On Tuesday, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) took to Twitter for their second annual Players' Voice awards. One of the honors given was for “Most Influential Veteran,” and it could not have been given to someone more deserving than the recently retired Tim Duncan.
The 40-year old announced last month that he's hanging up his sneakers for good after an illustrious 19-year career which has seen him win almost every major award in the NBA. He is a five-time champion, three-time finals MVP, two-time regular season MVP, 15-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA First Team member, eight-time defensive first team member, and the 1998 Rookie of the Year.
A video was made by the NBPA for their awardee, with his fellow NBA players giving their thoughts on what a ‘most influential veteran' truly means to them.
“The most influential veteran is a guy who is consistent, he's a leader, always ready, an idol, dare I say— a basketball god,” as said by Anthony Tolliver, Jaylen Brown, Karl-Anthony Towns, Dahntay Jones, Carmelo Anthony, and Jalen Rose.
Towards the end of the testimonial video, the Atlanta Hawks‘ Kyle Korver summarized the impact Duncan made on the league while including his personal experiences playing against him:
“I think just watching him care so much about a game on the road, in January, for someone still to care that much about every play even when you're 20 years in, I think there's no doubting that moment when he's able to be in the Hall-of-Fame beyond the first ballot.”
The legacy he will leave on the game is immeasurable. Most Influential Veteran goes to Tim Duncan. #PlayersVoicehttps://t.co/7E9mWNVQVS
— NBPA (@TheNBPA) August 4, 2016
But even with all the awards and accolades he received in the past, one thing that he has brought to the game is his work ethic, leadership and professionalism. Truly, the NBA will never be the same and will truly miss The Big Fundamental.
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