Five Championships: The Spurs Dynasty of 1999-2014

Duncan's five championships were beautifully distributed: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014. Spanning 15 years and almost his entire career, they are a rare 'long-cycle dynasty' in NBA history.

1999 was Duncan's second-year rookie season; in the lockout-shortened season the Spurs swept the East for the franchise's first title, Duncan named Finals MVP. 2003, before the Twin Towers era with Robinson ended, he won another, his second FMVP. 2005, in a 'defensive grind' against Detroit, Duncan reigned with a third FMVP. 2007, the Spurs swept the Cavaliers 4-0, team basketball at its zenith. 2014, as a veteran, Duncan avenged Miami, still the steadiest axis at 38.

The meaning of five titles goes beyond quantity. It proved the Spurs were not 'one-year wonders' but a stable power for over a decade. Duncan, the only core spanning all five, was the anchor of that history. Whether his partner changed from Robinson to Ginobili and Parker, or later Leonard, the Big Fundamental was always the unmoving cornerstone.

Compared to the 'individual hero narratives' of Jordan, Kobe, and James, the Spurs' five titles look more like a system victory. But the core of the system was exactly Duncan—he could high-post, low-post, protect the rim and defend, gluing all the pieces into a whole. Five trophies are team basketball's strongest rebuttal to 'star-first.'

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• 2005 NBA Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
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• 2003 NBA MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
• 2003 NBA Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
• 1999 NBA Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)