San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. His list of achievements alone is unprecedented, and his accolades would be hard to match.
Aside from being a five-time NBA champion, the top pick of the 1997 Draft is also a two-time Most Valuable Player. He bagged the prestigious award in 2002 and 2003, placing him in an elite list of greats who have won back-to-back MVP plums.
At the time, Timmy was at a loss for words being hailed as the regular season MVP. He was aware that winning two consecutive awards had implications, placing him in the company of great players such as Larry Bird, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among others.
"Unbelievable," Duncan said via UPI . "I would never have imagined being even close to that list. Definitely an honor."
Well-deserved honor
There was no question during those two seasons that Duncan was a pillar for the Spurs. Head coach Gregg Popovich credited him with helping develop teammates Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who rewarded San Antonio with two NBA crowns.
Regardless of his efforts, Duncan was not the kind of player who would brag. He acknowledged that other NBA players had great performances in those two seasons and that he was just fortunate to be selected in the panel, writers, and broadcasters voting.
“A lot of guys had great years this year, and a lot of guys could have won this award,” the 15-time All-Star said at the time after edging Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves, 962 to 871 points.
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Humble as they come
In his NBA career, Duncan was never known to be the one who would gloat. He was one of the humblest players the league had ever seen and preferred to have a low profile.
Tim was a pretty simple guy. Former Spurs teammate Steve Smith attested to this, recalling how he and his teammates were all dressed up as Duncan was about to receive his first MVP trophy. Rather than dress for the occasion, Timmy accepted the award in a red shirt, knee-length jean shorts, and sandals.
“I came in a suit, and I was excited, and Tim Duncan came in a shirt and in a Tim Duncan way said thank you to his teammates, to his fans and accepted his MVP trophy,” Smith stated.
Duncan was never known to be someone who would don expensive or flashy clothes. He kept it simple, and such, per Steve, was a sign of the Wake Forest product’s humility .
“It was just him being him. He's so humble,” the fifth overall pick of the 1991 Draft stated .
Duncan kept that persona until his retirement in July 2016. He spent his entire 19 seasons with the Spurs and briefly tried his hand at coaching with San Antonio from 2019-2020. He would step down from that position. Since then, “The Big Fundamental” has been enjoying life after basketball, although most expect him to help out in the development of the Spurs’ new cornerstone, Victor Wembanyama.
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