Episode 3: Longevity VS Peak

He is a freak of nature, old Tim Duncan.

Even though people don't like to say that because he is a pretty boring player.

But he was called the big fundamental for a reason.

He was born in the Virgin Islands.

And he actually was raised there.

Which is kind of bizarre.

Like it's like an African player being born and raised in Africa.

It's a little bit different.

But he grew up as a swimmer, because he's from the Virgin Islands.

Of course he grew up as a swimmer.

He started playing basketball only at the age of 14, and the only reason why he started playing was because a friggin' storm completely destroyed the one Olympic-sized swimming pool on the Virgin Islands.

So he was forced into doing something else.

He was like, okay, yeah, I guess I'll give basketball a go.

And he freaking was amazing straight away.

He played in the high school there.

Immediately was great.

And by his senior year, he was so dominant that he was averaging 25 and 12 with five blocks per game.

He was pretty much just there doing his thing, learning how to play the game.

And he was growing a lot.

But it wasn't until 1992 when an NBA pickup game happened in the offseason.

They did like a world tour, which is kind of weird to...

I don't know.

I had never really heard of that before, but looking it up.

And old Alonzo Mourning visited the Virgin Islands where a 16-year-old Tim Duncan played a pickup game against him.

And he actually held his own.