San Antonio Spurs forward and five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan announced his retirement early Monday after 19 seasons with the team that picked him first overall in the 1997 NBA draft. He’s universally considered a notch above Elgin Baylor, Kevin McKale and Karl Malone as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the top 10 to 15 players to ever play the game.
The quiet giant is also the only person in league history to win a title in three different decades, winning his first in 1999 and his final one in 2014.
As great as he was, Duncan rarely spoke for himself, if he spoke at all (except to protest calls on the court). Therefore it was left for Duncan’s contemporaries and adversaries to speak on his behalf. Many took to Twitter to pay respect to Duncan’s career, legacy and impact on the league.
From Wake, Randolph Childress weighs in on Tim Duncan’s retirement pic.twitter.com/CIB55HcfgJ
— Bret Strelow (@bretstrelow) July 11, 2016
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#ThankYouTD, for everything.https://t.co/tsjN4go8Rk
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 11, 2016
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Even tho I knew it was coming, I’m still moved by the news. What a HUGE honor to have played with him for 14 seasons! #ThankYouTD
— Manu Ginobili (@manuginobili) July 11, 2016
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Shaquille O’Neal (@SHAQ) to ESPN on the retirement of longtime rival Tim Duncan: “Greatest power forward ever. Unbreakable power forward.”
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 11, 2016
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Ex-Spur Bruce Bowen on Tim Duncan: “Best example of a leader. Didn’t give lip service. Wanted guys to put time in to get the best results.”
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) July 11, 2016
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Upset at Tim Duncan we didn’t get to honor him at a Mavs Spurs game. Happy I’ve had the opportunity to witness his greatness so often
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 11, 2016
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Kobe Bryant tells me of frequent foe Tim Duncan: “More cutthroat than people give him credit for. I loved everything about him on the court”
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 11, 2016
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Salute to the greatest power forward ever! Illustrious career!! Much respect Timmy D.
— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) July 11, 2016
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Congratulations #TimDuncan on your hall-of-fame career. Weren’t a lot of ways to stop you, usually ended w/ a foul.? pic.twitter.com/7W0wNsLpfP
— Jason Collins (@jasoncollins98) July 11, 2016
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Tim Duncan #Legend
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) July 11, 2016
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Thank you Timmy D for the great memories. #Legend
— Emmanuel Mudiay (@emmanuelmudiay) July 11, 2016
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Respect. #ThankYouTD pic.twitter.com/lOaRBlxo8x
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) July 11, 2016
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Loved calling games of @TimSlamDuncan @WakeForest & no doubt to me GOAT big forward to play in @NBA https://t.co/BpJttsMLga
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) July 11, 2016
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This is a true statement: There are grown adults in SA who have never known a Spurs team without Tim Duncan. He might as well be the Alamo.
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) July 11, 2016
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Dirk Nowitzki to ESPN on Timmy: “He was always about winning, never about making a brand out of himself. That’s what I appreciated the most”
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 11, 2016
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Congrats TD #19yrs #GoSpursGo
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) July 11, 2016
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Can’t believe one of the greats is retiring. A lot of battles wit Tim Duncan in the finals. Always been a fan … https://t.co/mNhABRnEyI
— Mario Chalmers (@mchalmers15) July 11, 2016
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Congrats Tim Duncan on an amazing career!! Quiet and humble, but a killer and a champion on the court! #TheBigFundamental
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) July 11, 2016