In 1997, the Spurs, which already had interior superstar Admiral, signed Duncan with a signature, seeing him as the admiral's successor.
As soon as this young man entered the league, he began to show his talent, although the strength was superior, but the personality was low-key, coupled with a dull expression, not smiling, so the fans gave him the nickname of "Stone Buddha".
The soul of GDP
In his rookie season, Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game. Not only did he become the best rookie, but he also entered the best first team, the best defensive second team and the all-star, like a rising star.
In the 1998–99 season, Duncan averaged 21.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.52 blocks per game, shooting 49.5 percent from the field, making him a double-team choice for the first time. Not only that, but the Spurs also won the first championship in team history in the Finals, and Duncan, who performed well, was elected FMVP.
In the 2001 season, the Spurs selected French defender Tony Parker with the 28th pick, and then welcomed Argentine player Ginobili in 2002, and the GDP trio officially gathered.
In the 2002-03 season, the final season of the GDP combination and the Admiral, the Spurs won the championship again, and then Robinson ended perfectly, and Duncan officially became the Spurs' locker room boss.
The Spurs have also entered a 14-season period of GDP, and the soul of GDP is Duncan.
The future is yours
In the 2006-07 season, James led the team alone and successfully reached the Finals against the Spurs led by Duncan. But young James handed over tuition and the Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs.
After the game, Duncan told James in his ear that the future is yours.
But it took James five years to realize his first championship dream, and it was at the cost of leaving the Cavaliers to join the Heat.
What's even more interesting is that in 2013 and 2014, James' Heat and Duncan's Spurs met twice in a row in the Finals, with each side winning once.
After ruining James' dream of achieving a triple crown at the Heat, Duncan once again uttered the famous words to James:
The future is yours.
The same team wins a thousand
In the increasingly commercial atmosphere of the NBA league, a player wants to achieve one person, one city, there are too many temptations to endure.
At the end of the regular season in the 1999–00 season, Duncan's meniscus was torn apart and the season was reimbursed. In the offseason, the Magic launched a six-year, $67.5 million deal to pursue Duncan, but Duncan eventually rejected the olive branch thrown by the Magic and renewed a long-term contract with the Spurs, showing his determination to play for a team until he retired.
After solving the trading problem, Duncan focused all his attention on the game, and the Spurs have been standing among the league's giants under his leadership, winning one game after another.
On April 6, 2016, the Spurs beat the Jazz 88-86 on the Spurs, the 1,000th regular season win of Duncan's career, and he became the first player in NBA history to win a thousand wins on the same team. In addition, Duncan is also the third player in NBA history to achieve a thousand wins in the regular season, and he has only used 1389 games, which is the fastest player in history to reach a thousand wins, with a winning rate of 72%.