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On May 5, 1998, Tim Duncan scored a then playoff career-high 33 points as a rookie to lead the San Antonio Spurs to an 83-82 loss against the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
His 33 points were a game-high while he also added 10 rebounds and four blocks in 44 minutes of work against Karl Malone and John Stockton. The Spurs would go on to lose in five games as the Jazz made it to face Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.
Duncan turned in one of the greatest rookie seasons in history, however.
He averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocks in the regular season and posted 20.7 points, nine rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.9 assists in nine playoff games. He was named the 1997-98 NBA Rookie of the Year and is one of only 45 players to make the All-Star Game as a rookie.
Duncan was named as a Hall of Fame inductee last month after becoming one of the best players in history. Incredibly, Duncan made the NBA Playoffs in each of his 19 seasons with the Spurs.
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