Tim Duncan has officially decided to retire from the NBA.
In a press release issued Monday morning, the San Antonio Spurs announced that Duncan has informed the team he will call it a career after 19 seasons. The five-time NBA champion is the Spurs’ all-time leader in total points (26,496), rebounds (15,091), blocked shots (3,020), minutes (47,368) and games played (1,392).
You won’t find more of a lock for the Hall of Fame than Duncan. He played in 251 playoff games, which is the second most in NBA history. He is also one of just three players in league history to spend 19 seasons with the same team, with the other two being Kobe Bryant and John Stockton.
San Antonio’s recent decision to sign another veteran big man makes a lot more sense now that Duncan is hanging it up. Duncan probably could have played another season, but no one will ever say a 40-year-old walked away from the game too soon.
