Tim Duncan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Duncan was born on April 25, 1976, in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, to immigrants from Anguilla. His mother, Ione, was a professional midwife, and his father, William, was a mason. He has two older sisters, Cheryl and Tricia, and an older brother, Scott. Cheryl was a champion swimmer before becoming a nurse, and Tricia swam for the U.S. Virgin Islands at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Duncan dreamt of becoming an Olympic-level swimmer like Tricia, excelling in the 50-, 100-, and 400-meter freestyle. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo destroyed the island's only Olympic-sized swimming pool, forcing Duncan to swim in the ocean, where his fear of sharks ruined his enthusiasm. His mother died of breast cancer on April 24, 1990, the day before his 14th birthday; on her deathbed, she made Duncan and his sisters promise to graduate from college. Duncan never swam competitively again, but his brother-in-law inspired him to turn to basketball. Initially awkward, he became a standout for St. Dunstan's Episcopal High School, averaging 25 points per game as a senior. Wake Forest coach Dave Odom grew interested after the 16-year-old allegedly played NBA star Alonzo Mourning to a draw in a 5-on-5 pick-up game. Despite scholarship offers from Hartford, Delaware, and Providence, Duncan joined Wake Forest.

In Their Own Story

In his first college game, Duncan was held scoreless, but he and teammate Randolph Childress led the Demon Deacons to a 20–11 record. Duncan wore No. 21 at Wake Forest in honor of his brother-in-law, Ricky Lowery, who had taught him to play basketball. He worked towards a degree in psychology and also took classes in anthropology and Chinese literature. Wake Forest psychology department chairperson Deborah Best said he "was one of my more intellectual students. ... Other than his height, I couldn't tell him from any other student at Wake Forest." Opposing fans taunted him as "Mr. Spock" for his stoic demeanor. In the 1994–95 season, Duncan neutralized Rasheed Wallace in the ACC championship game, while Childress sealed the win with a jump shot with four seconds left in overtime. In the NCAA tournament, Duncan scored 12 points with 22 rebounds and eight blocks against Oklahoma State, but Wake Forest lost 71–66. He averaged 16.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, was named Defensive Player of the Year, and became the third-best shot-blocker in NCAA history with 3.98 blocks per game. In the 1995–96 season, Duncan led the team to a 26–6 record and another ACC title, averaging 19.1 points and 12.3 rebounds. In the 1996–97 season, he scored 26 points and 14 rebounds in an 81–69 win against Duke, and 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a 65–62 victory over Clemson. He finished his senior season with career highs of 20.8 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting .606 from the field, winning the Defensive Player of the Year for a third straight season. He was first in NCAA Division I in rebounding, tenth in blocked shots (3.3 bpg), and 28th in scoring (20.8 ppg). He won the 1997 John Wooden Award as the NCAA's best overall male player.

Reader's Guide

After graduating from college, Duncan was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft and was named NBA Rookie of the Year. In his second season, he became the third player (alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to win NBA Finals MVP in his first two seasons after being drafted, guiding the Spurs to the 1999 NBA title. A strong post defender, Duncan was named to one of the two All-Defensive teams in each of his first 13 seasons, an NBA record. As part of the Spurs' Big Three with guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili, Duncan won four more NBA championships and collected three Finals MVP trophies. He primarily played power forward but also played center throughout his career. He is a five-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA MVP, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, a 15-time NBA All-Star, and the only player to be chosen for the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams for 13 consecutive seasons. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

Did You Know?

• Duncan initially aspired to be a competitive swimmer and excelled in the 50-, 100-, and 400-meter freestyle before Hurricane Hugo destroyed the island's only Olympic-sized pool.
• His mother died of breast cancer on April 24, 1990, the day before his 14th birthday, and on her deathbed made him promise to graduate from college.
• Duncan wore No. 21 at Wake Forest in honor of his brother-in-law, Ricky Lowery, who had taught him to play basketball.
• He was the third player (alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to win NBA Finals MVP in his first two seasons after being drafted.
• Duncan is the only player to be chosen for the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams for 13 consecutive seasons.