly remarkable. He didn’t grow up with a basketball in his hands, dreaming about hoops stardom. He didn’t have his choice of college powerhouses when the recruiters came calling. He didn’t leave school early and chase after the big money which makes him so much more humble as he was touted a number 1 pick every year of his career. And since entering the NBA, he has never been anything but an exemplary teammate and perfect role model. No, Tim is nothing like your typical superstar athlete Like a Shaq or Kevin Garnett of the time, but Tim Duncan is a once only player that has done nothing short but make people in owe of him throughout his career.
Career highlights
College
16.5ppg, 12.3rbds, 3.8 blks, 2.3asts (espn.com)
- USBWA College Player of the Year (1997)
- Naismith College Player of the Year (1997)
- John Wooden Award (1997)
- Adolph Rupp Trophy (1997)
- Sporting News Player of the Year (1997)
- 2x Consensus NCAA All-American First Team(1996)–(1997)
- NABC Player of the Year (1997)
- 2× ACC Player of the Year (1996–1997)
- College jersey retired at Wake Forest (#21)
- 3x NABC Defensive Player of the Year(1995,1996,1997)
Nba Career
20ppg, 11.2rbds, 3.1asts, 2.2blks (espn.com)
- 4× NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007)
- 3× NBA Finals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005)
- 2× NBA Most Valuable Player (2002–2003)
- 14× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2011, 2013)
- 9× All-NBA First Team (1998–2005, 2007)
- 3× All-NBA Second Team (2006, 2008–2009)
- All-NBA Third Team (2010)
- 8× All-Defensive First Team (1999–2003, 2005,2007–2008)
- 5× All-Defensive Second Team (1998, 2004, 2006,2009–2010)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (1998)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (1998)
- NBA All-Star Game MVP (2000)
- Haier Shooting Stars champion (2008)
- The only player in NBA history to be selected to both All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams during each of his first 13 seasons.
Tim is not only a freakishly good athlete, he is a freakishly talented big man. Indeed, there is very little he cannot do with a basketball in his hands. Tim is hard to strip, hard to block and hard to stop, because if you stop one move, he usually has a counter-move that follows. He has a wonderful touch around the rim, and who can forget that amazing bankshot he has made a name for and is one of the NBA’s great old-school moves. He is also one of the best-passing big men ever.
It’s what Tim can do when the ball is not in his hands that truly sets him apart. Even in his mid-30s, he is so agile and has such quick feet that he can wait an extra second on plays and still beat most defenders to a spot.
Tim understands how to use his body on rebounds, and his long arms and sure hands mean once a ball is in his grasp, it is likely to stay there. Few men his size have ever had softer ones, or exhibited finer control when shooting, passing and dribbling. (Jockbio.com Tim Duncan Biography)
Tim Duncan is a Hall of Famer in every sense of that label and in my opinion the greatest Power Forward to play our game and arguably a top 5 player ever.
Ill let the professionals finish with some things to think about referring to a superstar that I can confidently say we will never see anything like him again.
“He’s probably the best player to ever play the position the way he plays it,” former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has said
“His unspectacular consistency. His body combined with his mastery of the small details of the game have made him the ideal power forward. Every season from his rookie season to this, his 16th season, you could legitimately include his team among the elite. His teams have never had a winning percentage below 61 percent, with a 50-win 2008-09 season being the worst of his career.” Israel Gutierrez, ESPN.com
“He’s the best ever at the power forward position, if only because his presence immediately turned every one of his teams into a contender for 16 years. As time passes, he’ll probably be discussed in the same vein as Russell and Abdul-Jabbar, especially if he wins another title or two. Already, though, he’s firmly in the top 10 of all time.” Israel Gutierrez, ESPN.com
“Duncan is clearly one of the best 10 players to ever play and is right on the fringes of the big man group that includes Russell, Kareem, Wilt and Hakeem. Duncan’s longevity and ability to anchor the paint on both sides of the ball put him in that class of player and establish him as the best big of his era.” Darius Soriano, Forum Blue and Gold
“There will probably never be another wide-eyed, dry-witted, publicly silent Chinese literature-studying four-year college player that becomes one of the game’s all-time greats. Tim has peeled back just enough of the curtain to let us see he is a true original.” Daniel Nowell, Portland Roundball:
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-130109/nba-kobe-bryant-vs-tim-duncan-debate
Travis Hewish
Breaking the Backboards 