Tim Duncan through the years

Duncan was named to 15 NBA All-Star teams.

Duncan is one of only four players in NBA history with 22,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 2,000 blocks, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal.

Duncan has helped the Spurs win five NBA championships with a singular focus on the court. Off the court, though, Duncan is known for being quiet and unassuming.

Duncan has carved out his niche in NBA history with a fundamentally and technically sound approach that even he has called "boring."

Duncan's place in NBA history is all the more remarkable considering he didn't play organized basketball until he was in the ninth grade.

Growing up on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Duncan was an avid swimmer as a child. He turned to basketball after Hurricane Hugo destroyed the island's only Olympic-sized pool in 1989.

Duncan is also a well-known and active philanthropist off the court. He and his wife created the Tim Duncan Foundation in 2001 to help raise health awareness and fund education and youth sports in San Antonio, Winston-Salem, N.C. (where they went to college) and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

He may be quiet and unassuming, but Duncan is also a bit odd and quirky off the court. Duncan has admitted his fears of heights and sharks, and he is a self-professed video game junkie who collects samurai swords and enjoys the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

Duncan has been an All-Star 15 times in his career. Here, Duncan shares a laugh with Kobe Bryant at the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix.

Duncan shared MVP honors at the 2000 All-Star Game with Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal.

Always a fan favorite, Duncan always has time to sign autographs.

Duncan and Tony Parker have been teammates since Parker came to San Antonio in 2001.

Manu Ginobili joined the Spurs the following year, and another great NBA trio was formed. The three have partnered to win three NBA championships.

Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have consistently been three of the top players in the NBA.

Perhaps no three players in the NBA epitomize their organization like Duncan, Ginobili and Parker do the Spurs.

Always serious on the court, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili share a laugh on the bench.

Just as synonymous with the Spurs organization as Duncan is Gregg Popovich, who was named San Antonio coach 18 games into the 1996-97 season. Duncan came along the next year, and a perennial title contender was born.

The Passing of the Torch.

In just his second year in the league, Duncan led the Spurs to their first NBA championship. Duncan averaged 23.4 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the Finals as the Spurs beat the Knicks 4-1.

Duncan helped Robinson win his first NBA title in his 10th season in the league.

There was better hardware in store for Duncan in 2002-03, as the Spurs beat the Nets in the NBA Finals 4-2 for their second championship.

Duncan and the Spurs presented President George W. Bush with a jersey after they won the 2003 NBA title.

The Sweep.

Duncan averaged 18.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 blocks as the Spurs swept the Cavaliers 4-0 for the fourth title in franchise history.

The MVP award went to Parker, but Duncan and the Spurs became the fourth franchise to win at least four NBA championships.

Duncan and the Spurs won two of those five playoff series against O'Neal and the Lakers in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Duncan and O'Neal got a rare chance to play against each other as All-Stars at the 2008 game in Las Vegas.

Mar 25, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) reacts after making a three-pointer during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-188374 ORIG FILE ID: 20150325_cja_ai1_223.JPG

Apr 17, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) shoots the ball past Memphis Grizzlies power forward Chris Andersen (7, behind) during the second half in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-268120 ORIG FILE ID: 20160417_ajw_ai1_142.jpg

May 12, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) fights for position with Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) during the first quarter in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-268810 ORIG FILE ID: 20160512_gma_ax3_046.jpg