Tim Duncan
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Two-time NBA champ
Tim is the son of William and Ione Duncan and is a native of Christiansted, Saint Croix of the United States Virgin Islands. As a child there, he was a nationally-ranked swimmer at St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School. In 1989, after the island's only Olympic-size pool was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo, Duncan switched his focus to basketball.
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NCAA career
Tim Duncan was a two-time ACC Player of the Year with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and had extensive international experience playing with the USA Basketball team. He didn't begin playing organized basketball until the ninth grade.
Tim was an All-American at Wake Forest University. The psychology major (with honors) was winner of the 1997 John Wooden Award, awarded to the NCAA's overall best 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. Duncan 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.
During the strike shortened 1999 NBA season, Duncan and David Robinson formed the Spurs "Twin Towers" and both led the Spurs to the franchise's NBA Finals victory. They almost swept the New York Knicks, winning 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, 18 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 blocks.
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 53 points in an NBA game on December 26, 2001 in a home game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Statistics As of August 2004
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Comparisons
Duncan is six feet-eleven inches tall (although prior to the 2004/05 season he was registered as a seven-footer) and weighs 260 pounds. The following compares Duncan with other current prominent big men in the NBA:
Garnett is an outstanding player who relies on his athleticism and guard-like skills.
Martin is a superb defender in the low block with very quick hands.
Yao is a very consistent player, averaging 15 points a game and 8 rebounds a game throughout his career.
Nowitzki is a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Although he often plays the power forward position, his shooting range makes him a threat from anywhere on the floor.
Both players put up similar numbers, however Jermaine O'Neal is doing so in the weaker of the two conferences in the NBA. He is somewhat less consistent in the post.
O'Neal's perfect defense was negated by two spectacular shots made by Duncan in game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semi-Finals. Both are very effective in the low block and while Shaquille O'Neal possesses a much larger body (by at least 80 pounds), Shaq is a poor outside shooter and free throw shooter. Duncan is a good shooting big man who may have cured his free throw shooting woes over the 2004 summer.
Both of these players were known as the best power forwards in the game in the 1999-2000 season. Webber, in the 2003 playoffs, suffered a serious injury that has hampered his playing ability however.
Olympics
Duncan played with the United States national team in the Championship of The Americas in Puerto Rico, helping them qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics. However, a knee injury forced him to stay out of the Olympic Games.
Four years later, Duncan was a member of Dream Team IV, competing in basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics. The team lost its right to the "Dream Team" nickname by losing three games on their way to a bronze medal. That record represented more losses in a single year than in the 68 previous years combined. It was also the first time since NBA professionals became eligible that the U.S. men's basketball team returned home without gold medals. After their last game Duncan provided a concise summary of his experience on the team:
- I am about 95 percent sure my FIBA career is over. I'll try not to share my experiences with anyone.[1] (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/basketball/08/28/usa.lithuania.ap/index.html)
Trivia
Before she succumbed to breast cancer, Tim promised his mother he would complete his university degree before playing basketball professionally.
His wife Amy was a cheerleader at Wake Forest University. She now oversees the Tim Duncan Foundation, which has been established to serve the areas of health awareness/research, education, and youth sports/recreation in San Antonio, Winston-Salem, and the United States Virgin Islands. She is currently expecting the couple's first child.
He is known for a calm, cool demeanor on the court, choosing to emphatically discuss calls with the referees rather than ranting and raving. This in turn has granted him a large amount of respect from fellow players, broadcasters, and fans.
External links
- Official website (http://www.slamduncan.com/)
- Sports Illustrated summary (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/players/3173/)
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