misterx91578
12-30-2009, 12:46 AM
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/12/30/nba-player-of-the-decade-tim-duncan/
It's difficult to surmise how the NBA of the Noughties will be remembered. It isn't as if the 1990s lacked for storylines beyond the obvious; it's just that the obvious, the dominance of Michael Jordan's Bulls, let little historical, mainstream sunlight reach points outside Chicago.
Our ending decade suffers no such problems. We have dynasties, the Lakers early in the millennium and a Spurs reign we will soon discuss in better depth. But we lack a suffocating talent so clearly better than his peers he renders them footnotes. While LeBron James exits the decade as the game's almost obviously most transcedant talent, the same could have been said of late '80s MJ. It wasn't 'til the rings rained that Jordan really took over the NBA. LeBron has yet to taste the ultimate success, and as such remains mortal in NBA discourse.
NBA'S BEST OF THE DECADE
Team of the Decade: L.A. Lakers
Story of the Decade: Palace Brawl
All Sports: Decade in ReviewKobe Bryant, of course, has rings ... and so much more. Controversy, both about his personal life and his game. Talent, obviously, with a past-due MVP award in 2008-09 and the decade's top scoring average at 28.7 points per game. Durability, in a neck-and-neck race Dirk Nowitzki this season to claim the decade's minutes played lead. And championships. Four, in fact, since the 1999-2000 season, more than any other star. Kobe was certainly the team's top player in the most recent title run, and was no worse than co-star in the Shaquille O'Neal-marqueed threepeat to open the 2000s.
I have no qualms if you name Kobe your player of the Noughties. But there's one other championship-ridden player I think deserves the honor more.
Tim Duncan also has four titles, just three this decade. (His first came in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.) But the story of Duncan goes beyond the Spurs dynasty, of which he is often seen as only the most vital cog and not the overwhelming reason for its existence. Duncan is the dynasty, and in my opinion, the player of the decade.
It's difficult to surmise how the NBA of the Noughties will be remembered. It isn't as if the 1990s lacked for storylines beyond the obvious; it's just that the obvious, the dominance of Michael Jordan's Bulls, let little historical, mainstream sunlight reach points outside Chicago.
Our ending decade suffers no such problems. We have dynasties, the Lakers early in the millennium and a Spurs reign we will soon discuss in better depth. But we lack a suffocating talent so clearly better than his peers he renders them footnotes. While LeBron James exits the decade as the game's almost obviously most transcedant talent, the same could have been said of late '80s MJ. It wasn't 'til the rings rained that Jordan really took over the NBA. LeBron has yet to taste the ultimate success, and as such remains mortal in NBA discourse.
NBA'S BEST OF THE DECADE
Team of the Decade: L.A. Lakers
Story of the Decade: Palace Brawl
All Sports: Decade in ReviewKobe Bryant, of course, has rings ... and so much more. Controversy, both about his personal life and his game. Talent, obviously, with a past-due MVP award in 2008-09 and the decade's top scoring average at 28.7 points per game. Durability, in a neck-and-neck race Dirk Nowitzki this season to claim the decade's minutes played lead. And championships. Four, in fact, since the 1999-2000 season, more than any other star. Kobe was certainly the team's top player in the most recent title run, and was no worse than co-star in the Shaquille O'Neal-marqueed threepeat to open the 2000s.
I have no qualms if you name Kobe your player of the Noughties. But there's one other championship-ridden player I think deserves the honor more.
Tim Duncan also has four titles, just three this decade. (His first came in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season.) But the story of Duncan goes beyond the Spurs dynasty, of which he is often seen as only the most vital cog and not the overwhelming reason for its existence. Duncan is the dynasty, and in my opinion, the player of the decade.