Tim Duncan (1976-), The San Antonio Spurs' Backbone (1997-2016) During One Of The Great 19-Year Runs In NBA History

[DonRocks]

Note: I'm editing this post after the 2015-2016 season, two seasons after I initially wrote it. The numbers were originally based on 17 years, and I've changed them to be based on the full extant of Tim Duncan's career: 19 years.

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The year before Tim Duncan joined the San Antonio Spurs, they went 20-62 (.244).

In the 19 years since he's played, the Spurs have performed as follows (copied from landofbasketball.com) including making the playoffs every single year (not to mention 26 of the past 27 years). Take a look at the 4th column from the left: winning percentage. It needs no analysis other than answering one question: is this the best 19-year streak of all-time in the NBA? This is ridiculous.

2015-16 San Antonio 67 - 15 .817 1st  Southwest Division    6 - 4 .429 Lost West Conf Semis  

2014-15 San Antonio 55 - 27 .671 2nd Southwest Division    3 - 4 .429 Lost West Conf 1st Rd  

2013-14 San Antonio 62 - 20 .756 1st  Southwest Division  16 - 7  .696 Won NBA Finals

2012-13 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 1st  Southwest Division  15 - 6  .714 Lost NBA Finals

2011-12 San Antonio 50 - 16 .758 1st  Southwest Division  10 - 4  .714 Lost West Conf Finals

2010-11 San Antonio 61 - 21 .744 1st  Southwest Division    2 - 4  .333 Lost West Conf 1st Rd

2009-10 San Antonio 50 - 32 .610 2nd Southwest Division   4 - 6   .400 Lost West Conf Semis

2008-09 San Antonio 54 - 28 .659 1st  Southwest Division    1 - 4  .200 Lost West Conf 1st Rd

2007-08 San Antonio 56 - 26 .683 2nd Southwest Division   9 - 8  .529 Lost West Conf Finals

2006-07 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 2nd Southwest Division 16 - 4  .800 Won NBA Finals

2005-06 San Antonio 63 - 19 .768 1st  Southwest Division    7 - 6  .538 Lost West Conf Semis

2004-05 San Antonio 59 - 23 .720 1st  Southwest Division  16 - 7  .696 Won NBA Finals

2003-04 San Antonio 57 - 25 .695 2nd Midwest Division       6 - 4  .600 Lost West Conf Semis

2002-03 San Antonio 60 - 22 .732 1st  Midwest Division      16 - 8 .667 Won NBA Finals

2001-02 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 1st  Midwest Division        4 - 6 .400 Lost West Conf Semis

2000-01 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 1st  Midwest Division        7 - 6 .538 Lost West Conf Finals

1999-00 San Antonio 53 - 29 .646 2nd Midwest Division       1 - 3 . 250 Lost West Conf 1st Rd

1998-99 San Antonio 37 - 13 .740 1st  Midwest Division      15 - 2 .882 Won NBA Finals (*)

1997-98 San Antonio 56 - 26 .683 2nd Midwest Division       4 - 5  .444 Lost West Conf Semis

I am well aware of the Boston Celtics from 1956-1957 through 1968-1969. They had a more intense, higher winning percentage and more championships, but the Spurs have kept it going on for longer. Sure makes for good bar talk - these Spurs of the past quarter-century (and note that Gregg Popovich has coached Tim Duncan *every year of his career*, and now has more championships than anyone except Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach) ... must be considered when talking about the greatest franchises in NBA history.

(*) Season shortened to 50 games due to lockout; other than this anomaly, Tim Duncan has won at least 50 games in every single season.

[DonRocks]

On the Camby thing....he was a college contemporary of Tim Duncan and was rated as high, maybe higher, maybe slightly lower than Duncan during college.  What an icon on which to be compared.  When he was healthy Camby was a quality player at defense and rebounding.

Am I wrong for remembering Tim Duncan as a really good, but not insanely good, college player?

[DaveO]

Am I wrong for remembering Tim Duncan as a really good, but not insanely good, college player? 

He had a stupendous college career playing all 4 years while being capable of being drafted at the top after both his sophomore and junior years.  His college game was like his pro game;  very excellent, very fundamental, sort of never doing things that are visually spectacular.   But he won a boat load of awards.

...and then he was drafted #1 in the pros.

[DaveO]

The year before Tim Duncan joined the San Antonio Spurs, they went 20-62 (.244).

In the 17 years since he's played, the Spurs have performed as follows (copied from landofbasketball.com) including making the playoffs every single year (not to mention 24 of the past 25 years). Take a look at the 4th column from the left: winning percentage. It needs no analysis other than answering one question: is this the best 17-year streak of all-time in the NBA? This is ridiculous.

2013-14 San Antonio 62 - 20 .756 1st  Southwest Division  16 - 7  .696 Won NBA Finals

2012-13 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 1st  Southwest Division  15 - 6  .714 Lost NBA Finals

2011-12 San Antonio 50 - 16 .758 1st  Southwest Division  10 - 4  .714 Lost West Conf Finals

2010-11 San Antonio 61 - 21 .744 1st  Southwest Division    2 - 4  .333 Lost West Conf 1st Rd

2009-10 San Antonio 50 - 32 .610 2nd Southwest Division   4 - 6   .400 Lost West Conf Semis

2008-09 San Antonio 54 - 28 .659 1st  Southwest Division    1 - 4  .200 Lost West Conf 1st Rd

2007-08 San Antonio 56 - 26 .683 2nd Southwest Division   9 - 8  .529 Lost West Conf Finals

2006-07 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 2nd Southwest Division 16 - 4  .800 Won NBA Finals

2005-06 San Antonio 63 - 19 .768 1st  Southwest Division    7 - 6  .538 Lost West Conf Semis

2004-05 San Antonio 59 - 23 .720 1st  Southwest Division  16 - 7  .696 Won NBA Finals

2003-04 San Antonio 57 - 25 .695 2nd Midwest Division       6 - 4  .600 Lost West Conf Semis

2002-03 San Antonio 60 - 22 .732 1st  Midwest Division      16 - 8 .667 Won NBA Finals

2001-02 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 1st  Midwest Division        4 - 6 .400 Lost West Conf Semis

2000-01 San Antonio 58 - 24 .707 1st  Midwest Division        7 - 6 .538 Lost West Conf Finals

1999-00 San Antonio 53 - 29 .646 2nd Midwest Division       1 - 3 . 250 Lost West Conf 1st Rd

1998-99 San Antonio 37 - 13 .740 1st  Midwest Division      15 - 2 .882 Won NBA Finals (*)

1997-98 San Antonio 56 - 26 .683 2nd Midwest Division       4 - 5  .444 Lost West Conf Semis

I am well aware of the Boston Celtics from 1956-1957 through 1968-1969. They had a more intense, higher winning percentage and more championships, but the Spurs have kept it going on for longer. Sure makes for good bar talk - these Spurs of the past quarter-century (and note that Gregg Popovich has coached Tim Duncan *every year of his career*, and now has more championships than anyone except Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach) ... must be considered when talking about the greatest franchises in NBA history.

(*) Season shortened to 50 games due to lockout; other than this anomaly, Tim Duncan has won at least 50 games in every single season.

Off the top of my head I can only think of a couple of players who have both that type of longevity and played entirely for one team or virtually for only one team.   The 3 that come to mind are Stockton and Malone for the Utah Jazz who played together and John Havlicek for the Celtics.  Again only off the top of my head without doing the research, I'd bet the Spurs with Duncan have a regular season record better than that of the Jazz (though I'd guess the Jazz had a great aggregate record with Stockton and Malone).  The Jazz never won a championship.

Havlicek's career spanned that of Bill Russell  the interim years and when Dave Cowens joined him.  Havlicek played on Many championships including two with Cowens.  But I think the Celtics had a couple of down years between Russell and when Cowens joined them....therein lies the difference.

Research would tighten up the above guess work.

[DonRocks]

On 6/15/2014 at 10:36 PM, DonRocks said:

Note: I'm editing this post after the 2015-2016 season, two seasons after I initially wrote it. The numbers were originally based on 17 years, and I've changed them to be based on the full extant of Tim Duncan's career: 19 years.

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2015-16 San Antonio 67 - 15 .817 1st  Southwest Division    6 - 4 .429 Lost West Conf Semis  

2014-15 San Antonio 55 - 27 .671 2nd Southwest Division    3 - 4 .429 Lost West Conf 1st Rd  

I updated the first post to reflect the entirety of Tim Duncan's Hall of Fame career - the Spurs saved their best regular-season record for Duncan's final season: .817.

[DaveO]

Following his retirement on July 21st the city of San Antonio celebrated Tim Duncan Day.

Lots of stories about Duncan, the retirement and his unique place in basketball and professional sports history.   Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs; An Unequaled Stretch of team Success and individual accomplishments.  I think that is where the essence of the story resides.   Duncan played, starred for, and led the San Antonio team for 19 uninterrupted years, an unusually long time for any American professional athlete, but not in its own right unique.  What was unique was the interrupted extraordinary success of the team during Duncan's tenure: 19 years:  19 straight years in the playoffs.  17 straight years with the team winning over 50 regular season games. (only interrupted by a strike shortened year)  During Duncan's career the Spurs won 71% of their regular season games, were in the playoffs every year (as noted) and won 5 NBA championships.

No team in any sport has ever had that kind of record associated with one single player over such a long period.  In any of the 4 major American sports.  Unprecedented. 

Where are the comparisons?   For championships Bill Russell won an unprecedented 11 NBA championships, at one time 8 in a row, but his playing career lasted 13 years.  Duncan played about 1.5 times as long as Russell.  Russell's Celtics also won 71% of the regular season games;  but it covered a 13 year period--not 19 years.  Kareem Abdul Jabbar might be the singularly comparable player--Kareem played for 20 years, just 2 teams, won 6 championships and was in the playoffs ALMOST every year, 18 of 20 years...but not every year.  Wilt about a 13 year career and 2 championships, Shaq a similarly long career but his longest stint with one team was 8 years with the Lakers and 3 championships in that time (plus one more), Hakeem...a similarly long career, almost totally with one team...but nowhere's near the winning percentage and 2 championships...not 5.  And Karl Malone, virtually one team, a similarly long career...excellent wining percentages...but alas no championships.

Plus Duncan made 1st, 2nd, or 3 team NBA virtually every year of his career, was often 1st team all defense....and was often a league leader in the esoteric sports statistics of Wins Above Replacement (WAR)  totals, offense and a lot on defense.   (however they calculate WAR???)  

Longevity, Excellence, Championships, One team. 

Duncan defined San Antonio...and San Antonio defined excellent play...and that relationship was unbroken during that entire run.    All of that is unique. Its no wonder San Antonio celebrated a Tim Duncan day.

Duncan got the name the Big Fundamental...and his play was mostly done without flourish but ...he was a damned talented athlete.  Here are some of his most remarkable plays...

 

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, DaveO said:

What was unique was the interrupted extraordinary success of the team during Duncan's tenure: 19 years:  19 straight years in the playoffs.  17 straight years with the team winning over 50 regular season games. (only interrupted by a strike shortened year)  During Duncan's career the Spurs won 71% of their regular season games, were in the playoffs every year (as noted) and won 5 NBA championships.

...

No team in any sport has ever had that kind of record associated with one single player over such a long period.  In any of the 4 major American sports. 

...

Unprecedented. Longevity, Excellence, Championships, One team. 

I honestly wonder who the best NBA player that retired this year was - I think my choice would be Tim Duncan. Fifty years from now, he'll be remembered as a Bill Russell.

Their *playoff winning percentage* was .640 (153-98). That's an *average* of over 8 playoff wins per season for every single year of his career!

P.S. - If you want a surprise, check out Derek Fisher.

[DaveO]

9 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I honestly wonder who the best NBA player that retired this year was - I think my choice would be Tim Duncan. Fifty years from now, he'll be remembered as a Bill Russell.

Mine too.