Tim Duncan is recognized as the greatest power forward in the history of the NBA, a player that dominated on both ends of the floor for almost 15 years. Duncan was known for his automatic bank shot and solid defense, his sound technical ability is what saw him earn the nickname, the Big Fundamental. Duncan embodied the spirit of the San Antonio Spurs sides he enjoyed so much success with, methodical and relentless, an unstoppable force.
Despite this, Duncan is someone who barely showed any emotion on the court, or indeed, off of it. He was known for his stoic personality, letting his game do the talking and staying focused on being the best and winning. He barely ever engaged in any trash talk, just going about his business. His many accolades saw him named at No. 9 in The Athletic’s Top 75 NBA Players list, which saw former player Antawn Jamison talk about how Duncan behaved on the court.
“With all that success, if it was probably me, I would be an asshole, talking shit as much as possible,” Jamison said. “Not with him. He just came out, let his game do the talking, gave you 27 and 13. Just another day in the neighborhood.”
Jamison went on to elaborate on Duncan’s famous bank shot, explaining what teams had to do to try and nullify Duncan.
“You knew it was coming and if you got up close to him thinking you were going to block the shot. He was so great and comfortable putting the ball on the floor, he could get to the rim with one dribble. … That bank shot was on point. The game plan was you had to double-team him.”
TD’s game and personality were in sync and ended up being cornerstones of his incredible accomplishments in the NBA. Duncan won 5 championships across 3 decades with his San Antonio Spurs, picking up 2 MVPs and 3 Finals MVPs along the way. He was named to the All-NBA First Team on 10 occasions and he is likely one of the only superstars that will be remembered exclusively with respect by the players he played and dominated against.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b3GrE3meQE
