Tim Duncan, pioneer of Spurs dynasty, ends career after 19 years

Tim Duncan never wanted the spotlight, only the trophies. He never wanted the endorsements, only the camaraderie. He never wanted the accolades, only the collective achievement.

So when one of the most understated superstars in sports decided to finally call it a career after nearly two decades of excellence, he made the announcement with a 15-foot bank shot and not a boisterous slam dunk.

No big news conference. No victory lap. Not even a canned quote in the press release. Just a simple goodbye Monday from the quiet anchor at the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.

As he has for much of his 19 seasons, the 40-year-old Duncan let others do the talking for him.

“Congrats to Tim Duncan. Probably a top 5 all time player and undoubtedly a top 5 all time teammate,” tweeted Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played with Duncan in San Antonio. “Wow, what a career.”

During that career he accumulated 15 All-Star appearances and five championships, and was a three-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and a two-time NBA MVP.

The Spurs made the playoffs in all 19 of his seasons and won 71 percent of their regular-season games with No. 21 in the middle.

“The best [power forward] ever!” Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge tweeted. “Thanks for the memories old man. A great player and teammate.” Few would argue. Duncan was the No. 1overall pick in1997 and teamed with coach Gregg Popovich, point guard Tony Parker and shooting guard Manu Ginobili to turn the Spurs from a solid franchise that could never quite get over the hump into the model for American sports.

“The constant staple of their franchise,” the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James said of Duncan earlier this year.

The unassuming Duncan was the only player to start and win a title in three different decades. Nicknamed “The Big Fundamental” for his clinical approach that favored bank shots over dunks, he was a member of the All-NBA first team 10 times and is one of only three players — with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parrish — to win at least 1,000 games in his career. He is fifth on the NBA’s career list in

STEPHEN DUNN/ GETTY IMAGES Tim Duncan was drafted No. 1 overall in 1997 by a struggling San Antonio franchise. Two years later, the Spurs were the NBA champions — the first of five titles with Duncan.