Tim Duncan is one of the five greatest players in NBA history. And he finally has retired after a 19-year career that was distinguished by his ability to be so consistently great for such a long period of time.
If there is an all-time starting five, Duncan has to be in it, even if you have to slide him to power forward to make room for Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bill Russell at center.
Duncan was about as anonymous as a superstar can be, a very low-profile player who had a huge impact on the games he played.
His nickname is the Big Fundamental because that was his game _ high IQ, solid fundamentals and the ability to anticipate things before they happen.
Duncan wasn't the tallest, freakish athlete or high-flying dunker, and that's why he is sometimes overlooked when we talk about the game's greatest players.
Wilt was superhuman. Russell had the most rings. Michael Jordan was a lot of things but also a high-flying dunk champion. Magic Johnson was the director of Showtime. Shaq, like Wilt, was superhuman. Kobe Bryant was a killer at the end of games and played under Hollywood's lights. LeBron James is a man-child. Even Stephen Curry drops 30-footers like they're layups.
Most superstars become superstars not just because of their talent and ability to dominate games but also their flare for the dramatic and ability to do things nobody else can do. Duncan wasn't that kind of star. He was a guy who just showed up every day to put in work.
He had one of the best drop steps (a lost art, sadly) in NBA history, and if he used the glass, he was on his way back to play defense because his bank shot was special. But he wasn't a big dunker, and while he blocked shots, he wasn't a shot-block specialist.
Those skills might not get a guy on lots of posters, but it certainly was effective enough to lead the Spurs to five NBA titles.
Some say Duncan would have been more prominent in Los Angeles or New York, but I don't buy that. It isn't his personality, and it isn't his game.
When I worked at the NBA, I remember some things Duncan said during the 1999 Finals between the Spurs and Knicks. He said David Robinson was the team leader, and he would always credit guys like Avery Johnson for passing him the ball.
I knew back then that he was a special talent, but I learned during those Finals that he was never going to be interested in the spotlight. That doesn't mean he was more or less humble than other players who love the spotlight. It just means he liked to stay in the shadows and just do his job.
Duncan was a special player, and it will be interesting to see what he does in retirement. It's my guess that he will quietly ride off into the sunset and enjoy the rest of his life in relative anonymity.
As I said before, if you put together an all-time starting five of NBA players, Duncan has to be on it, probably at power forward. Jordan has to be the shooting guard, and Magic has to be the point guard.
The other two spots _ small forward and center _ are up for lots of good debates. I would probably go with LeBron James (check his MVPs and Finals appearances) and Wilt to fill out my starting five.
Do you agree with my assessment of Duncan? Is he a top-five all-time player in your mind? And while we're at it, who is your all-time NBA starting five?
