The Best Of The Best

Tim Duncan will hold a news conference later this week to discuss his retirement after 19 seasons in the NBA, all with the San Antonio Spurs.

It should be fascinating. It seems as if he hasn’t said 19 words in those 19 seasons, and he had plenty to talk about. Duncan hasn’t spoken to reporters since May 12, when the Spurs were knocked out of the Western Conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder after they set a franchise record of 67 victories in the regular season.

Even then, the question was whether the 40-year-old would return for another year. Monday he said he was done.

The taciturn Duncan, the first pick in the 1997 draft, put San Antonio on the map (with help, of course).

Five times an NBA champion, Duncan won two MVP awards, made the All-Star team 15 times and was named an All-NBA selection 15 times. He’s one of four players to be named MVP of the NBA Finals four times.

During those 19 seasons, Duncan averaged 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. And during those 19 seasons, NBA.com noted, he had 140 different teammates with the Spurs.

“Tim Duncan,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, “is one of the most dominant players in NBA history.” He also cited Duncan’s “understated selflessness.”

We can leave it at that, while we wait to hear from the man himself.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman