Why Tim Took Up Basketball

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused massive devastation, particularly in the Caribbean – $11 billion in damage and causing 107 deaths. Among the structures destroyed was the only Olympic-sized swimming pool on the island of Saint Croix, which ended the swimming career of a ninth-grader on the island. At the urging of his family and friends, the young man took up another sport: basketball. The kid, named Tim Duncan, ended up becoming one of the game’s best ever, winning multiple NBA championships and earning induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 – and has used his fame and fortune to muster hurricane relief along the way.