Tim Duncan is one of the greatest big men to ever play the game. Yet, for one reason or another, he’s seemingly always overlooked in discussions regarding the league’s most elite.
That fact was once again proven on Saturday when iconic big man Shaquille O’Neal admitted he’d rather have Chris Webber over Duncan on his team.
“Fundamental is one of those players he’s got a lot but he has a lot of bodyguards too. C Webb didn’t have a lot of bodyguards. Like imagin Tim on a regular team. Would he be Tim? CWebb has some shit. Imagin if you put C Webb on that Spurs team tell me what you got. “
Who ya got? 🤔@SHAQ and @RoParrish play “Start, Bench, Cut” on Storytime with Shaq! pic.twitter.com/kM98IdYF59
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 5, 2020
Webber is a 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, and 1994 Rookie of the Year — he is no scrub. But even a resume like that falls short of what Duncan has accomplished. In 18 seasons, he was a 15x All-Star, 15x All-NBA Player, 2x MVP, and 5x NBA Champion. He did it all for San Antonio and might be one of the most complete big men to ever play — averaging 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game for his career.
The impact Duncan had on the Spurs is indescribable. He was a stabilizing force, a steady presence, and was dominant on both ends of the floor.
Still, not everyone holds him in such high regard and for Shaq, Duncan was more a product of his environment than anything else. It is true that San Antonio did a good job of building a culture there.
Opinons will vary regardless, though.
