Tim Duncan never wanted the spotlight, only the trophies. He never wanted the endorsements, only the camaraderie. He never wanted the accolades, only the collective achievement.So when one of the most understated superstars in sports decided to finally call it a career after nearly two decades of excellence, he made the announcement with a 15-foot bank shot and not a boisterous slam dunk.No big news conference. No victory lap. Not even a canned quote in the press release. Just a simple goodbye on Monday from the quiet anchor at the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty.Just as he has for so much of his 19 seasons, the 40-year-old Duncan let others do the talking for him.Congrats to Tim Duncan. Probably a top 5 all time player and undoubtedly a top 5 all time teammate, tweeted Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played with Duncan in San Antonio. Wow, what a career.Fifteen All-Star appearances, five championships, three NBA Finals MVPs, two NBA MVPs, one coach, one team. Forever.The Spurs made the playoffs in all 19 of his seasons and won 71 percent of their regular season games with No. 21 in the middle.The best (power forward) ever! Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge tweeted. Thanks for the memories old man. A great player and teammate.Few would dare argue.Duncan was the No. 1 overall pick in 1997 and teamed with coach Gregg Popovich, point guard Tony Parker and shooting guard Manu Ginobili to turn the Spurs from a solid franchise that could never quite get over the hump into the model for American sports.The constant staple of their franchise, Clevelands LeBron James said earlier this year.The unassuming Duncan was the only player to start and win a title in three different decades. Nicknamed The Big Fundamental for his clinical approach that favored bank shots over dunks, he was a member of the All-NBA first team 10 times and is one of only three players -- joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parrish -- to win at least 1,000 games in his career. He is fifth on the NBAs career list in blocks, sixth in rebounds and 14th in scoring.He joined Larry Bird and Michael Jordan as the only players to be named college basketballs player of the year, the NBA rookie of the year, and the MVP of the All-Star game and the NBA Finals.Even tho I knew it was coming, Im still moved by the news, Ginobili tweeted. What a HUGE honor to have played with him for 14 seasons! (hash)ThankYouTD.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Duncan one of the most dominant players in NBA history and lauded him for an understated selflessness (that) made him the ultimate teammate.For two decades Tim represented the Spurs, the city of San Antonio and the league with passion and class, Silver said. All of us in the NBA family thank him for his profound impact on the game.The reluctant star was often overshadowed in the public eye by more outsized personalities like James and Kobe Bryant, who also retired this year after 20 seasons, all with the Los Angeles Lakers. But he leaves this game as one of the leagues true giants, perhaps the best power forward to ever play and one who left as indelible a mark on his franchise as any player to come before him.This will always be Timmys franchise. Always, Parker said during the 2013 NBA Finals. Should do a statue for him outside the AT&T Center.The last time Duncan spoke to reporters was on May 12, when the Spurs had just been eliminated by the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.There were hints in that game of Duncans plans, even though he later exercised a contract option to clear the way for his return. He had always said that he would walk away when he felt he could no longer have a significant impact on the game, and for most of the series the younger Thunder big men had their way with him and the Spurs on the glass.With the Spurs getting blown out and the fourth quarter set to begin, Popovich and his veteran star had a brief conversation on the bench. Duncan then played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter without coming out for a rest, finishing with 19 points and soaking up every second he could in the last game he would ever play. And when the game was over, Duncan waved to the visiting crowd and pointed a finger toward the roof as he headed to the locker room.Timmys never been a very outspoken or emoting sort of individual on the court, Popovich said earlier this year. Everybody does it differently.And Duncan was truly one of a kind.In 1997, after an injury to star David Robinson, the Spurs plunged in the standings and ended up with a chance at the No. 1 overall pick. They won the lottery, and it was a no-brainer to choose Duncan, the polished, two-way big man who had spent four years at Wake Forest.The Spurs won 36 more games in Duncans rookie year than they had the previous season and were NBA champions in his sophomore campaign. They also won titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014, the last one a dominant run to redemption over James and the Miami Heat after losing to them in seven games the previous season.He was a 38-year-old All-Star in 2014-15 and even as his minutes were reduced to save the wear and tear on his body for the playoffs, he remained a force on the defensive end and on the glass.He had 140 different teammates in his career and he handled taking the baton from Robinson in 1998 just as gracefully as he did passing it to Kawhi Leonard in 2014.The Spurs added Pau Gasol and Dewayne Dedmon to beef up their front-court depth in anticipation of Duncans decision. But even though Duncans production has been in decline, they will never be able to replace the backbone of the organization.I think it goes way beyond the championships and the winning, said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, a longtime Spurs assistant. I think the culture that really, hes kind of the pillar its been built around. It is almost impossible to quantify.And now he steps away, not stomping out the door like Bryant did with his 60-point finale, but tip-toeing away with no fanfare.The modesty with which he handles himself is so refreshing, said Timberwolves GM Scott Layden, who spent the previous four years in the front office in San Antonio. Hes a great example for everyone.---Freelance writer Willie Ramirez in Las Vegas contributed to this report. Air Max 270 Womens Pink . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Nike Air Max 270 Womens Australia . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. http://www.airmaxcheapaustralia.com/buy-air-max-97-australia.html .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Best Price Air Max 270 . 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With their tag team the Young Bucks, brothers Matt and Nick Jackson have become the poster boys for independent stars who can make a great living outside the boundaries of WWE.Thanks to an almost nonsensical mix of nWo nostalgia, ridiculous ring gear and flashy moves (including a heavy dose of superkicks), they have become one of the most popular attractions in pro wrestling by doing things their own way.?Beyond their look, acrobatic maneuvers and use of a resurgent too sweet hand gesture -- which has helped build the Bullet Club brand in Japan into something that has spread worldwide -- the biggest reason for the Young Bucks success is their pure, unadulterated love for the business.It was on display during the main event of Ring of Honors All Star Extravaganza last Friday, as they squared off against reigning champions Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian and the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin). The violent and visually stunning ladder war for the tag team titles received a tremendous reaction from fans inside the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Massachusetts as well as the pay-per-view audience at home.Even as Daniels and Kazarian bled profusely from wounds that would later require a trip to the emergency room, and the other four were left tremendously sore the next day, the effort was ultimately rewarding.Its the art ... [it] was almost like our baby, Matt Jackson told ESPN.com, while reflecting on the match the next day. We asked for that match, we wanted the match, and they gave it to us. We felt a responsibility to really have a good one. Theres something about being an artist and having this creative idea in your brain. Having it and writing it down on paper [is one thing], but actually doing it and seeing it and watching it, its so fulfilling for me. Its so fulfilling for Nick. I think its a thing that only an artist really understands -- you cant put a price tag on it.There are many reasons that the Young Bucks thrive in such an environment and that their victory, becoming two-time ROH world tag team champions, has been widely praised as one of the strongest matches of the year. It all points back to the Jacksons biggest inspirations.I think it has to do with us being such fans of the Hardy Boyz, Nick Jackson said. That era of tag wrestling where we saw those great [tables, ladders and chairs] matches with the Dudleys, Hardys, Edge and Christian; that inspired us, so we wanted to try to live up to that.The ROH ladder war certainly had echoes of those industry-changing TLC matches of that era. But despite their request for the dangerous match, and despite the enthusiasm all six men had going in, both Jackson brothers admitted there were still some nerves in the moments before they stepped through the curtain, largely attributed to a lack of buzz from the crowd.?Then the music hit and we made our entrance, and they were already chanting our names, Nick said. Matt and I looked at each other and we were like, Oh, we got it.As Matt put it, for a team as seasoned as the Young Bucks, you know a great match when youre in it -- and sometimes its clear before the opening bell even rings.We knew it during the entrance, Nick said.When things are going so right, you can feel everything building, Matt added. You can feel it out there, [and] when four or five things went so right I was like, Were on to something like a classic tonight.For a team that recovered from a potentially career-derailing run in TNA in 2011, and seemed to hit its peak shortly after joining Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2013, the Young Bucks appear to have reached new, unprecedented heights with their work in the ring. They simultaneously hold the ROH, IWGP junior heavyweight and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla heavyweight tag team titles, and the matches theyre putting on have set the wrestling world on fire.Dave Meltzer, the veteran journalist for whom the Young Bucks named their most devastating finishing maneuver (and even plastered his face on a set of wrestling tights), has all but singled out the team for its levels of performance in the past few months. He was in attendance on Sept. 3 for Night 2 of PWGs Battle of Los Angeles as the Bucks and Adam Cole took on Will Ospreay, Ricochet and Matt Sydal.That six-man tag team match received Meltzers highest honor -- a rating of five (out of five) stars. Its the first match of any kind to receive this distinction in North America since a 2012 ROH showdown between Davey Richards and Michael Elgin, and only the third such match (along with the WWE championship match between CM Punk and John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011) to receive that rating in North America since March 2006.Its a feather in the cap for the Young Bucks, who have traveled as many miles and worked as many shows of almost anyone wrestling on the independents in the past few years -- and its allowed them to build a rabid following and have the platform needed to put on such strong matches.I think we just finally get it, Matt said. We have an ear for what the audience wants and needs. We know what our fan base likes. Weve done this for so long now that it comes with experience; it comes with working around the world and doing different styles.The brothers go out there with a purpose, although thats no longer driven by a need to show that they can do it.I feel like our body of work has proved that we can have a match of the year because weve had it many times, Nick said. I love when someone comes in, a flavor of the month or the flavor of the year, and they come in and they say, This is the best tag team now. I like that because its competition. Matt and I go, OK, lets take that and use it as a motivation.As far as that goes, I dont think theres a team that can top the stuff that we do, Matt said.Its the starving artist in us that just wants to provide. Its the daddies in us, Matt said. Its, I gotta stay on top if I want to make the most money to feed my kids.If this is what its going to take, then Im going to do it. When were out there busting our tails, were doing it for our families. We want to be at the top of the mountain. We want to be the No. 1 team in the world.ddddddddddddWe cant let anybody take that away from us. This is ours, man.That desire to be the best, and the ability to do so while staying true to who they are, has been an incredible asset for the Young Bucks -- especially in their role as a core element of the Bullet Club.They joined the group a few months into its first incarnation, when Finn Balor was having his true breakout moment as Prince Devitt. As Balor got signed and left, the AJ Styles era began. And after another short but successful stretch, Styles too was signed to a WWE contract, along with early Bullet Club members Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.That kind of turnover could have scuttled Bullet Club, but the group instead continued to adapt and evolve, bringing in Kenny Omega and transitioning into yet another successful phase.We couldnt just beat that [same] Bullet Club, because everyone immediately is going to go, Eh, this Bullet Clubs not as good as the other one, Matt said.Styles final appearance also allowed the trio of Omega and the Young Bucks an opportunity to separate themselves from the pack.Were the three guys that think ahead, Matt said, describing a friendship with Omega that dates to 2008. Were going, OK, well we need to do something new and fresh. On the fly, after Kenny turned on AJ, which was planned, the other Bullet Club members exited. Kenny turns to Nick and I, weve already at this point isolated ourselves from everybody else. I remember Kenny says to Nick, Should we get in the ring and give AJ Styles a Styles Clash and you guys superkick him?Their collective ability to realize the potential in a moment as it was happening led them to take a chance that a lot of wrestlers wouldnt have been comfortable taking.The immediate reaction on social media confirmed that theyd stumbled onto something big, and thus, The Elite was born.Were kind of just ..., Matt started.Guys who gravitate towards other things, continued Nick, explaining how the formation of the trio was a natural fit for doing their own thing within the Bullet Club. We have different hobbies and opinions about things that the other guys are kind of like more party ...[Were not really] the party guys, Matt said. Were all brothers in Bullet Club, but the three of us were like gravitating towards each other. It was already becoming a divide in the system. Naturally, the three of us just work better together.Their personalities and approach to the business also helped the social media-conscious brothers come up with an idea that started as something of a joke but quickly turned into a means of showing fans what life on the road as a professional wrestler is all about. That series, titled Being the Elite,?follows all three members of the group in their travels around the world.We wanted to give our fans something extra, Nick said. Were not in the WWE, so we dont have an opening segment or five segments on a Monday, you know what I mean? Our platform is YouTube, and Facebook, and Vine and Twitter.The connection with fans, whether it be through this series or fan meet-and-greets, has a real economic benefit for the Young Bucks.[When] we put out a new video, Matt will get alerts right away, said Nick, who edits each episode on his phone. You just sold this shirt, and this shirt and this shirt.Merchandise is the lifeblood of the independent wrestling world, and the Young Bucks likely have the widest variety of T-shirt designs among professional wrestlers.Its under 100, but its probably between 80 and 90, I would think, Matt said. I dont know an exact number.We have at least 100, Nick said.Weve had over 100, Matt said, but I always try to take some down and freshen it up. Its funny, because theres a lot of thought put into this, our catalog. Im always looking at it. Im having my wife pull numbers to see which ones are the best sellers. This is a science.The Young Bucks have 92 items available on Pro Wrestling Tees website, to be exact, including 83 T-shirt designs. Theyve also launched their own website, YoungBucksMerch.com, which has everything from signed 8x10 photos to trading cards and water bottles.Its cool because its a DIY type of thing, Matt said, equating it to the lifestyle he already leads as an independent wrestler. My wife does everything in-house. She does the shipping. She boxes everything. She does everything. She gets all the product.You have the posters, the pictures, weve had socks, we have DVDs, any type of autograph thing, we have stickers, T-shirts also, we have kids shirts ...Anything and everything, Nick added.Between their in-ring performances, ability to connect with fans, position in ROH and NJPW and ability to sell merchandise, the Young Bucks have moved past a point in their careers where things could all come crumbling down -- they have guaranteed contracts and a willingness to do whatever it takes to stay on top.As you might imagine with an act thats as popular as the Young Bucks, rumors continue to persist, as they have for the past three years, that they might end up in WWE. No matter what the future holds, right now the Young Bucks are, both in storyline and real life, at their absolute peak. Whether its in Japan with Omega, in North America with new on-screen compatriots Cole and Adam Page, or anywhere in the world with any configuration of the Bullet Club that might come together, the Young Bucks have a built-in support system to help keep them from getting too worn down by their constant travels.While its a great time to be a part of a cultural phenomenon like the Bullet Club, its also a heavy responsibility. As long as a desire to stay on top keeps driving the Young Bucks, both they and those who have the privilege of watching them should continue to enjoy the ride.Most of the ROH fans, they buy their tickets because were the headliners, Matt said. Were probably the most popular guys on the roster, so we feel like theres a responsibility to give these people who paid their hard-earned money for these tickets a show. Theyre going to get a show if were on it. 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