Nineteen seasons, one team, five championships. Tim Duncan never chased headlines, yet the San Antonio Spurs great built one of the most complete careers the NBA has seen, quietly anchoring a dynasty from 1999 to 2014.
They called him the Big Fundamental, and the label stuck for good reason. Browse our San Antonio Spurs collection.
Tim Duncan Fact File
| Full name | Timothy Theodore Duncan |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 April 1976 (age 50) |
| Place of birth | St Croix, US Virgin Islands |
| Height | 6 ft 11 in (211 cm) |
| Position | Power forward / centre |
| Nationality | American |
| Teams | San Antonio Spurs (1997–2016) |
| Shirt number | 21 |
| Nickname | The Big Fundamental |
Career History
| Years | Team | Games | Points | Rebounds | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–2003 | San Antonio Spurs | 451 | 10,324 | 5,548 | 22.9 |
| 2003–2007 | San Antonio Spurs | 295 | 5,964 | 3,318 | 20.2 |
| 2007–2011 | San Antonio Spurs | 307 | 5,375 | 3,147 | 17.5 |
| 2011–2016 | San Antonio Spurs | 339 | 4,833 | 3,078 | 14.3 |
| Career | San Antonio Spurs | 1,392 | 26,496 | 15,091 | 19.0 |
Regular-season figures from Basketball Reference, grouped by era; in the play-offs he added 251 games, 5,172 points and 2,859 rebounds (20.6 PPG).
Early Years in St Croix
Duncan grew up on St Croix dreaming of Olympic swimming, like his older sister Tricia. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo destroyed the island's only Olympic-sized pool, and he turned to basketball instead, starting at 14.
He learned fast. Wake Forest offered him a place, and he stayed all four years from 1993 to 1997, winning the John Wooden Award as college basketball's best player as a senior.
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Number One Pick and Instant Impact
San Antonio took him first overall in the 1997 draft. He was named Rookie of the Year, and in only his second season he led the Spurs to the 1999 title over the Knicks, collecting the Finals MVP award.
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Peak Years and a Dynasty
Duncan won back-to-back MVP awards in 2002 and 2003, then added a second championship and Finals MVP in 2003. A third ring and Finals MVP followed in 2005 against Detroit, and the Spurs swept Cleveland in 2007.
His game was built on footwork, the bank shot and relentless defence. He earned 15 All-NBA and 15 All-Defensive selections, and he won a bronze medal with the United States at the 2004 Olympics.
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Later Career and Legacy
With Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich, Duncan kept San Antonio winning long after rivals expected decline. The Spurs beat Miami for a fifth title in 2014, 15 years after his first.
The numbers are staggering: an NBA-record 841 double-doubles, and he joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks. He was also the first player to reach 1,000 wins with one franchise.
He retired in July 2016 as the club's all-time leader in points and games. The Spurs retired his No. 21 that December, and he entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020.
Honours
Team
- NBA champion (5): 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014
- Olympic bronze medal: 2004
Individual
- NBA Most Valuable Player (2): 2002, 2003
- NBA Finals MVP (3): 1999, 2003, 2005
- NBA Rookie of the Year: 1998
- NBA All-Star (15)
- All-NBA Team (15): 10 First, 3 Second, 2 Third
- All-Defensive Team (15)
- John Wooden Award: 1997
Recognition
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2020)
- No. 21 retired by the San Antonio Spurs (2016)
- No. 21 retired by Wake Forest
Away From the Game
Duncan stayed close to the Spurs after retiring. He joined Popovich's staff as an assistant coach for the 2019–20 season, even taking charge of one game, before stepping away in November 2020.
FAQs
How old is Tim Duncan?
Tim Duncan was born on 25 April 1976, so he is 50 as of October 2026.
Where was Tim Duncan born?
He was born on St Croix, in the US Virgin Islands, where he grew up.
How tall is Tim Duncan?
Duncan is 6 ft 11 in (211 cm).
What teams did Tim Duncan play for?
Only one: the San Antonio Spurs, from 1997 to 2016, after four seasons at Wake Forest.
How many points did Tim Duncan score?
He scored 26,496 regular-season points and grabbed 15,091 rebounds, averaging 19.0 points and 10.8 rebounds over 1,392 games.
How many championships did Tim Duncan win?
Five, in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, and he was Finals MVP in the first three.
Shop the Tim Duncan Collection
If the Big Fundamental is your all-time favourite, show it with designs made for fans who love the game done properly.
Tim Duncan Men's T-Shirt
£29.99
Tim Duncan Men's Hoodie
£39.99
Explore more in our Basketball collection and San Antonio Spurs collection, or put your own name on the back with our custom name hoodie.
Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Shaquille O'Neal Career Story and Kobe Bryant Career Story.
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