Tim Duncan could have easily gone out on top, with his fifth NBA championship trophy under his arm and his health intact just a few months after his 38th birthday. Theres just no way. Duncan is having too much fun with his San Antonio Spurs coaches and teammates, and hes playing too well to call it quits now. Duncan has decided to exercise the option on his contract for 2014-15 and will return next season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The person requested anonymity because an official announcement has not been made. As the Spurs beat the two-time defending champion Miami Heat in the NBA Finals earlier this month, Duncan was asked several times about his future, as he has been for the last five or six years. He was noncommittal, saying he would take some time after the season ended to mull his decision. But after Game 5, most of the Spurs said they expected the group to return and now Duncan has reached his decision, which was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. He will make about $10.3 million next season in the final year of a two-year agreement that was drawn up specifically to allow the Spurs the financial flexibility to surround Duncan with top-shelf talent. "He feels a responsibility to his teammates," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the team won the championship. "He enjoys them. He wants to hang around as long as he can while hes useful and while hes having an impact on the game. He takes care of his body. He works out all summer long with a variety of different things, boxing, swimming. Hes very careful about what he puts in his body, so he does everything he can to maintain a level of play. "At some point," Popovich added, "that will stop." But not this year. When Duncan looked around at the Spurs, he saw every reason to come back and try to do just about the only thing the Spurs havent done during his 17 years there -- win back-to-back titles. In Popovich he has perhaps the best coach in the game, one who has established a culture of teamwork, success and stability that is unparalleled in the league. In Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, he has two trusted teammates who have been by his side for years, have sacrificed money, fame and statistics right along with him to build the Spurs organization into the envy of the NBA. And in Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, Duncan has a young, fresh-faced star on the rise to carry more of the load as the Big Three get older. "With the front office putting the teams together that weve had and us playing smaller roles and our roles changing over the years, and us happy to accept the roles that were in, I feel we can do it until we feel we dont want to do it anymore," Duncan said two weeks ago. Perhaps as important as anything, Duncan is still one of the best big men in the league. He was named first team All-NBA in 2012-13 as he helped the Spurs to the finals, where they lost to the Heat in a heart-breaking seven-game series. This season, Duncan averaged 15.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in just 29.2 minutes per game, playing in a system expertly devised by Popovich to limit the wear and tear on his body. He shot almost 57 per cent in the finals and dismantled Heat star Chris Bosh, who grew up with a Duncan poster on his bedroom wall. "Weve been on our last run for the last five or six years from how everyone wants to put it," Duncan said. "We show up every year, and we try to put together the best teams and the best runs possible because what people say doesnt matter to us. "As I said, as long as we feel were being effective, were going to stay out here and were going to play. We feel like we can be effective, and we have been." Luke Voit Yankees Jersey . Louis Blues just continue to roll -- especially against the Nashville Predators. Mike Mussina Yankees Jersey . Then youve got to worry about the other up and coming teams in the two weaker divisions in the "Junior Circuit". https://www.cheapyankees.com/1051g-gio-urshela-jersey-yankees.html . -- Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen took the second-round lead Saturday in the Champions Tours Legends of Golf, teaming for a 6-under 48 in windy conditions on the par-3 Top of the Rock course. Joe Torre Jersey .That means, of course, that John Wall beat the Spurs for the first time ever — within weeks of his first wins in head-to-head games against nemeses Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. Giancarlo Stanton Yankees Jersey . In the calls, Hernandez discussed the murder of Odin Lloyd, including his "belief about his criminal liability" and the "extent of his control over persons charged as accessories," according to the request filed Thursday in Fall River Superior Court.ORLANDO, Fla. -- After enduring a rough stretch over the past two months, the Indiana Pacers will enter the playoffs on a bit of a roll. Rasual Butler and Chris Copeland each scored 19 points as the Pacers rested their key players and cruised to a 101-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Pacers sat three starters -- Paul George, Lance Stephenson and David West -- and played George Hill and Roy Hibbert sparingly. But they got good output from their understudies in the second half to put the game out of reach. It was the second time in two weeks Indiana won with starters on the bench. Coach Frank Vogel pulled all five starters during their victory over Milwaukee last week. "Theres always value in winning games, but anytime you have bench guys that have a chance to get extended minutes, thats really good for their rhythm and confidence," Vogel said. "Weve had pretty good health from our starters most of the season. So those bench guys havent had opportunities to get extended minutes like this. So the Milwaukee game was good and this game was good." The Eastern Conferences top seed ended the season winning three of four to shake off a nasty late-season slump. The victory was just Indianas 10th in their last 23 games. Still for a team expected to be one of the defending champion Miami Heats biggest impediments to a third consecutive NBA championship, its an encouraging boost for the post-season. The Pacers will open the playoffs against eighth-seed Atlanta. "Through all the ups and downs, were still locked into the No. 1 seed so we have to tip our hat for that," Hill said. "But its a new game now. Its playoff time -- 0-0. Its the first to 16 (wins)." The Magic trimmed what had been an 18-point, second-half deficit down to 12 in the fourth quarter before another late surge by Indiana helped secure the victory. Indiana also knocked down 11 3-pointers, and racked up 40 points in the paint.dddddddddddd The Pacers didnt look short-handed as they went back and forth with the Magic in the first half, and took a six-point halftime lead. Evan Turner had 11 first-half points, including one of the Indianas six 3-pointers in the opening 24 minutes. The Magic played 11 players in the half, with nine of them scoring. Orlando struggled from the field, though, shooting just 37 per cent. Maurice Harkless led the Magic with 14 points, and ETwaun Moore added 13 for an Orlando team that ended the season losing 16 of 20 and had the fifth-worst record in franchise history. It was not a huge surprise for a franchise looking toward future. To help with the ongoing rebuilding process theyll have two lottery picks in Junes NBA draft. The plan is to add more building blocks around rookie guard Victor Oladipo, and big man Nik Vucevic. That doesnt mean there were any happy feelings Wednesday night. "Im pretty sure everybody in the locker room is tired of losing and its something that we dont want to do again next year," Harkless said. "Hopefully its something that we can fix." Now that their brief rest period is done, Hill said he feels like he and his teammates are ready for the challenge that awaits them. "Its going to be tough, but nobody gets us without having the advantage of being at home in a seven-game series," he said. "Its great without any back to backs, which is really the toughest part of the season. Its just great, now that we have some rest, our guys can prepare to go from game to game." NOTES: Orlando played without starters Jameer Nelson and Vucevic. Nelson missed his third straight game with a strained left groin, and Vucevic was out for the seventh consecutive game with a sore left Achilles....The Magic were just 7-42 this season when their opponent scored 100 or more points. ' ' '