How old was Tim Duncan in first NBA Finals? Timeline from 1999 championship to retirement at age 40

Before Victor Wembanyama took the basketball world by storm, leading the Spurs to the NBA Finals at just 22 years old, there was Tim Duncan. 

Duncan was just 23 in 1999 when the Spurs won their first-ever championship. It was just his second season in the NBA at the time, and he finished third in MVP voting. 27 years later, Wembanyama finishes third in MVP voting in his 3rd season with the Spurs. 

History has begun to repeat itself. But what are the great milestones across Duncan's Hall of Fame career?

Here is a timeline of Duncan's NBA success in relation to his young accomplishments.

MORE: Tim Duncan's hair, then vs. now, how Spurs' star has changed his look and locks

How old was Tim Duncan during his first NBA Finals? 

During his first NBA Finals, Duncan was 23 years old. While the series took place during his age-22 season, Duncan turned 23 in late April, about a month and a half before the NBA Finals began. 

It took the Spurs just five games to win this series against the Knicks, with Tim Duncan being named the Finals MVP. 

How old was Tim Duncan in his first NBA season? 

During his first season in the NBA, Duncan was just 21 years old. At the time, he was just a few months removed from his college days at Wake Forest. 

Much like Wembanyama, Duncan was taken with the No. 1 overall pick and won Rookie of the Year in that first season. Duncan, however, made the playoffs, eventually bowing out in the Conference Semi-Finals. 

MORE: How do Victor Wembanyama, Tim Duncan careers compare so far?

How many championships did Tim Duncan win?

Duncan won five titles with the Spurs, leading the team's dynasty throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. 

But this all started in the '90s, where Duncan got his first ring. He lead the Spurs to a championship over the Knicks in 1999, where he also finished third in MVP voting. 

How old was Tim Duncan when he retired?

Duncan officially announced his retirement in July 2016, at 40 years old. Despite Duncan's stardom, this was a quiet retirement. No retirement tour season. No grand spectacle. Just a simple press release and Duncan was gone from the NBA. 

Why did Tim Duncan retire? 

For a long time, Duncan said that he would step away when the game of basketball stopped being fun. In the summer of 2016, he realized that time was upon him. So, after 19 years, Duncan called it quits.

"I can still do this. I could probably still play," Duncan said in an interview with ViVid Streaming in 2016. "But when it's time, it's time. It's time. I started not enjoying myself. It wasn't fun at times. And I always said when that point comes when it's not fun anymore then I'm done."

Duncan remains an active presence in San Antonio to this day and is still beloved by Spurs fans. With a young successor in the frontcourt, there's a chance that some of Duncan's records in San Antonio could fall soon.