Athletes - Tim Duncan

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	Athletes - Tim Duncan

Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976 in Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) is an NBA basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs, playing at the power forward position. He is noted for his poise, scoring and positioning ability in the offensive post, and effectiveness using some of the most basic and fundamental basketball moves. His list of accomplishments and leadership in the Spurs' NBA title runs in 1999, 2003, and 2005 have led some to consider him to be one of the definitive power forwards in NBA history.

Early life

The son of William and Ione Duncan, he was a nationally-ranked swimmer at St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School in the Virgin Islands before the island's only Olympic-size pool was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. From there, Tim Duncan switched his focus to basketball.

NCAA career

Tim Duncan was a three-time ACC Player of the Year with the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons and had extensive international experience playing with the USA Basketball Team. He did not begin playing organized basketball until the ninth grade.

Duncan was an All-American at Wake Forest, where he graduated with honors in psychology. Duncan won the 1997 John Wooden Award as the NCAA's best overall male player based on the votes of sportscasters and newswriters. In that season, Duncan averaged 20.8 points per game and led the nation with 14.7 rebounds per game. Duncan finished his college career as the second best shot blocker in NCAA history, and he is one of only 10 players with more than 2,000 career points and 1,500 career rebounds. He was also the first player in NCAA history to reach 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 blocked shots and 200 assists.

NBA career

He was drafted with the first pick of the 1997 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs and immediately had an impact, averaging 21.1 points per game his first season. The Spurs were able to pick Duncan (the first senior to be selected first overall since Larry Johnson) due to the fact that they were coming off a 20-62 season. Some experts believe that this was quite lucky, as the Boston Celtics were the heavy favorites to win the NBA Lottery. However, the Celtics ended up with the #3 overall pick, and oddly, have so far lost every game they have faced the Spurs and Tim Duncan since then.

During the lockout shortened 1999 NBA season, Duncan and David Robinson formed the Spurs "Twin Towers" and both led the Spurs to the franchise's first NBA Finals victory. They almost swept the New York Knicks, winning the finals in just five games that season.

In the 2001-2002 season, Duncan was named the league's MVP, joining teammate David Robinson as Spurs members who have earned this award. After 2002-2003, Duncan was named MVP for the second season in a row. Duncan and his Spurs teammates made it to the NBA finals once again, defeating the New Jersey Nets 88-77 in Game Six to win the NBA championship. Duncan was named Finals' MVP, and he and Robinson shared Sports Illustrated magazine's 2003 "Sportsmen of the Year" award. His lifetime averages in points, blocks, assists, and rebounds are higher in the playoffs than in the regular season. In the last game of the 2002-2003 NBA finals, Duncan was two blocks away from a quadruple double, finishing with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 blocks. In 2005, Duncan came up big in Game 7 of the finals with 25 points and 11 rebounds to defeat the Detroit Pistons, despite struggling from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. Duncan won his third NBA Finals MVP Award, joining Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Magic Johnson as the only players to win three Finals MVP awards.

Statistics As of March 3, 2006

NBA career totals	Per-game averages	Playoffs averages	Allstar averages
Games Played: 642 Points: 14,268 Rebounds: 7,787 Assists: 2,007 Blocks: 1,604	Points: 22.2 Rebounds: 12.1 Assists: 3.1 Blocks: 2.5	Games Played: 105 Points: 2,502 Rebounds: 1,362 Assists: 381 Blocks: 293	Games Played: 8 Points: 117 Rebounds: 100 Assists: 20 Blocks: 5

Duncan is famous for his graceful finesse on the court and for his low key demeanor. Possessing a sound all-around game, he has been dubbed "The Big Fundamental" by fellow NBA player Shaquille O'Neal. He has also been called "Groundhog Day" by now NBA analyst for TNT Charles Barkley because of his ability to produce very consistently on a day-to-day basis. His signature offensive moves are his smooth footwork and his accurate bank shot. Duncan scored a career high 53 points in an NBA game on December 26, 2001 in a home game against the Dallas Mavericks.

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Athletes - Tim Duncan

Early life

NCAA career

NBA career

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