Why Tim Duncan's historic NBA career seemed to fly under the radar

Getty Images

Tim Duncan announced his retirement this week after 19 seasons in the NBA.

Duncan goes out as one of the most decorated players in NBA history. But despite having won five championship rings and two MVP trophies, Duncan was somewhat of an anonymous figure in a league that breeds superstars.

Many factors contributed to Duncan's under-the-radar success, from his upbringing, to his unusual longevity in college, and the city where he played home games.

In addition, Duncan's success came in the shadows of some of the game's greats, and his titles came at some unlucky times.

Below we'll take a closer look at just how Duncan was so successful without all the accolades of lesser players.

Duncan grew up in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, so he was not on the radar of American media like many young basketball stars.

Duncan didn't even start playing basketball until ninth grade. Prior to that he had dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer and was a top U.S. junior swimmer in the 400 freestyle.

When Hurricane Hugo destroyed his local pool in 1989, Duncan was forced to practice in the ocean. He later said swimming lost its appeal because there were no competitions at this time.