San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan has announced his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons.
The 40-year-old bows out as one of the most decorated players in history, helping the Spurs to five NBA Championships and being named the league's MVP on two occasions.
Duncan was the number one overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft and went on to become the only player to start and win an NBA Championship in three different decades.
The Wake Forest graduate averaged 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game throughout his career and is one of only two players in NBA history to record at least 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks, alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
With Duncan in the team, the Spurs posted a .710 regular-season winning percentage, which is the best over a 19-year spell in NBA history.
Duncan also won three NBA Finals MVP awards, 15-All Star selections, 15 All-NBA Team selections and an all-time record 15 selections for the All-Defensive Team during his illustrious career.
The power forward, who is regarded by many to be the greatest of all time in his position, ends his NBA career with final figures of 26,496 points, 15,901 rebounds and 3,020 blocks.
Barney Corkhill
