US's center Tim Duncan of San Antonio Spurs plays with a ball during the training session at Abdi Ipekci Sport Hall in Istanbul, Turkey, August 9, 2004. [Photo/IC]

WASHINGTON - San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan announced Monday his retirement after 19 seasons with San Antonio.

Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement about Duncan's announcement, saying, "Tim Duncan is one of the most dominant players in NBA history. His devotion to excellence and mastery of the game led to five NBA championships, two regular-season MVP awards and a place among the all-time greats, while his understated selflessness made him the ultimate teammate.

"For two decades Tim represented the Spurs, the city of San Antonio and the league with passion and class. All of us in the NBA family thank him for his profound impact on the game."

Originally selected by the Spurs as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Duncan, 40, helped San Antonio reach the playoffs in each of his 19 seasons.

The Spurs won five championships with Duncan and posted a 1,072-438 regular season record, giving the team a 71 winning percentage, which is the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and was the best in all of the four major leagues NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over the last 19 years.

Duncan, the 1998 Rookie of the Year, won five NBA titles, two NBA MVP (2002, 2003) and three NBA Finals MVP (1999, 2003 and 2005). In his NBA career, the 15-time All-Star appeared in a total of 1,392 games and averaged 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.17 blocks in 34.0 minutes.