Today was a sad day as one of the greatest careers in basketball history has come to an end. Tim Duncan, a five-time champion, two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP and 15-time All-Star announced today he was retiring. He, along with Gregg Popovich, transformed the San Antonio Spurs into a powerhouse of a franchise that everyone has tried to emulate for years and it all started with Duncan who based his game on the fundamentals, nothing flashy.

Duncan’s game was almost never flashy and you almost never see that in basketball today. The amazing footwork from the low block. The amazing understanding of defensive angels and positioning. The automatic bank shot off the glass. And, perhaps most important of all, the ability to lead by example for his teammates. Throughout his career, Duncan and the Spurs became with the word “boring” for some fans. For the die heart fans of the NBA, they saw Duncan lead the “boring” Spurs with greatness on both ends of the floor that led him to winning five championships.

His career is one of the best in league history and his legacy is one to remember. Duncan played at a high level for a long period of time. He was an example on and off the court for future and present basketball players. It’s unlikely we’ll see another player who combined the talent, leadership and commitment to the game that Duncan showed. There is no right or wrong way to measure greatness but it will be interesting to see how people view Duncan and where they put him on their all time list.

Perhaps Duncan is the last of a dying breed. He has no Twitter account, rarely makes comments to the media and has largely lived a private personal life. Perhaps that did make Tim Duncan “boring.” But it’s also what helped make him the greatest power forward I have ever seen and a man whose legacy will live on far beyond the reach of his long amazing NBA career.

Thank you Tim Duncan for giving us great fundamental basketball for 19 years.