Spurs star Tim Duncan retires after 19 seasons

The 40-year-old Duncan, who was selected by the Spurs as the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, helped San Antonio reach the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons and became the only player in league history to start and win a title in three different decades.

Duncan comes off of a season in which he led the NBA in Defensive RPM (5.41) and became just the third player in league history to reach 1,000 career wins, as well as the only player to reach 1,000 wins with one team.

Forward Tim Duncan has announced his decision to retire after 19 seasons in the NBA — a sparkling career that included five NBA championships with San Antonio Spurs and 15 All-Star appearances .

The 40-year-old Duncan, who was selected by the Spurs as the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, helped San Antonio reach the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons and became the only player in league history to start and win a title in three different decades.

>#ThankYouTD , for everything. >https://t.co/tsjN4go8Rk

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) >July 11, 2016

Spurs won at least 50 games the last 17 seasons, the longest streak in league history, and posted at least a .600 winning percentage in each of Duncan’s 19 seasons, an all-time record for most consecutive seasons with a .600 win percentage in the four major U.S. sports.

Duncan comes off of a season in which he led the NBA in Defensive RPM (5.41) and became just the third player in league history to reach 1,000 career wins, as well as the only player to reach 1,000 wins with one team. He helped the Spurs to a franchise-best 67-15 record and also became one of two players in NBA history to record at least 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 3,000 blocks in his career, the other being LA Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Duncan totaled 15 All-NBA Team selections (tied for most all-time) and 15 NBA All-Defensive Team honors (most all-time), garnering both honors in the same season 15 times, the most in league history. The 1998 Rookie of the Year was named NBA MVP twice (2002, 2003) and NBA Finals MVP three times (1999, 2003 and 2005).

He is Spurs all-time NBA leader in total points (26,496), rebounds (15,091), blocked shots (3,020), minutes (47,368) and games played (1,392), as well as third in assists (4,225). In NBA history, Duncan is fifth all-time in double-doubles (841) and blocks, sixth in rebounding and 14th in scoring.

As the only player in NBA history to play over 9,000 career minutes in the playoffs, Duncan ranks first all-time in postseason double-doubles (164) and blocks (568), third in rebounds (2,859) and sixth in points (5,172).