Tim Duncan, the soft-spoken big man who carried to the San Antonio Spurs to unparalleled heights, has called it a career.

In true Duncan form, he announced his retirement without all the bells and whistles a superstar like him could, choosing instead to break the news in a press release.

Duncan, 40, who is as much a part of San Antonio as the Alamo, is a surefire Hall of Famer, with two MVPs and five NBA titles on his resume. He was also named to the All-NBA team a record 15 times.

As the press release notes in its opening paragraph:

Since drafting Duncan, the Spurs won five championships and posted a 1,072-438 regular season record, giving the team a .710 winning percentage, which is the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and was the best in all of the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over the last 19 years.

As you might expect, Duncan's decision to hang 'em up rippled throughout the NBA.

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