Tim Duncan announces retirement

Longtime Spurs star and five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan has retired.

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Longtime Spurs star and five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan announced on Monday that he will retire after 19 seasons.

The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported in early July that Duncan was leaning toward retirement, a move that was expected following San Antonio’s elimination from the playoffs.

Duncan, 40, saw his effectiveness decline during his last season, particularly during the playoffs, when he averaged the lowest minutes and points of his career.

The Spurs selected Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 1997 NBA draft, and he has spent his entire career with the franchise, leading the team to five championships. San Antonio won titles in 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2014.

• Retirement commemorative: A special farewell to Tim Duncan

Entering the NBA one year after 2016 retiree Kobe Bryant, Duncan has arguably enjoyed more success, albeit with much less fanfare. In addition to the five championships, Duncan has won Finals MVP three times, and won the back-to-back regular season MVP awards in 2002 and 2003.

The Spurs have enjoyed unprecedented success during Duncan’s tenure with the club. San Antonio has made the playoffs every year of Duncan’s career, and won 50-plus games in all but one of those seasons. San Antonio’s 67 wins in 2015–16 is the best mark in club history.

A native of the Virgin Islands, Duncan retires as the Spurs’ all-time leading scorer. He is a 15-time All-Star and has been a member of the All-Defensive First or Second team 15 times.