Dr. J: I'd Take Duncan

[duncan228]

Dr. J: I'd take Duncan (http://www.bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=8&SubSectionID=203&ArticleID=42285&TM=39189.85)
Legend would like to play alongside Spurs centre rather than LeBron or Kobe

Kobe or LeBron?

Ask NBA legend and Hall of Famer Dr. J, Julius Erving, which current superstar he'd like to play alongside and it would be neither of those two reigning kings of the court.

If Dr. J could roll back the clock and suit up with a current NBA player, the answer might surprise you.

"I like the way Tim Duncan plays," he said.

Duncan plays centre for the San Antonio Spurs and is a two-time NBA MVP.

Dr. J said: "He's a centre and I had Moses Malone (with the Philadelphia 76ers in the early 80s). Having the dominant guy in the middle makes the job a little bit easier. He plays a fundamental game and even though my game was rooted in fundamentals there were a lot of extraordinary things that happened on the court for me because of fundamentals being intact.

"I would have liked to play with him."

Dr. J said Duncan, 32, still probably has three or four good years left.

"I still think he's got a lot left in the tank. He's a guy I like to watch so I would probably enjoy playing with him."

More physical

He said the game has evolved from the 1970s and early 80s with a new breed of basketball player.

During his hey day, Dr. J weighed in at what might be considered skinny by today's standards at 6'6" 200 pounds with rivals James Worthy of the Los Angeles Lakers (6'9" 225 pounds) and Larry Bird pf the Boston Celtics (6'9" 200 pounds) not much bigger.

"The physicality of the game has evolved in a different way - guys are bigger, faster, stronger. There might not be as much contact as was allowed before with the hand checking and the body checking, but there are guys like LeBron James who are 6'8', 6'9" 265 or 270 pounds. You just didn't see players like that in my day. If you did see guys like that he was down playing close to the basket like a Wes Unseld type so the sport has evolved in that way."

[spursfaninla]

Duh. Why would a great wing player want another great wing player who essentially plays their game on their team? That would not be very helpful....

[Spur-Addict]

Smart man, that Doctor.

[samikeyp]

Trust him. He's a doctor. :tu

[DBMethos]

Well now I know why he got his degree.

[anonoftheinternets]

He would come off the bench playing with Kobe or James... its only obvious why he would settle for Duncan.

obvious troll is obvious.

[Spur|n|Austin]

centre or center?

[bdictjames]

Haha, great praise for Tim Duncan here. Bill Russell, now Dr.J, Jordan should be next..

[Morg1411]

He would come off the bench playing with Kobe or James... its only obvious why he would settle for Duncan.

:lol




Man, you're a tard.

[HarlemHeat37]

the media loves to ignore this shit..

Bill Russell said Duncan is his favorite player..The Chief said Duncan is his favorite player..Barkley, Smith, Van Gundy, and Jackson all said Duncan is the best player of his generation..Kareem was asked who his favorite player/best player is a few years ago, he said Duncan, and the host of the show quickly brought the conversation to Kobe, asking Kareem why it wasn't Kobe..

it's funny..now you can add another one to the list..

[TimDunkem]

He would come off the bench playing with Kobe or James... its only obvious why he would settle for Duncan.
Could you be any more of a douche?

[brettn]

There is a huge difference between favorite, and best.

And Duncan is both. Insecure much?

[iggypop123]

seriously he has a point. he would be benched.

[HarlemHeat37]

Well when you're playing with Kobe, there's a chance that he'll make a video about you, asking for you to be traded, and throwing you under the bus..why would anybody want to go through that?..

There's also the chance that he tries to take over an entire series to get out of your shadow..in the NBA Finals of all places..

Oh, and don't forget the possibility of him snitching on you if he knows anything personal about you..

There's also the chance that he'll quit on your team in a game 7, because he feels like you aren't worthy of being his teammate..

what a great teammate and all-around human being..

shit, Duncan never complained when the Lakers used to swarm him, but nobody on the perimeter could ever make a shot until he got help a few years later in 2003, leading to countless meltdowns in the 4th quarter..he's never complained about not having a legit big man to help him out since Admiral left..he didn't complain last year when we were eliminated in the 1st round, clearly needing more talent..

when he didn't have any all-star caliber players in 2003, but had some improving players that were coming up..what did he do?..he carried us to a title..

the FO repaid him by getting him players out of respect, as Holt and RC have said..

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

finally Jerry West helps him out by giving him an All-Star for nothing, and now he's happy again..we'll see for how long..

what a piece of shit..

[ChumpDumper]

lakerfans are ridiculous.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

centre or center?

I think the transcript is just trying to convey how Julius Erving speaks with a thick British accent.

[cnyc3]

:lol its obvious lakaluva is just trying to press your buttons, just ignore him

[Libri]

Well when you're playing with Kobe, there's a chance that he'll make a video about you, asking for you to be traded, and throwing you under the bus..why would anybody want to go through that?..

There's also the chance that he tries to take over an entire series to get out of your shadow..in the NBA Finals of all places..

Oh, and don't forget the possibility of him snitching on you if he knows anything personal about you..

There's also the chance that he'll quit on your team in a game 7, because he feels like you aren't worthy of being his teammate..

what a great teammate and all-around human being..

shit, Duncan never complained when the Lakers used to swarm him, but nobody on the perimeter could ever make a shot until he got help a few years later in 2003, leading to countless meltdowns in the 4th quarter..he's never complained about not having a legit big man to help him out since Admiral left..he didn't complain last year when we were eliminated in the 1st round, clearly needing more talent..

when he didn't have any all-star caliber players in 2003, but had some improving players that were coming up..what did he do?..he carried us to a title..

the FO repaid him by getting him players out of respect, as Holt and RC have said..

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

finally Jerry West helps him out by giving him an All-Star for nothing, and now he's happy again..we'll see for how long..

what a piece of shit..

The Life and Times of Kobe Bryant.

[lefty]

Kobe and LBJ didnt play when the handchecking rule was on.......

They are GAY

[Muser]

Good :tu

[Seventyniner]

Of course, this devolved into a pissing match between Spurs and Lakers fans over who is better all time: Duncan or Bryant.

There's a strong case to be made for each, and fans are going to support their own player. For all the name-calling, that's what it boils down to.

As a Spurs fan/homer, I think Duncan's had a better career than Bryant, but they both have been all-timers.


There is a huge difference between favorite, and best.

Not really a difference; they talk about completely different things. They are not mutually exclusive. Also, the people mentioned above (by Harlem) said best as opposed to favorite.

[lotr1trekkie]

Kobe's wife is a slut--that how he found her! Rapist and slut--- a marriage made for LA!

[wildbill2u]

The game has changed so much because of the 'play nice with other rules'. I don't know if Tony could have played back in the day when some real nasty dudes patrolled the paint and absolutely would take a guy's head off. Enforcers like Maurice Lucas and Rich Jones weren't worried about suspensions or fines because they didn't really exist for just 'rough play'.

[Sobe_Kucks]

Correct Dr. J was a swingman. Surely if they asked him if he'd like to have played with Jordan he would have said nooooo way, because that would have eaten up his minutes and he would have had to come off the bench.
BTW...
If I was into raping chicks in a hotel, I'd like to play with Kobe! It's called :downspin:team work!:downspin:

[Nathan Explosion]

For those trying to argue that Kobe is a better player than Duncan, all you have to do is check the most meaningful stat of all.

Duncan has a higher winning percentage than Kobe, both regular season and post season.

Kobe didn't even break the Top 15. Simmons had the Elias Sports Bureau do the work to find that out and that's what happened.

Duncan has more Finals MVPs and Regular season MVPs than Kobe. And he wins at a better clip than Kobe.

And seeing as how the name of the game is to win, how can anyone argue that Kobe is better than Duncan win Kobe doesn't win as much as Duncan?

[Sobe_Kucks]

Who quietly got to 4 fastest?? Hmmmm

[timtonymanurich]

lakaluva

Next time you have a thought.....

Let it go.

Every Laker after S.A. beats them 3-0 this season --->:dizzy

[easjer]

Leaving aside the Spurs/Lakers pissing match, a nice article and a nice compliment to Duncan from a great of the game.

And it reminds me of one of my favorite Spur-related commercials of all time - the 2004 (?) Trophy Love commercial featuring Timmy D and Dr. J. Loved that commercial and can still recite it from memory, I think.

[in2deep]

He would come off the bench playing with Kobe or James... its only obvious why he would settle for Duncan.

:lmao at sensitive lakerfan

hilarious :rollin

[duncan228]

And it reminds me of one of my favorite Spur-related commercials of all time - the 2004 (?) Trophy Love commercial featuring Timmy D and Dr. J. Loved that commercial and can still recite it from memory, I think.

"La-la-la-la...I'm not listening." :lol

It was a great commercial. For some reason it's disappeared from youtube. I haven't been able to find it in a while.

Anyone have it?

[ginobilized]

I always loved Dr. J. Quietly intelligent, intense player who like Duncan made the right play at pivotal moments in a game. It makes sense that the good Doctor appreciates Duncan's game. That's a really awesome compliment for Tim.

[benefactor]

In all honesty, it is much better to have a dominate big man than a dominate guard. If I had a choice between building around a 22 year old Duncan or a 22 year old Bryant it would be Duncan all the way. With the exception of the Jordan teams, the team that dominates the paint wins. Why? Because the paint is where the easy baskets are scored. If you score more easy baskets than the other team then you have a good chance of winning.
It's funny how this is the first line of thinking in the mind of most knowledgeable NBA fans, yet is it foolishness to any fan who dons a purple and gold jersey.

One look at their careers tells the tale. 53 wins or more in any season of a career vs three seasons in a row of mediocrity, including one where the Lakers missed the playoffs and another where they only managed to get 2 games over .500.

[Baseline]

Well when you're playing with Kobe, there's a chance that he'll make a video about you, asking for you to be traded, and throwing you under the bus..why would anybody want to go through that?..

There's also the chance that he tries to take over an entire series to get out of your shadow..in the NBA Finals of all places..

Oh, and don't forget the possibility of him snitching on you if he knows anything personal about you..

There's also the chance that he'll quit on your team in a game 7, because he feels like you aren't worthy of being his teammate..

what a great teammate and all-around human being..

shit, Duncan never complained when the Lakers used to swarm him, but nobody on the perimeter could ever make a shot until he got help a few years later in 2003, leading to countless meltdowns in the 4th quarter..he's never complained about not having a legit big man to help him out since Admiral left..he didn't complain last year when we were eliminated in the 1st round, clearly needing more talent..

when he didn't have any all-star caliber players in 2003, but had some improving players that were coming up..what did he do?..he carried us to a title..

the FO repaid him by getting him players out of respect, as Holt and RC have said..

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

finally Jerry West helps him out by giving him an All-Star for nothing, and now he's happy again..we'll see for how long..

what a piece of shit..

Well said. Totally true. The greats of the game know basketball and have played with great players and done great things. So they can see straight through a guy like Bryant.

The truth is that if he weren't on Shaq's team, he would only have one ring. And as Halrem Heat pointed out, if West hadn't sent Gasol to the Lakers in the most obviously tainted trade in NBA history, Bryant wouldn't have been to the last two finals.

Tim Duncan wasn't carried to any titles. Bryant was carried to three. The fact that people say that Bryant's four titles even compare to Tim's four is a joke, if not completely insulting. Frankly, the only people who are stupid enough to make that comparison are Laker fans. Have they forgotten that Shaquille averaged over 30 points and 14 boards over the course of those three Finals in 2000-2002 ? He was the most dominant player in the league at that time, and he carried Bryant and everybody else on that team. That's absolutely indisputable.

Derek Fisher has won four titles as well. Get my point?

[benefactor]

So, you'd take Duncan over Magic?
Without hesitation. Magic was great...but he also had Kareem making his life easier.

[PM5K]

In all honesty, it is much better to have a dominate big man than a dominate guard. If I had a choice between building around a 22 year old Duncan or a 22 year old Bryant it would be Duncan all the way. With the exception of the Jordan teams, the team that dominates the paint wins. Why? Because the paint is where the easy baskets are scored. If you score more easy baskets than the other team then you have a good chance of winning.

You said it right there, that's also why what Jordan and the Bulls did was so special, they did it without a dominant center, or even a decent center.

[WildcardManu]

Exactly!!! Dr. J played the two guard, and the small forward position. He mainly played the 3 spot. If he played with James, he would only get spot minutes cause James plays huge minutes, and if he played with Kobe, he would get whatever Kobe left over. Both Kobe and James are far superior in talent than Dr. J. Dr. J even took back seat to Andrew Toney when he arrived, and it would be no different with James and Kobe.

It would only make sense that he would want to play with a big man, and he even stated that in the article, but stupid Spur fan twisted it as a diss to Kobe and James. I just put it in prospective, that's all.

So if he play with either one of them, why would he come off the bench when he can just switch to the other position?

[SenorSpur]

The man should know. He's a doctor.

[TD4THREE]

Kobe led his team to team of the decade.:lol, 3 of his championships came from being Shaq's sidekick.

[cornbread]

Dr. J always struck me as being an intelligent, sophisticated and classy guy. Of course his choice would be Tim.

[lotr1trekkie]

Lakaluva obviously never witnessed Dr. J, Rick Barry, the Pearl, Tiny A in action. He is an under 40 fool who thinks that he knows is all and that all his heroes must be superior. Dr. J was a beast. Today Barry would be the best #2 guard in the league. The Pearl was a combine CP and Kidd. Tiny A was better than AI. Generational comparisons never work. You can only compare players to their contemporaries. Kobe, finally, has one ring without the best center this generation. Duncan has won 3 without a player considered the BEST of his generation. Pau and Kobe need 2 more to even be considered with Duncan.

[vednam]

Exactly!!! Dr. J played the two guard, and the small forward position. He mainly played the 3 spot. If he played with James, he would only get spot minutes cause James plays huge minutes, and if he played with Kobe, he would get whatever Kobe left over. Both Kobe and James are far superior in talent than Dr. J. Dr. J even took back seat to Andrew Toney when he arrived, and it would be no different with James and Kobe.

It would only make sense that he would want to play with a big man, and he even stated that in the article, but stupid Spur fan twisted it as a diss to Kobe and James. I just put it in prospective, that's all.



You obviously know nothing about Dr. J. Dr. J in his prime was superior to LeBron and Kobe. He was as good at his peak as anyone who ever picked up a basketball.

Go research the 1976 ABA playoffs. Perhaps the best postseason performance ever.

[vednam]

In all honesty, it is much better to have a dominate big man than a dominate guard. If I had a choice between building around a 22 year old Duncan or a 22 year old Bryant it would be Duncan all the way. With the exception of the Jordan teams, the team that dominates the paint wins. Why? Because the paint is where the easy baskets are scored. If you score more easy baskets than the other team then you have a good chance of winning.


Please, it's "dominant big man" not "dominate big man".

[daslicer]

I would say 2003 Duncan was better then any great years that Kobe had including his MVP season last year. Duncan had broken Wilt Chamberlain's record for most consective 30-10 games during tha playoff run in '03. Thats just how dominant he was that year on both ends of the floor. On top of that he had no all-stars on that '03 team and still manage to win the title. Bottom line Kobe needs a shitload of talent to win more then anyother superstar thats why I would say he's not as big of a game changer Duncan is.

[Johnny RIngo]

Well when you're playing with Kobe, there's a chance that he'll make a video about you, asking for you to be traded, and throwing you under the bus..why would anybody want to go through that?..

There's also the chance that he tries to take over an entire series to get out of your shadow..in the NBA Finals of all places..

Oh, and don't forget the possibility of him snitching on you if he knows anything personal about you..

There's also the chance that he'll quit on your team in a game 7, because he feels like you aren't worthy of being his teammate..

what a great teammate and all-around human being..

shit, Duncan never complained when the Lakers used to swarm him, but nobody on the perimeter could ever make a shot until he got help a few years later in 2003, leading to countless meltdowns in the 4th quarter..he's never complained about not having a legit big man to help him out since Admiral left..he didn't complain last year when we were eliminated in the 1st round, clearly needing more talent..

when he didn't have any all-star caliber players in 2003, but had some improving players that were coming up..what did he do?..he carried us to a title..

the FO repaid him by getting him players out of respect, as Holt and RC have said..

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

finally Jerry West helps him out by giving him an All-Star for nothing, and now he's happy again..we'll see for how long..

what a piece of shit..

Don't forget the fact that Kobe refused to play for any team but the Lakers when he was drafted.

[BoricuaCJA]

When you guys say Kobe or LBJ would eat up his minutes, I think that is just a dumb reason. They would just change positions. SG-Kobe SF- Dr.J SG-Dr.J SF LBJ vice versa. Now it is true he would rather play with Duncan b/c easy buckets, rebounding, blocking, post player etc.

[ChumpDumper]

He could do that as well, but he would easily go from star to supporting cast. Thats my whole point.Like when Kobe was part of Shaq's supporting cast.

[benefactor]

Dude, losses to the Mavs may as well be missed playoff seasons. Stop reaching for crumbs. Kobe led his team to team of the decade.
So missing the playoffs altogether and 42-40 = losing to the Mavs in the first round...for the first time in 9 years.

Sounds like I'm not the one that is reaching.

[FireDavidStern]

Dude, losses to the Mavs may as well be missed playoff seasons. Stop reaching for crumbs. Kobe led his team to team of the decade.

"The team of the decade" spent three seasons missing the playoffs, losing to the (Amar'eless) Suns 4-3 (with Kobe quitting in game 7) in the first round and then losing in the first round to the Suns 4-1. As oppose to the Spurs who lost 2 in the first round and both times was because of injury to a main player (Duncan 2000, Ginobili 2009) and they have won the same number of titles and had a better winning percentage in the decade. But of course the lakers are the "team" of the decade

[Nathan Explosion]

First off, the Spurs are the team of the decade. They have a higher winning percentage and Duncan has the same amount of rings as Kobe. Plus, Duncan never played alongside the most dominant big man of his generation.

In fact, both Duncan and Shaq have a higher winning percentage than Kobe. Again, winning is the name of the game, and Duncan has a higher winning percentage than Kobe, therefore, Duncan is better than Kobe.

ESPN and Kobe lover may not like it, but Duncan is the best player of this generation.

[Nathan Explosion]

Oh yeah, and for those that wouldn't pick Magic as your PG, you're just on crack. Magic is hands down the greatest PG ever and arguably one of the 5 best players to ever play the game.

Name me another PG that could run the break like Magic, play the PG position as well as him, and then in a pinch, slide over to center in the Finals and lead you're team to victory.

[Nathan Explosion]

Six finals appearances to three. Same conference. Lakers have the head to head advantage. Its a wash. Doesnt matter who played with who, its a team sport.

Winning is important, right? And Duncan is a greater winner than Kobe. That's not an opinion, but a fact.

FACT: The Spurs have the highest winning percentage of any team in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL since Duncan arrived.

FACT: Duncan has a higher winning percentage than Kobe.

FACT: Duncan has more individual accolades than Kobe does.

How is this even a discussion?

[Cry Havoc]

The 2003 Spurs MIGHT have made it out of the first round with Kobe.

Instead of, you know, winning a title with Tim at the reins.

[Nathan Explosion]

ALL-TIME PLAYER WINNING PERCENTAGES
PLAYER REG. SEASON PLAYOFFS
Larry Bird .736 .604
Manu Ginobili .724 .654
Sam Jones .718 .649
Bill Russell .717 .648
Tony Parker .716 .615
Tim Duncan .712 .631
Scottie Pippen .688 .654
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar .688 .650
Magic Johnson .674 .740
Shaquille O'Neal .672 .601
Robert Horry .671 .635
Michael Jordan .659 .665
Bob Cousy .655 .578
Jerry West .638 .569


There are some interesting things about this list, but for the most part, the players on this list are all time greats. Only a handful of players weren't all time greats and I think we all know who they are when we see them.

If you notice Duncan is on this list, and I'd highlight Kobe's winning percentage except, it doesn't show up on the list.

[elbamba]

The game has changed so much because of the 'play nice with other rules'. I don't know if Tony could have played back in the day when some real nasty dudes patrolled the paint and absolutely would take a guy's head off. Enforcers like Maurice Lucas and Rich Jones weren't worried about suspensions or fines because they didn't really exist for just 'rough play'.

I think Tony would have been fine. There were plenty of small guards that played in those times, look at Calvin Murphy. Players would adapt as they need to. Plus, Tony played overseas where they play rough. He was also playing with men when he was 15-16 years old.

[elbamba]

Six finals appearances to three. Same conference. Lakers have the head to head advantage. Its a wash. Doesnt matter who played with who, its a team sport.

Kobe was not good enough to get his team to the level of the Spurs in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Spurs dominated LA all three of those years and probably would have won 4-0 or 4-1.

Tim has also won 4 finals not three. And Tim performs on the highest level, he has never let his team fail in the finals, unlike Kobe.

[Gino20]

The Doctor knows what he is talking about!!! Great (traditional) big men are hard to come by during these NBA days. Guards are a dime of dozen...no surprises here!!!

[Russ]

Dr. J is an ABA loyalist from way back. Don't lose sight of that little wrinkle. :)

[exstatic]

Of course, this devolved into a pissing match between Spurs and Lakers fans over who is better all time: Duncan or Bryant.

There's a strong case to be made for each, and fans are going to support their own player.

Actually, there is no case to be made for Kobe as GOAT. He isn't even the GOAT at position. He'll always be L'il Mike.

[SteelerNation]

I've always said I could careless who is better than who as long as the rings keep coming in. Just like people telling me Peyton Manning is better than Big Ben. I shrug and laugh and say Big Ben has 2 rings...Peyton 1. I dont care if Big Ben completes 30% of his passes and Peyton 100%...as long as the Steelers keep winning championships. Do you think people in Utah can feel good that Karl malone is better than Horace Grant even though Horace Grant is a 4 time NBA champion?

[SouthTexasRancher]

Dude, losses to the Mavs may as well be missed playoff seasons. Stop reaching for crumbs. Kobe led his team to team of the decade.


laka, laka, lakaluva, may I remind you that Kobe does NOT play for the Spurs. Everyone worldwide considers the Spurs as the team of the Decade!!! Teams of the Decade do NOT get their asses kicked twice in the Finals. Sheeeeeeshhh kid, are you really this out of touch with reality! Also the rapist did NOT lead the LaLa Land Fakers to anything other than this past season's championship....a weakened version I might add. Everyone on the planet knows had KG not been knocked out of the playoffs with the knee injury that your little girlieboy team would have had their sorry asses kicked two years in a row. That ass-kicking your team took in the 2008 NBA Finals at the hands of the Boston Celtics was probably the most embarrASSing Finals for a team as any of us ever witnessed. Even more embarrASSing than the 2006 Mavettes ass-kicking by the Shaq led Miami Heat. You and your little faker friends need to get this through your numbskulls! :ihit

[mabrignani]

Well when you're playing with Kobe, there's a chance that he'll make a video about you, asking for you to be traded, and throwing you under the bus..why would anybody want to go through that?..

There's also the chance that he tries to take over an entire series to get out of your shadow..in the NBA Finals of all places..

Oh, and don't forget the possibility of him snitching on you if he knows anything personal about you..

There's also the chance that he'll quit on your team in a game 7, because he feels like you aren't worthy of being his teammate..

what a great teammate and all-around human being..

shit, Duncan never complained when the Lakers used to swarm him, but nobody on the perimeter could ever make a shot until he got help a few years later in 2003, leading to countless meltdowns in the 4th quarter..he's never complained about not having a legit big man to help him out since Admiral left..he didn't complain last year when we were eliminated in the 1st round, clearly needing more talent..

when he didn't have any all-star caliber players in 2003, but had some improving players that were coming up..what did he do?..he carried us to a title..

the FO repaid him by getting him players out of respect, as Holt and RC have said..

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

finally Jerry West helps him out by giving him an All-Star for nothing, and now he's happy again..we'll see for how long..

what a piece of shit..

haha what a great rant. i agree totally, you should get on jim rome's radio show.

[draft87]

Rick Barry wouldnt even make the all-star in todays game. He was a player of his time. Dr. J was a beast for his time as well. I saw what a 19 year old Rookie Magic did to Dr. J in the finals. Thats all I need to know.


try saying that to ol' rick's face. we'll see how wise that filthy mouth of yours is.....

p.s. what did the 19 year old kobe do in the finals? oops, he didn't make it. the 20 year old kobe? um, he got SWEPT* in the 2nd round.
*fucked up by a bunch of 'old' dudes.

blahblahblahblahblahblahblah
sit on a grill

[ezau]

Come to think of it, even though the Spurs lost this year in the first round; it's nothing compared to the magnanimity and humiliation that the Lakers received in the 08 Finals. Yeah I agree, if KG didn't go down this year, these Fakers are probably getting their collective nuts kicked. I wouldn't be too confident if I were the Lakers. They just won a championship when contending teams' best players were injured

[scottspurs]

:lmaoLaker fans rooting for rapist Kobe...:lmao

[raspsa]

Timmy D seems to get a lot of respect and recognition from many of the greatest players who ever played the game. In a court of law that doesn't exactly translate into him being the best. But they are one hell of an endorsement.

[ezau]

At the end of their respective careers, Duncan >>>>>>>>>>>>>Kobe. Kobe has to live under the shadow of MJ when everything is said and done. Duncan on the other hand is already considered the greatest PF to ever play the game, way before his retirement.

[mingus]

i think being a contender every single year, and not drifting off into irrelevence like the Lakers did for three years, one of which they mssed the playoffs entirely, is the reason the Spurs should be considered the team of the decade.

you can argue both ways, but i believe the Spurs etched themselves the title of team of the decade on the 2010's tombstone because of their longevity, and the three championships that accompanied it.

and, just food for thought: :wakeup

amazing thing is if it weren't for a .4 shot and a very stupid foul by Ginbolili, the Spurs could very well have five championships this decade, basically making it a no-brainer that they are team of the decade.

[Killakobe81]

I hear where Dr.J is coming from ...notice he didnt mention Shaq? He also called Duncan a center ...duh! Been saying he is a center for years only Duncan and the SPurs FO try to masquerade him at PF he hasnt really been one since David left...especially in big moments or games ...
Duncan is the best big man of his era dont see how some Spurs fans could argue Shaq ...

[Killakobe81]

i think being a contender every single year, and not drifting off into irrelevence like the Lakers did for three years, one of which they mssed the playoffs entirely, is the reason the Spurs should be considered the team of the decade.

you can argue both ways, but i believe the Spurs etched themselves the title of team of the decade on the 2010's tombstone because of their longevity, and the three championships that accompanied it.

and, just food for thought: :wakeup

amazing thing is if it weren't for a .4 shot and a very stupid foul by Ginbolili, the Spurs could very well have five championships this decade, basically making it a no-brainer that they are team of the decade.


Sorry the only no brainer is to make that conclusive ...Spurs where the MOST consistent byt Lakers have 4 titles out of 10 with 6 Finals appearnces. It's either they are tied if you count finals ...Lakers are. Mavs made the playoffs all decade to what does that get them?

[Killakobe81]

"The team of the decade" spent three seasons missing the playoffs, losing to the (Amar'eless) Suns 4-3 (with Kobe quitting in game 7) in the first round and then losing in the first round to the Suns 4-1. As oppose to the Spurs who lost 2 in the first round and both times was because of injury to a main player (Duncan 2000, Ginobili 2009) and they have won the same number of titles and had a better winning percentage in the decade. But of course the lakers are the "team" of the decade

Excuses ! again titles all that matter ...so they are tied ..plus the Lakers had 2 other chances at it ...

[Fingaroll44]

I think Duncan's had a better career than Bryant

off the court especially :hat

[wijayas]

Dude, losses to the Mavs may as well be missed playoff seasons. Stop reaching for crumbs. Kobe led his team to team of the decade.

Shaq carried the Lakers to three consecutive titles, not Kobe. Who wins 3 Finals MVP during that period? Shaq, not Kobe. Stop fooling yourself.

[wijayas]

At the end of their respective careers, Duncan >>>>>>>>>>>>>Kobe. Kobe has to live under the shadow of MJ when everything is said and done. Duncan on the other hand is already considered the greatest PF to ever play the game, way before his retirement.

Very well said. :toast :toast :toast
Kobe tries all things "To Be Like Mike", including wagging his tounge while driving!
Duncan is comfortable being who he is!

[CaptainLate]

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

It's called being a prima-donna. :whine

Duncan is spelled m-a-t-u-r-e. He's all about team.

[CaptainLate]

Come to think of it, even though the Spurs lost this year in the first round; it's nothing compared to the magnanimity and humiliation that the Lakers received in the 08 Finals. Yeah I agree, if KG didn't go down this year, these Fakers are probably getting their collective nuts kicked. I wouldn't be too confident if I were the Lakers. They just won a championship when contending teams' best players were injured

Agreed. Put an (*) on their Shaq-less "title". :lmao

[Brutalis]

Well when you're playing with Kobe, there's a chance that he'll make a video about you, asking for you to be traded, and throwing you under the bus..why would anybody want to go through that?..

There's also the chance that he tries to take over an entire series to get out of your shadow..in the NBA Finals of all places..

Oh, and don't forget the possibility of him snitching on you if he knows anything personal about you..

There's also the chance that he'll quit on your team in a game 7, because he feels like you aren't worthy of being his teammate..

what a great teammate and all-around human being..

shit, Duncan never complained when the Lakers used to swarm him, but nobody on the perimeter could ever make a shot until he got help a few years later in 2003, leading to countless meltdowns in the 4th quarter..he's never complained about not having a legit big man to help him out since Admiral left..he didn't complain last year when we were eliminated in the 1st round, clearly needing more talent..

when he didn't have any all-star caliber players in 2003, but had some improving players that were coming up..what did he do?..he carried us to a title..

the FO repaid him by getting him players out of respect, as Holt and RC have said..

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

finally Jerry West helps him out by giving him an All-Star for nothing, and now he's happy again..we'll see for how long..

what a piece of shit..

Check


For those trying to argue that Kobe is a better player than Duncan, all you have to do is check the most meaningful stat of all.

Duncan has a higher winning percentage than Kobe, both regular season and post season.

Kobe didn't even break the Top 15. Simmons had the Elias Sports Bureau do the work to find that out and that's what happened.

Duncan has more Finals MVPs and Regular season MVPs than Kobe. And he wins at a better clip than Kobe.

And seeing as how the name of the game is to win, how can anyone argue that Kobe is better than Duncan win Kobe doesn't win as much as Duncan?

Mate.

[peskypesky]

In all honesty, it is much better to have a dominate big man than a dominate guard. If I had a choice between building around a 22 year old Duncan or a 22 year old Bryant it would be Duncan all the way. With the exception of the Jordan teams, the team that dominates the paint wins. Why? Because the paint is where the easy baskets are scored. If you score more easy baskets than the other team then you have a good chance of winning.

yup. this is elementary.

[TDMVPDPOY]

kobe how me ass taste

[spursjustice]

So, you'd take Duncan over Magic?

Magic was a great player. Duncan was just as great. You could pick either and not be faulted for it. I would select Duncan only because he's a big.

[45 bank shot]

respect

[Vito Corleone]

Exactly!!! Dr. J played the two guard, and the small forward position. He mainly played the 3 spot. If he played with James, he would only get spot minutes cause James plays huge minutes, and if he played with Kobe, he would get whatever Kobe left over. Both Kobe and James are far superior in talent than Dr. J. Dr. J even took back seat to Andrew Toney when he arrived, and it would be no different with James and Kobe.

It would only make sense that he would want to play with a big man, and he even stated that in the article, but stupid Spur fan twisted it as a diss to Kobe and James. I just put it in prospective, that's all.

just shut up, you are making yourself look stupid. I bet you think Jordan would backup kobe and Lebron? Dr J would be the premier guy in the league if he were in the league today, he did things back in the 70's and 80's that Lebron still couldn't do today.

Dr J was the first guy to dunk a basketball leaping from the free throw line. Kobe might be able to copy it but in the league right now there are probably 3 or 4 guys that have that ability.

Jordan would tell you he emulated his game after Dr J, Kobe emulated his game after Jordan. And even Dr J wasn't the original, that goes to Mr Connie Hawkins who was the first skywalker in the NBA.

I swear laker fans are the dumbest fans in the history of fans.

[Thomas82]

Well when you're playing with Kobe, there's a chance that he'll make a video about you, asking for you to be traded, and throwing you under the bus..why would anybody want to go through that?..

There's also the chance that he tries to take over an entire series to get out of your shadow..in the NBA Finals of all places..

Oh, and don't forget the possibility of him snitching on you if he knows anything personal about you..

There's also the chance that he'll quit on your team in a game 7, because he feels like you aren't worthy of being his teammate..

what a great teammate and all-around human being..

shit, Duncan never complained when the Lakers used to swarm him, but nobody on the perimeter could ever make a shot until he got help a few years later in 2003, leading to countless meltdowns in the 4th quarter..he's never complained about not having a legit big man to help him out since Admiral left..he didn't complain last year when we were eliminated in the 1st round, clearly needing more talent..

when he didn't have any all-star caliber players in 2003, but had some improving players that were coming up..what did he do?..he carried us to a title..

the FO repaid him by getting him players out of respect, as Holt and RC have said..

what does Kobe do when he's upset?..he threatens to sign with the Clippers if Shaq isn't gone..he cries to the media for weeks about wanting to leave, makes videos about Bynum, throws the entire organization under the bus like a baby..asks to go to Chicago, but refuses to let the Lakers get anything back in return..

finally Jerry West helps him out by giving him an All-Star for nothing, and now he's happy again..we'll see for how long..

what a piece of shit..


This is 100% on the money......I'm not just trying to bump an old thread, I haven't been on here in over a month, and this is the first chance I had to visit the board in a while.

[SteelerNation]

In all honesty, it is much better to have a dominate big man than a dominate guard. If I had a choice between building around a 22 year old Duncan or a 22 year old Bryant it would be Duncan all the way. With the exception of the Jordan teams, the team that dominates the paint wins. Why? Because the paint is where the easy baskets are scored. If you score more easy baskets than the other team then you have a good chance of winning.

I hate doing this but I have to. I understand what you are saying but its false. You do know in the last 23 years in the Finals that the only big men to win the MVP are Duncan, Shaq, and Hakeem...right? The rest are guards and small forwards..Jordan, Thomas, Dumars, Worthy, Magic, Kobe, Pierce, Parker, Wade, Bird, and Billups.

[pjjrfan]

So, you'd take Duncan over Magic?
I would. And I'd take Magic over Kobe or James.

[daslicer]

I hate doing this but I have to. I understand what you are saying but its false. You do know in the last 23 years in the Finals that the only big men to win the MVP are Duncan, Shaq, and Hakeem...right? The rest are guards and small forwards..Jordan, Thomas, Dumars, Worthy, Magic, Kobe, Pierce, Parker, Wade, Bird, and Billups.


Uhm actually what he said is true of course perimeter players are going to win the finals MVP more then bigmen because they get the ball the most which leads to more scoring opportunities. Plus the double teams the bigmen recieve it leads to more easy scoring opportunities for the guard to score. Look at the '07 finals Parker wasn't the best player on the spurs but because of the Cav's tripple and double teaming Duncan it lead to Parker getting easy baskets thus helping him win the MVP. Also your example is bs look at all those guys who have won the MVP besides Jordan and Dumars and you will see they all played on teams that had all-star 7fters or dominant 7fters. Worthy and Magic had Jabbar, Kobe had Shaq then Gasol, Pierce had KG, Wade had Shaq, Bird had Parish, Billups had Sheed. In all these scenarios take away that 7fter and their team doesn't win shit and maybe is a mediocre team. So I don't buy it in my book a talented 7fter will always be more valuable then a perimeter player. The only exception to this rule has been MJ and it could possibly apply to Lebron if he wins a few titles.

[cobbler]

Dr. J always struck me as being an intelligent, sophisticated and classy guy. Of course his choice would be Tim.

Oh yeah... where are all the adulterer rants and raves about the Doc? Where are the character attacks on him for having a child out of wedlock and abandoning her for 20 years?