After 19 seasons in the NBA, Tim Duncan is officially retired. The Spurs legend—who won five NBA titles and was named an NBA All-Star 15 times during his career—called it quits on Monday by issuing a press release through the only team he has ever played for. It was a fitting end to an outstanding career for the low-key superstar, who did most of his talking on the court as opposed to off it.
Unlike Kobe Bryant, who announced his intention to retire more than four months before he actually walked off the court for the final time, Duncan didn’t give the NBA world much warning with regards to his retirement. Outside of a Yahoo! Sports report that emerged last Monday in the midst of all the Kevin Durant-to-the-Warriors talk, Duncan stayed mum on his plans to retire right up until the very end. So NBA players, fans, and reporters didn’t have much time to gather their thoughts and share their favorite stories about Duncan in the weeks leading up to his retirement, like they did for Kobe. But that hasn’t stopped them from doing it on Monday.
Since Duncan announced his retirement, he has received an outpouring of support from former and current NBA players. Here is how some of those players (and one prominent NBA owner!) have reacted to the news about Duncan retiring:
NBA fans have spent most of the morning tweeting about Duncan, too. His name is currently at the top of Twitter’s U.S. Trends list, and many fans have sent out tweets that have both honored Duncan’s legacy and poked fun at his quiet demeanor. Here are some of the fan reactions that have been floating around out there:
Additionally, NBA reporters have been sharing some of their fondest memories about Duncan on Twitter. From those who have covered him everyday to those who have watched him from afar, it’s clear Duncan left an impact on the sports media, even though he shied away from interacting with the press on a regular basis:
It truly is the end of an era.
