Tim Duncan's hair then and now: Photos of ex-Spurs star with dreadlocks are unrecognizable since retirement

Tim Duncan is comfortably one of the best big men in NBA history. While some players change up their hairdo during their playing career, the man known as "The Big Fundamental" waited until his time as a player came to a close before letting his locks loose.

As a rookie, Duncan's main look was a streamlined one: a very short buzz cut. While his hair during his first NBA Finals appearance in 1999 was a bit longer, the buzz cut premise was still there.

Fast forward almost 20 years, and Duncan's hair is the longest it's ever been. Thankfully, The Big Fundamental did this in a time when AI was not as prevalent as it is today, or his current look would have been a lot harder to believe for NBA fans.

Here's how the all-time great looks now, versus his time playing for the San Antonio Spurs.

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Tim Duncan then and now

During his first season in the NBA, Duncan equipped himself with very short hair. This was one of his staple looks for the vast majority of his 19-season NBA career. The beginning of this video, featuring Kobe Bryant, shows Duncan's first look at a rookie. Here is the clip, along with some of Duncan's highlights from his stellar rookie campaign in 1997:

Rookie Tim Duncan was All-NBA 1st Team, All-Defense 2nd team & 5th in MVP voting! pic.twitter.com/bTCmYHHuBd https://t.co/ny0QdLOR9W

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 25, 2026

Two years later, Duncan was playing in his first NBA Finals. Here is a picture of him with David Robertson; this time, Duncan let his hair grow out a bit. The right picture features Duncan's post-retirement look 20 years later in 2019, which went viral across social media.

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 21, 2019

As a member of the Spurs' coaching staff during 2020, Duncan was seen more prominently on the team bench. The look started growing on San Antonio and NBA fans:

Damn, I am loving Tim Duncan's retirement hair. He's finally letting out his inner Sprewell. pic.twitter.com/mOXIOVy7vr

— MF (@bklynMF) February 5, 2020

Here is 2024 San Antonio rookies Harrison Ingram and Stephon Castle meeting Duncan just after receiving the call to join one of the most prolific teams in the NBA.

Spurs Rookies 🤝 Spurs Legend pic.twitter.com/3twrY6ylQq

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 1, 2024

Despite sharing the court almost 30 years ago in 2026, The Big Fundamental and The Admiral have remained close. Here is footage of them enjoying the Spurs' start to the NBA Playoffs this season, with Duncan's hair on full display:

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 20, 2026

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How old was Tim Duncan in 1999 NBA Finals?

Just two years after he was drafted to the Spurs in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan was suiting up for his first NBA Finals. At the mere age of 22, the same age Victor Wembanyama is at this year's Finals, "The Big Fundamental" played a large role in San Antonio's success that year.

En route to a 4-1 series win against the Knicks, Duncan averaged 27.4 points and 14 rebounds in the series. Duncan led all players in at least one statistic in four of the five games during the series, according to Basketball Reference:

• Game 1: 33 PTS
• Game 2: 15 REB
• Game 3: 12 REB
• Game 4: 28 PTS, 18 REB

He became tied as the second-youngest Finals MVP at the time, only being beaten out by Magic Johnson in 1980.

Here are Duncan's highlights from his 31-point performance in Game 5, the final game of the series:

MORE: Who will win this year's NBA Finals, the Spurs or the Knicks?

How old is Tim Duncan now?

Duncan is currently 50 years old. "The Big Fundamental" was born on April 25, 1976, in Christiansted, St. Croix, per EBSCO.

In the 1997 NBA Draft, he was selected No. 1 overall by the Spurs. The team paired him next to David Robertson to create a dynamic duo nickname of "the Twin Towers." Duncan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 after a career that totaled five NBA championships.

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