Tim Duncan

He was the only son of William Duncan, a mason, and his wife Ione, a midwife. He has two sisters.

His sister Tricia was an Olympic-level swimmer and young Tim too dreamt of being one. With the support of his parents he became an excellent swimmer and aimed of making it to the 1992 Olympic Games.

However his dreams came crashing down when his hometown’s only Olympic sized swimming pool was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Tragedy struck when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and died before his 14th birthday. He never swam competitively again.

In order to distract his mind, the well built teenager started playing basketball. He started playing the sport only in the ninth grade but soon became a standout for his high school, the St. Dunstan’s Episcopal High School.

He enrolled at the Wake Forest University in 1993 and earned a degree in psychology.

Initially Duncan struggled while playing for the Demon Deacons, but during the 1993-94 NCAA season he and his teammate Randolph Childress led the Deacons to a 20-11 win-loss record.

He was regarded as one of the most eligible NBA prospects in the 1994-95 NCAA season. While playing against the Oklahoma State he scored 12 points to go with 22 rebounds and eight blocks. However his team lost.

He had an individually impressive season during 1996-97 and averaged 20.8 points, 14.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award.

The San Antonio Spurs drafted Duncan in the 1997 NBA Draft. He had a great start and grabbed 22 rebounds against Chicago Bulls. In his rookie season he averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year.

His team qualified for the 1998 NBA Playoffs. He did not play well in his first playoff game against the Phoenix Suns though he went on to finish the game with 32 points and 10 rebounds. However the Spurs lost in the second round.

He is a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) (2002, 2003), and three-time NBA Finals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005).

He was listed among the "100 Greatest Professional Basketball Players of The 20th Century" by the Association for Professional Basketball Research.

He was honored with the Virgin Islands Medal of Honor—the highest award bestowed by the Virgin Islands territorial government for his success and low-key personality.

Duncan is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history with his versatility and consistent records. He regularly ranks among the top scorers, rebounders, and shot-blockers in the league, and is regarded as one of the league's best interior defenders.