The first round of the NBA playoffs is underway, but a lot of the talk around the league has been about Kobe Bryant having played his final NBA game. Bryant announced this would be his final season in the middle of the year and went on a farewell tour where he was cheered in every arena he went to.
Bryant may not be the only legend that played his final season in the NBA this year though. There's Kevin Garnett, who may decide to call it quits, and there is Tim Duncan, who it seems like there is always questions about him retiring.
It is unclear which way Duncan is leaning on his retirement, but whenever he does decide to retire, don't expect a farewell tour like the one Kobe just had. Duncan said he doesn't want a farewell tour because it is not his deal or style.
This won't come as a surprise to anyone that has followed Duncan throughout his career, considering he has been the quietest superstar in the league for a long time. Duncan is never really in the news for anything and doesn't exactly open up to the media often. All he really does is play basketball at an extremely high level and win a lot of games.
While many people talk about Kobe as one of the greatest players in NBA history, and rightfully so, Duncan is right up there with him and would certainly be worthy of a farewell tour. Whenever he decides to call it quits, Duncan will go down as the greatest Spur ever and probably the greatest power forward in the history of the NBA. Not only does Duncan have five championship rings and 15 All-Star game appearances, but his longevity is something to marvel at.
Duncan only played in 61 games this season due to a knee injury, but was still productive in 25.2 minutes per game and is still a top-notch interior defender. In fact, there are some that believe Duncan should have received votes for Defensive Player of the Year this season, an award which his teammate Kawhi Leonard won.
No matter what way you look at it, Duncan is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer and an all-time great. He may be underappreciated because he doesn't say much, but his numbers speak for themselves. Duncan is still good enough to continue playing in the league at a very high level, but he will turn 40 later this month, so retirement is, obviously, a possibility. The ideal situation would be for him to go out on top with the Spurs, having won another championship, but no matter when he leaves, it will be quietly.
