An Open Letter To Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan has officially stepped away from the game of basketball after 19 years. He has influenced and touched a lot of fans around the world.

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Duncan, you’ve influenced my life in such a way unlike any other person, I could never fully show my appreciation. As an 18 year old Spurs fanatic, I have never known a Spurs team without Tim Duncan- the two have always been synonymous.

You were the reason for my love in basketball and the Spurs, and the determination in me to be great. Your uniquely legendary career sets the bar for being great on your own terms, for being great without being flashy, for being not only great personally, but being a great teammate as well.

The idea of being great while remaining loyal to a single team is one that seems to be dying. After Lebron James’ decisions and Kevin Durant now joining the Golden State Warriors, it is clear that superstars are beginning to put ring-chasing ahead of loyalty- and of the three single-team superstars of my generation, the only player still active is Dirk Nowitzki.

This is why you are so special to me, and so special to sports fans everywhere. You won, and won, and won- all with the Spurs, all while remaining humble. Your humility in such a great career will likely never be seen again. Take a look at everyone else ranked amongst the top-10 of all time, no one is as quiet or as humble as you. You taught me humility in basketball, you taught me to let the game and the skill do the talking, to use actions rather than just words.

You have done indescribably great things for the city of San Antonio. You have brought happiness, hope, and unity to a city that revolves around their Spurs and Tim Duncan. Everywhere you go around San Antonio, there are Spurs jerseys and shirt, and the name on the back of a large portion of said jerseys read “Duncan”. From newborns to the elderly, the Spurs representation on the backs of the people is nearly endless, and it is in such a large part because of you.

I can only hope to see a Duncan statue outside of the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and to celebrate a city-wide “Tim Duncan day” at some point in the future, because you deserve it and more. For everything that you have done for basketball, and for people like myself, thank you for it all.

Thank you so much Tim Duncan, and we all wish you the best of luck in the future.

Next: A Look At Some Of Tim Duncan's Memorable Games