Conversations about where NBA legends rank all-time are always a little convoluted and subjective. There is no way to measure one legend against another with a truly objective definition, as everyone achieves different things under different circumstances. Tim Duncan is one player who was in the perfect situation his entire career but ensured he dominated in that position to win 5 rings.
Out of all top-tier NBA legends, Duncan is one that often gets left out. While most people would undoubtedly have Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ahead of Duncan, do the other all-time players deserve to be ranked ahead of Tim?
For his career, Duncan averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.2 blocks. He’s a 5-time champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 2-time MVP, 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA team member, and 15-time All-Defense team member. His achievements are incredible, but he earned them as part of one of the most meticulously well-run organizations of all time.
Should Tim Duncan Be Regarded Better?
Tim Duncan was unstoppable in his prime, as most superstars are. The Spurs had such an efficient system because Duncan was the perfect player to build around. The first thing he brought to the court was defense and he gradually built up his inside-out game to be a versatile scorer.
Duncan has 5 championships but most of the credit for his team achievements goes to Gregg Popovich for building a juggernaut in the Spurs. However, people overlook the fact that the Spurs wouldn’t have been what they were if they didn’t have Duncan as the perfect leader.
It’s hard to say Duncan was better than the likes of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Bill Russell, and others. But it is fair to say that he deserves a seat at the same table as all those legends for his incredible NBA career.
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