Tim Duncan Wins Fifth NBA Championship
6/15/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 15, 2014
By Scott Wortman, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@TieDyeNation)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest Hall of Famer Tim Duncan added yet another accomplishment to an already sterling resume as he led the San Antonio Spurs to their fifth NBA title on Sunday night.
Duncan, who San Antonio drafted No. 1 overall out of Wake Forest in 1997, led the Spurs to a five-game series defeat of defending champion Miami. San Antonio clinched the series with Sunday's 104-87 win at home, giving the Spurs a bit of revenge after the Heat beat them in seven games in the 2013 NBA Finals.
After the teams split the first two games of the series, the Spurs won three straight, including two on the road in Miami, to close it out.
Already considered one of the best to ever play the game, Duncan now joins elite company with five NBA titles to his credit. He is one of just 15 players in league history to win at least five championships, and he and Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers) are the only active plays to have accomplished the feat.
In addition to this year's crown, Duncan and the Spurs also won NBA titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. He is one of three Demon Deacons all-time to win an NBA championship along with Rusty LaRue (1998 Chicago Bulls) and Dickie Hemric (1957 Boston Celtics).
Duncan set two impressive individual records during the Finals. He broke Magic Johnson's record for career playoff double-doubles (158 now for Duncan), and he set the all-time record for career playoff minutes, eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot.
Duncan and fellow Spurs Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker established a new record for playoff wins by a trio, finishing this postseason with 117 for their careers.
Duncan is the winningest player in Wake Forest history after leading the Deacons to four-straight 20-win seasons and four NCAA Tournament appearances from 1994-97. He was a three-time All-American and the national player of the year in 1997. Duncan is a member of the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame and has his No. 21 jersey retired.