Editing Tim Duncan (section)

==College career==
In the year before Duncan's arrival at [[Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball|Wake Forest University]], the Demon Deacons had reached the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|Sweet 16]], but then lost leading scorer [[Rodney Rogers]], who entered the [[1993 NBA draft]].<ref name="jockbio"/> In the [[1993–94 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1993–94 NCAA season]], Coach [[Dave Odom]] was considering [[redshirt (college sports)|redshirting]] Duncan, but was forced to play him after fellow freshman big man [[Makhtar N'Diaye (basketball)|Makhtar N'Diaye]] violated [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] rules and eventually transferred to [[Michigan Wolverines men's basketball|Michigan]].<ref>Crothers, Tim, [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1007467/4/index.htm "Slam Duncan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203033418/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1007467/4/index.htm |date=December 3, 2013 }}, ''Sports Illustrated'', November 27, 1995. Retrieved November 21, 2011.</ref> Duncan wore No. 21 at Wake Forest in honor of his brother-in-law, Ricky Lowery, who had taught him to play basketball and had worn the same number when he was in college. He would continue to wear this number throughout his entire professional career.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How a hurricane helped get Tim Duncan to Wake Forest and into basketball history |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/how-a-hurricane-helped-get-tim-duncan-to-wake-forest-and-into-basketball-history |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=FOX Sports |language=en-US}}</ref> Duncan struggled with early transition problems and was even held scoreless in his first college game, but as the year progressed, he and teammate [[Randolph Childress]] led the Deacons to a 20–11 win–loss record.<ref name="jockbio"/> Duncan's style of play was simple yet effective, combining an array of [[Low post|low-post]] moves, mid-range [[Bank shot (basketball)|bank shots]], and tough defense. He was chosen to represent the U.S. in the 1994 [[Goodwill Games]].<ref name="jockbio"/> Meanwhile, Duncan worked towards a degree in psychology and also took classes in [[anthropology]] and Chinese literature.<ref name="Kernan2831"/> Despite his heavy focus on basketball, Wake Forest psychology department chairperson [[Deborah L. Best|Deborah Best]] said, "Tim ... was one of my more intellectual students. ... Other than his height, I couldn't tell him from any other student at Wake Forest."<ref name="Kernan2831"/> Duncan also established his reputation as a stoic player, to the extent that opposing fans taunted him as "[[Spock|Mr. Spock]]", the prototype of a logical, detached character from ''[[Star Trek]]''.<ref name="Kernan2831"/>

In the [[1994–95 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1994–95 NCAA season]], the sophomore was soon called one of the best prospects among those eligible for the NBA, along with peers [[Joe Smith (basketball)|Joe Smith]], [[Rasheed Wallace]], and [[Jerry Stackhouse]].<ref name="jockbio"/> [[Los Angeles Lakers]] general manager [[Jerry West]] suggested that Duncan might become the top pick in the [[1995 NBA draft]] if he went early; however, Duncan said that he had no intention of [[professional sports|going pro]] before graduation, despite the NBA's plan to add a rookie [[salary cap]] in 1996. Though it meant passing up a large amount of money, Duncan was loath to deviate from his determination to stay in school.<ref name="jockbio"/> In that season, he led the [[1994–95 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team|Demon Deacons]] into the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC) [[ACC men's basketball tournament|championship]] game against the Rasheed Wallace-led [[1994–95 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team|North Carolina Tar Heels]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/05/sports/duncan-and-wake-trample-unc.html|title=Duncan and Wake Trample U.N.C.|last=Jacobs|first=Barry|date=January 5, 1997|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=November 7, 2020|archive-date=February 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209214908/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/05/sports/duncan-and-wake-trample-unc.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During that game, Duncan neutralized Wallace, while Childress sealed the win with a [[Jump shot (basketball)|jump shot]] with four seconds left in [[overtime (sports)|overtime]].<ref name="jockbio"/> In the [[1995 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]], the Demon Deacons reached the Sweet 16. Playing against [[1994–95 Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team|Oklahoma State]], Duncan scored 12 points to go with 22 rebounds and eight blocks, outplaying [[Bryant Reeves]], but Wake Forest still lost, 71–66. Duncan ended the season averaging 16.8 [[point (basketball)|points]] and 12.5 [[rebound (basketball)|rebounds]] per game, was named Defensive Player of the Year, and became the third-best [[block (basketball)|shot-blocker]] in NCAA history with 3.98 blocks per game.<ref name="jockbio"/> He was also voted All-ACC First Team, a feat he would repeat in his two remaining years at Wake Forest.<ref name="usabio"/>

During the [[1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1995–96 NCAA season]], Wake Forest lost Childress, who had graduated the previous season and entered the NBA. In Childress's absence, Duncan led the team to a 12&ndash;4 ACC record, and a 26&ndash;6 record overall.<ref name="jockbio"/> The Demon Deacons won the ACC Finals again,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1996/03/11/duncan-misses-free-throws-but-rebounds-to-lift-wake/89884ff4-b41b-4396-8bd4-a5d91cb83002/|title=Duncan Misses Free Throws, But Rebounds To Lift Wake|last=Braunsdorf|first=Douglas|date=March 11, 1996|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> but in the Sweet 16, Duncan came down with the flu, and his team missed the [[Final Four]]. His season averages of 19.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game led to another ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and his first [[Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year|ACC Player of the Year]] award.<ref name="usabio"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.greensboro.com/duncan-seasons-top-player-in-acc/article_6574f125-4f27-59b2-b861-1cd80d781e6f.html|title=Duncan Season's Top Player in ACC|last=Foreman|first=Tom Jr.|date=March 11, 1996|website=greensboro.com|publisher=News & Record|access-date=July 4, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704173717/https://www.greensboro.com/duncan-seasons-top-player-in-acc/article_6574f125-4f27-59b2-b861-1cd80d781e6f.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Although the Wake Forest star was now rumored to be entering the [[1996 NBA draft]], he stayed in college.<ref name="jockbio"/>

In the [[1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1996–97 NCAA season]], new {{height|ft=7|in=1}} Demon Deacon and future NBA player [[Loren Woods]] eased the pressure on Duncan close to the basket. The [[1996–97 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team|1996–97 team]] won their first 13 games, but then came a slump, and they failed to win a third ACC title.<ref name="jockbio"/> On January 12, 1997, Duncan scored 26 points and 14 rebounds in an 81–69 win against [[Duke Blue Devils men's basketball|Duke]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-01-12-1997012168-story,amp.html|title=No.2 Wake dunks Duke for 9th straight time Duncan inside, Goolsby outside help extend Cameron mastery, 81–69|last=Markus|first=Don|date=January 12, 1997|publisher=[[Baltimore Sun]]|access-date=November 8, 2020|archive-date=June 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628142914/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-01-12-1997012168-story,amp.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On January 24, 1997, Duncan scored 16 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in a 65–62 victory over [[Clemson Tigers men's basketball|Clemson]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/24/sports/wake-gets-its-wish-respect-at-clemson.html|title=Wake Gets Its Wish (Respect) At Clemson|last=Jacobs|first=Barry|date=January 24, 1997|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=July 24, 2021|archive-date=July 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724174723/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/24/sports/wake-gets-its-wish-respect-at-clemson.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Later, during the NCAA tournament, [[Stanford Cardinal men's basketball|Stanford University]], led by future NBA [[point guard]] [[Brevin Knight]], eliminated Wake Forest with a 72–66 win.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-03-17-1997076100-story,amp.html|title=Stanford cuts down Duncan, Wake Forest Deacons center gets no help in 72–66 loss|last=Murray|first=Ken|date=March 17, 1997|work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|access-date=April 30, 2021|archive-date=June 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628135938/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-03-17-1997076100-story,amp.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Duncan finished his senior season with career high averages of 20.8 points, 14.7 rebounds and 3.2 [[assist (basketball)|assists]] per game while shooting .606 from the [[field goal percentage|field]] and winning the Defensive Player of the Year for a third straight season. He earned first-team [[All-America]]n honors for the second time and was a unanimous pick for both the [[Oscar Robertson Trophy]] and [[Naismith College Player of the Year]].<ref name="jockbio"/> Duncan was first in the 1996–97 NCAA Division I in rebounding, tenth in blocked shots (3.3 bpg), and 28th in scoring (20.8 <abbr title="points per game">ppg</abbr>).<ref name="usabio">{{cite web|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/tim_duncan_bio.html |title=USA Basketball Bio: Tim Duncan |publisher=usabasketball.com |access-date=September 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070531193516/http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/tim_duncan_bio.html |archive-date=May 31, 2007}}</ref> He was voted ACC Player of the Year again and, based on the votes of sportscasters and newswriters, won the 1997 [[John R. Wooden Award|John Wooden Award]] as the NCAA's best overall male player.<ref name="adid">[http://www.adidas-group.com/en/pressroom/archive/2003/2003-04.aspx adidas signs Superstar Tim Duncan] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130410043624/http://www.adidas-group.com/en/pressroom/archive/2003/2003-04.aspx |date=April 10, 2013 }}, adidas-group.com, February 7, 2003. Retrieved March 21, 2013.</ref>

In contrast to contemporary [[NBA high school draftees|prep-to-pro]] players like [[Kevin Garnett]], [[Jermaine O'Neal]], [[Tracy McGrady]], and [[Kobe Bryant]], Duncan stayed in college for a full four years. During that period, he was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and a three-time [[NABC Defensive Player of the Year]]. The center also made the All-ACC Tournament between 1995 and 1997 and the All-ACC First Team between 1995 and 1997. In 1996, he led the ACC in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and blocked shots, becoming the first player in conference history to lead all four of those categories.<ref name="usabio"/> That same year, he was also named [[Most Valuable Player]] of the ACC Tournament. Overall, Duncan led his team to a 97–31 win–loss record and finished his college career as the [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders#Post-1973 era|all-time leading rebounder]] in NCAA history in the post-1973 era (a mark later surpassed by [[Kenneth Faried]]). Duncan left college as the all-time leading shot-blocker in ACC history with 481 blocks—[[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career blocks leaders|at the time second in NCAA annals]] behind [[Colgate Raiders men's basketball|Colgate]]'s [[Adonal Foyle]]—and third on the ACC career rebounding list with 1,570 rebounds.<ref name="usabio"/> He is also tied with [[Armando Bacot]] for the second-most [[Double-double|double-doubles]] in NCAA history with 87.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCAA Men's Basketball Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/D1.pdf |access-date=April 25, 2025 |website=NCAA}}</ref>

In college, Duncan co-authored a chapter in the social psychology book ''Aversive Interpersonal Behaviors'' with [[Mark Leary]].<ref name="aversive">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zY1ivEwlHP4C&q=Aversive+Interpersonal+Behavior+tim+duncan&pg=PA111 |title=Aversive Interpersonal Behaviors |chapter=6: Blowhards, Snobs and Narcissists: Interpersonal Reactions to Excessive Egotism |page=111 |last1=Leary |first1=Mark R. |author-link1=Mark Leary |last2=Bednarski |first2=Richard |last3=Hammon |first3=Dudley |last4=Duncan |first4=Timothy |editor1-last=Kowalski |editor1-first=Robin M. |date=July 31, 1997 |publisher=[[Plenum Press]] |location=New York |series=The Springer Series in Social Clinical Psychology |isbn=9780306456114 |quote=Few interactions are as annoying, exasperating or unpleasant as those with people whom we perceive as behaving egotistically. |access-date=June 22, 2013 |archive-date=February 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240210114237/https://books.google.com/books?id=zY1ivEwlHP4C&q=Aversive+Interpersonal+Behavior+tim+duncan&pg=PA111#v=snippet&q=Aversive%20Interpersonal%20Behavior%20tim%20duncan&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://people.duke.edu/~leary/trivia.html#famous |title=Mark R. Leary Personal Trivia! |access-date=June 22, 2013 |archive-date=June 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622022858/http://people.duke.edu/~leary/trivia.html#famous |url-status=dead }}</ref> After earning his college degree in psychology,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Eisenberg |first=Daniel |date=June 16, 2003 |title=The Big Fundamental's Big Future |magazine=Time |url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,459011,00.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922183819/http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,459011,00.html |archive-date=September 22, 2019 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> Duncan entered the [[1997 NBA draft]].<ref>{{cite news|last=El-Bashir|first=Tarik|title=Spurs Win the Tim Duncan Sweepstakes|work=The New York Times|date=May 19, 1997|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/19/sports/spurs-win-the-tim-duncan-sweepstakes.html|access-date=June 29, 2023|archive-date=June 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629125924/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/19/sports/spurs-win-the-tim-duncan-sweepstakes.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, Duncan was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://godeacs.com/honors/wake-forest-sports-hall-of-fame/tim-duncan/110|title=Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame: Tim Duncan (2009)|website=GoDeacs.com|publisher=[[Wake Forest Demon Deacons]]|access-date=April 30, 2021|archive-date=July 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720050503/https://godeacs.com/honors/wake-forest-sports-hall-of-fame/tim-duncan/110|url-status=live}}</ref>