![]() San Antonio won 56 games in 1997-98, good for fifth in the West. The Rookie of the Year was the NBA Rookie of the Month for every month of the season, an All-Star, and the first rookie named to the All-NBA first team since Larry Bird - all while finishing fifth in MVP voting.Īdding Duncan alongside a healthy Robinson made the Spurs a force. It's why Shaquille O'Neal ultimately coined him the "Big Fundamental."ĭuncan's first NBA campaign remains one of the greatest of all time based on accolades alone. While the controlled chaos of Garnett's game would see him crush a ferocious dunk and let out a primal scream, Duncan was quietly - and lethally - working the elbows and the glass. While he lacked the flash of big man contemporaries like Kevin Garnett, Duncan quickly won purists over with his basketball IQ. ![]() ![]() It was his first of 57 double-doubles that season, a league-leading mark. Individual successĭuncan made his NBA regular-season debut on Halloween in 1997 against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 15 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. On June 25, 1997, the Spurs made it official and selected Duncan first overall. Buford starting for us at off-guard," he said. "The chances of trading Tim Duncan are about the same as (then team scout, now CEO) R.C. San Antonio stumbled to a 20-62 record in 1996-97, a season that also saw general manager Gregg Popovich fire head coach Bob Hill and replace him with himself.Īfter San Antonio won the draft lottery that spring, Popovich made it clear right away Duncan was going to be a Spur. The Spurs had been a serious Western Conference contender in the '90s, but the season-ending injury to the superstar derailed their campaign. 23, 1996, when San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson broke his foot against the Miami Heat. ![]() Draft day NBA Photos / National Basketball Association / GettyĪlthough Duncan didn't know it yet, another stroke of fate would define his career on Dec. His stellar career arguably makes Duncan the last greatest four-year college basketball superstar. In his senior year, he won both the Naismith and Wooden awards, playing the entire season as the consensus No. In 128 games for the Demon Deacons between 1993-97, Duncan averaged 16.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks while shooting 58% from the floor. Transitioning to basketball at the relatively late age of 14, he developed rapidly through high school and accepted a scholarship to Wake Forest. However, fate intervened in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo tore through the Caribbean, destroying the pool Duncan used for training. Virgin Islands, where he dreamed of following in his sister's footsteps and swimming in the Olympics. ![]()
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