Tim Duncan 1998 NBA All-Star Nameplate

This 1998 All-Star nameplate was issued to Tim Duncan on February 8, 1998, for the NBA All-Star Game held at Madison Square Garden. The 1998 All-Star Game was Duncan's debut at the event as he was selected to the team as reserve in his rookie year.

Duncan finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds. The Eastern Conference, led by Jordan, defeated the Western Conference 135-114.

Going Deeper - Tim Duncan

The Big Fundamental

Tim Duncan is arguably the greatest power forward in NBA history. Known as the “Big Fundamental,” Duncan mastered every skill there is to learn in the game of basketball. Humble and quiet off the court, his game spoke for itself. He did not rely on dunks and crossovers to attract appeal, but instead used efficiency, leadership, and teamwork, to become irreplaceable on his Spurs side throughout his glittering 19 year career. 

Drafted first overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, this card captures the beginning of a stellar professional career, unmatched by any other player at his position. As an outstanding student athlete, Duncan showed tremendous promise throughout both high school and college. In 1997, he graduated with honors from Wake Forest University before becoming the torchbearer of the 1997-98 rookie class. 

Duncan’s impact was immediate. The year prior, during the 1996-1997 season, the Spurs struggled, as they finished 13th seed in the Western Conference with a mere 20 wins against 62 losses. The addition of Duncan to Hall of Fame center David Robinson set up the Spurs with one of the most lethal front courts in the NBA entering the 1997-98 season. Duncan’s addition helped engineer what was, at the time, the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history, as the Spurs drastically improved finishing the 1997-1998 season as the 4th seed with a 56-26 record. Duncan was named Rookie of the Year, and made the Spurs immediate playoff contenders. Although they bowed out in the Western Conference Semifinals, this great comeback season marked the beginning of the most successful new chapter for the Spurs franchise with a 22-year streak of playoff appearances, littered with Finals appearances and NBA championships. 

In Duncan’s second year in the NBA, he and the Spurs won their first NBA title. Duncan won Finals MVP and established himself as one of the faces of the league in the post-Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan era. This maiden NBA championship was the first of many, as he continued his run of success throughout the 2000s to establish one of the NBA’s great dynasties. The Spurs reached the Finals five more times with Duncan resulting in another four titles and two Finals MVP honors for the face of the franchise.

In addition to his playoff success, Duncan remained one of the most dominant players in the NBA throughout his career. He won 2 NBA MVPs, is a 15-time All-Star, was named to 15 All-NBA Teams including 10 All-NBA First Teams, and 15 All-Defensive Teams including eight All-Defensive First Teams. He stands with Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as the only players to be named college basketball’s Player of the Year, NBA Rookie of the Year, and MVP of both the All-Star Game and NBA Finals. In August 2020, Tim Duncan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2022 Duncan was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Duncan also ranks 16th all-time in points, 6th all-time in rebounds, and 5th all-time in blocks in NBA history.