(Translator's note: The Athletic reporter Mike Vorkunov is the author of this article, and the content of this article does not represent the views of the translator.) ）
Welcome to the NBA 75, The Athletic's one-by-one inventory of NBA's 75 biggest stars to mark the league's 75th anniversary. We will announce each weekday the greatest player of all time selected by The Athletic's NBA staff panel.
For 19 seasons, Tim Duncan has been a great metronome. If change is the only thing we can guarantee in our lives, then Duncan's career in San Antonio is the only exception to this conclusion.
The NBA has seen great players before, but few have been as good as Duncan, as enduring as Duncan, as unique as Duncan. He is dominant, but not suffocating. He is not good-looking, but in fact he is outstanding. He's understated, calm, but consistent.
There's probably no better way to sum up the Duncan era than the few complaints about the Spurs' success: They're boring. Dynasties don't usually do that. The Bulls, which featured Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen and later Dennis Rodman, set off a tour in the 1990s. The Lakers, which have Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, have attracted the talk of the league. Stephen Curry's Warriors are the darlings of the digital age, modernizing the NBA.
And the Spurs just played, kicked the opponent's ass hard, and went home.
No coincidence, this is a reflection of the Spurs' unquestionable superstar, Duncan. As a 21-year-old rookie, he appeared in the NBA, averaging more than 21 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game, and never stopped. He's a hero who loves to win races and rings, and doesn't want anything else.
Tim Duncan averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in his career. He has won 5 NBA championships and 2 MVP trophies, and has been named an All-Star 15 times. During duncan's time, the Spurs won 1,072 regular-season games — while winning just 1,174 in the other 27 years. They won 56 games in Duncan's first season and 67 in his final season. During Duncan's time at San Antonio, they had only one season with fewer than 50 wins — the only one in 1999, when there were only 50 games of the season due to a suspension — and they won their first title in franchise history that season.
When he retired in 2016 — quietly, of course — he left the sport as the best big forward ever. He connected the NBA from Jordan to LeBron to Curry, while his team led the league's era of globalization. He beat his peers to become the greatest player of his generation and is ranked 9th on The Athletic's NBA 75 roster.
"I only recently heard that he was from St. Croix. He used to be a swimmer but grew up to be the greatest big forward in my opinion," said Marcus Camby, who has played the Spurs 50 times in his career. The expression on his face had always been so stoic. You'll never get a sense of what he really thinks, and there's no way to get a sense of how he feels on the basketball court. But one thing that has been revealed is the way he plays.
"He played the right way. He doesn't get overexcited on the pitch. He didn't show much emotion. He's a guy who does everything well. He can hit his back. You can also shoot directly at the basket. And he's also the needle of the defensive end. In my opinion, he is one of the most well-rounded basketball players in history. ”
It's a bold attempt for a story that begins so magically.
Duncan was born and raised on St. Croix Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was a swimmer until he was a teenager. He was discovered too late in regular basketball recruitment to most schools to miss him. If he went to his second choice, he would land in Delaware. Instead, he spent four years at Wake Forest University before becoming the first pick in the 1997 NBA Draft.
This was the beginning of one of the longest success stories in NBA history. Duncan came to San Antonio near the end of David Robinson's career. In the 1996–97 season, Robinson was absent for most of the time due to a back injury, which caused the team to start swinging and eventually get Duncan. Together, they formed a vibrant frontcourt duo, with two 7-foot twin towers that immediately demonstrated the best defense in the league.
Next season will be like passing the torch. Duncan won his first championship with 27.4 points and 14 rebounds in five Of the Spurs' tackle Knicks games and won the NBA Finals MVP.
That ushered in a new era in Texas. The Spurs became a benchmark team because they built around Duncan, and the team also had several other Hall of Famers: Robinson, coach Greg Popovich, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
Popovich once said that the key to his success was to select Duncan. He made sure Bobo had the ability to lead the team. Popovich was harsh on Duncan, which allowed him to control others. In 2012, a Spurs coach about the relationship told Sports Illustrated: "If Bobo is angry with Tim every day, how can a player like Stephen Jackson complain?" ”
For nearly two decades, Duncan has allowed the Spurs to compete with other teams in the NBA. It was an unparalleled run with few glitches. The only near-problem was in the summer of 2000, when Duncan almost joined the Orlando Magic as a free agent. But the trip didn't work; it was said that Rivers was reluctant to let Duncan's family board the team plane, and Robinson and Popovich then persuaded Duncan to stay.
But that summer was just an asterisk of his career. Although the franchise was very close to being achieved, it was not realized in the end. And he never left San Antonio, saying goodbye 16 years after that storm. That was also the only time Duncan was openly disconnected from the team.
Duncan's greatness comes from his thoughtful style. He was always so deliberate that he never got out of control. His movements in the low position are like technical workshops for big men. The only nickname that fits him came from the Big Shark, which O'Neill called "Big Basics."
Duncan turned routine action into art. He came and went freely in the low post, with every possession under his control. His back punches are procedural, and his hips dig out the space like a bulldozer until he finds the right rhythm. His hook is very elegant, and each hook seems to rotate like a ballet.
Every jumper from the elbow zone feels like a master painting on canvas. Every step is a stroke of genius. His board shots are unstoppable. It was his signature move.
This trick is not only reliable but also unquestionable. Opponents write this into scouting reports, but they know it can't be stopped.
Two-time All-Star Antoine Jamison said: "You know it's coming, and if you get close enough you even think you can cover it." "He's so good and comfortable on the pitch that he can get to the basket with just one dribble. ...... The board is ready to be cast. So the plan of the game is that you have to wrap him up. ”
He even used his personality to confuse his enemies. Duncan was always straightforward. A rare straight punch was his emotional outburst.
The player who played him most impressed was that Duncan would not panic on the court, as if his emotions had been sucked away before he came on the court. He was the exact opposite of Garnett, who roared on the pitch. But Duncan was as cold as a statue.
"He's cold, calm, calm," said former NBA player James Posey, "even when he squashed you." ”
Think of Duncan's greatest moments. What does he look like?
He never celebrated when he hit a jumper in front of O'Neal with 0.4 seconds left in the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals G5. He stumbled after the shot, fell down, then got back on his feet and walked back into the crowd after the whistle.
In the fourth quarter of the 2003 Finals G6, he made little celebration after every major spurs score. As his teammates jumped around the bench to celebrate their victory over the Nets, Duncan stood almost motionless in the corner. The buzzer sounded as if it had left no trace on him.
"He never spoke," Canby said. "I'm not a guy myself who likes to talk trash, so I respect that, but I think it's one of his strengths because you'll never be able to read him." On the basketball court you will never be able to touch his temper. He was always like that, focusing on one point. ”
It's not that the opponent didn't try, it turns out they're just wasting their energy. Garnett tried, but eventually he had to give up.
Despite some disagreements with the referee at times, Duncan remained calm most of the time. Jamison said the only sign of frustration he showed was patting his ass.
Instead, he responds with subtle hints or thanks. Posey remembers Duncan smiling after seeing a beautiful gesture. Sometimes Duncan would even give him some encouragement for his favorite movements, whispering, "That's fine."
"With so many achievements, if it could be me, I'd be an asshole and spew as much trash talk as I can," Jamison said. "But he's not. He just stood up and played, let his game speak for him, and gave you a 27+13 stat.
Duncan's timing control is also impeccable. He saved his best performance in the most important games, and he won the NBA Finals MVP trophy three times.
His performance at the championship point is a monster. Duncan finished with 31 points and nine rebounds in the Finals against the Knicks G5, with only 107 seconds off that night. In Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals against the Nets, he nearly had a quadruple-double, finishing with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocks. He still holds the record for the most blocks in the NBA Finals Series, 32 times in '03.
He used his long arms and instincts to make a huge impact on the defense. He's been named to the All-Defensive Team 15 times, as many times as he's been named to the NBA's All-NBA Team. At the age of 36, he was also selected for the All-Team First Team, and then at the age of 38, the penultimate season, he was selected to the All-Team Third Team.
When he finally retired in 2016, it was all quiet. The Spurs issued a press release. There was no ceremony, and no grand ceremony for him.
"The Spurs won because of Tim Duncan, a guy I could never provoke," O'Neal wrote in his autobiography. "I could say crap to Patrick Ewing, face to face with David Robinson, and cheer up Alonzo Monin, but when I met Tim, he would look at me as if he was bored. Whenever I meet a fan who thinks Tim Duncan is a GOAT fan, I don't contradict him. ”
Author: Mike Vorkunov
Editor: Nebula