SAN Antonio Spurs star power forward Tim Duncan, one of the best players in NBA history, announced his retirement Monday, ending a brilliant 19-season career that included five league titles.

    Considered one of the most understated superstars in sports, Duncan never wanted the spotlight, only the trophies. He never wanted the endorsements, only the camaraderie. He never wanted the accolades, only the collective achievement.

    No big news conference. No victory lap. Not even a canned quote in the press release. Just a simple goodbye Monday from the quiet anchor at the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.

    Just as he has for so much of his 19 seasons, Duncan let others do the talking for him.

    The unassuming Duncan was the only player to start and win a title in three different decades. Nicknamed “The Big Fundamental’’ for his clinical approach that favored bank shots over dunks, he was a member of the All-NBA first team 10 times and is one of only three players — joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parrish — to win at least 1,000 games in his career. He is fifth on the NBA’s career list in blocks, sixth in rebounds and 14th in scoring. He joined Larry Bird and Michael Jordan as the only players to be named college basketball’s player of the year, the NBA rookie of the year, and the MVP of the All-Star game and the NBA Finals.

    The reluctant star was often overshadowed in the public eye by more outsized personalities like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. But he leaves this game as one of the league’s true giants, perhaps the best power forward to ever play and one who left as indelible a mark on his franchise as any player to come before him.

    The 40-year-old spent his entire career with the Spurs — an anomaly in a league where players often change teams.

    The Spurs reached the playoffs in every one of his 19 seasons.

    Duncan, together with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, formed one of the most successful trios in NBA history. They hold the league record for regular season wins (575) and postseason wins (126).

    Duncan and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also formed a dynamic duo, accounting for the most wins ever by a player-coach duo at 1,001.

    Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry admired Duncan for the way he carried himself.

    He tweeted: “The end of an era. Thanks 4 everything you did for the game! A Winner, and you Did it your way. Congrats, Tim!”

    (SD-Agencies)