On this day in 1997: Tim Duncan debuts with 15 and 10 as the Spurs beat Denver

Twenty-nine years ago later this month, Tim Duncan played his first NBA game. On Friday, October 31, 1997, the No. 1 pick out of Wake Forest started at power forward for the San Antonio Spurs in Denver and posted a quiet double-double in a 107-96 win over the Nuggets at McNichols Sports Arena.

It was not a splashy debut. Duncan scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots in 35:30. David Robinson led San Antonio with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Avery Johnson added 19. Across the floor, Denver rookie Tony Battie — taken fifth in the same draft — scored 15. Bobby Jackson poured in 27 for the Nuggets.

• Tim Duncan (San Antonio, No. 1 pick), Friday, October 31, 1997: Spurs 107, Nuggets 96 at Denver. 15 points (6-9 FG, 0-0 3P, 3-5 FT), 10 rebounds (1 offensive, 9 defensive), 2 assists, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers in 35:30 as a starter. Attendance: 15,031.
• Spurs starters that night: Avery Johnson 19 points and 5 assists; David Robinson 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks; Sean Elliott 9 points; Vinny Del Negro 9 points; Duncan 15 and 10.
• Nuggets top scorers: Bobby Jackson 27; Bryant Stith 17; Eric Williams 17; Tony Battie (No. 5 pick, 1997) 15; Johnny Newman 11.

A double-double next to the Admiral

San Antonio had won the draft lottery and taken Duncan first overall after his senior season at Wake Forest. He walked into a frontcourt already anchored by Robinson, the former Rookie of the Year and MVP who was still in his prime.

On opening night in Denver, Robinson scored 21 with 13 rebounds and four blocks in 31 minutes. Duncan started beside him and needed only nine field-goal attempts to get to 15 points. He cleaned the defensive glass — nine of his 10 rebounds came on that end — and added two blocks of his own. The Spurs outrebounded Denver 49-34.

Monty Williams, Carl Herrera, Cory Alexander, Jaren Jackson, Will Perdue, Malik Rose and Reggie Geary all checked in off the San Antonio bench. The final was 107-96 in front of 15,031 at McNichols.

Rookie of the Year in 82 starts

Duncan played every game as a rookie and started all 82. He averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks in 39.1 minutes on 54.9 percent shooting. He won Rookie of the Year, made the All-Rookie team, earned All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive Second Team honors, and made the All-Star team. San Antonio finished 56-26 and returned to the playoffs.

In his third game, still early in his first week, he had 19 points and 22 rebounds in a double-overtime loss at Chicago. The pattern was already clear: volume minutes, board work, and finishing inside without forcing the shot.

What Duncan became

Duncan played 19 seasons, all with San Antonio. He finished with 26,496 points and 15,091 rebounds in 1,392 games, won five championships, two MVP awards and three Finals MVPs, made 15 All-Star teams and entered the Hall of Fame in 2020. He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

On Halloween night in 1997, he was a 21-year-old rookie posting 15 and 10 on the road. The Spurs won. The career that followed made that quiet first box score look like the start of a dynasty.