In his sterling 18-year NBA career, Tim Duncan has come to embody a unique combination of longevity and success.
His San Antonio Spurs have never missed the playoffs on his watch, or even had a winning percentage lower than .600. Only twice have they been eliminated in the first round.
It shouldn't be any surprise, then, that Duncan is in some exclusive company when it comes to postseason scoring.
In the first quarter of Game 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Duncan became just the fifth player in NBA history - joining Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal - to record 5,000 career playoff points.
NBA royalty. Duncan joins MJ, Kareem, Kobe & Shaq as only players to reach the feat of 5,000 playoff points. pic.twitter.com/UwtYkDYFI9
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 23, 2015
"He pays my bills, for a long time," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Duncan before the game. "He's beyond special."
