Who is the individual rival of Duncan in his career?

[Rapper]

The query comes from Kobe Bryant who said that he has no rival in his position and career. so I just wonder who is the individual rival of Timmy in his position? Duncan is a 13 times all star .13 times all nba team .2 times league MVP and 3 times final MVP. so if i pick someone to be his individual rival in his career the guy must be certified at several things and meet some requirements.

1 Playing at PF position
2 6'10 - 7 foot tall
3 ring
4 League MVP
5 Final MVP
6 10 times + All Star Appearances
7 5 time + All NBA First Team
8 20000 + career points
9 Averaging 18 point +and 8 rebounds+ in his entire career
10 Once participated in Olympics

In my opinion. the guy should be KG. Plus.Our Timmy and KG are the only 2 active players in the list of NBA all time double-double leader and likely to break the record in next season (Duncan 721 3rd of All Time. KG 707 #5 of All time)
The leader of the list now goes to Karl Malone (which is 811). that means TD and KG's are just 90 behind of Karl's . as far as Timmy's concerned he would probably sign a 2-year.23 M contract with the spurs in the summer. so in this case. who would you pick ??

http://gb.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2010/03/29/5/14107769663659248441.jpg

[Mal]

Individual - Garnett, Shaq
Team - Kobe, Shaq

So I guess it is Shaq

[slick'81]

yeah def shaq and kg

[cd98]

The reality is that Tim Duncan played power forward at the time where the best overall players in the NBA were power forwards. The fact that he dominated the position makes him all the more impressive.

Shaq an KG come to mind, but also Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Elton Brand, Old Karl Malone, Explosive Antonio McDyess, Amare Staoudamire and mediore stars like Shareef Abdul Raheem, Antoine Walker, Lamar Odem, Zach Randolph, Keynon Martin, Chris Bosh, David West and Jermaine O'Neal.

[CGD]

Shaq, no question. KG's resume doesn't even come close to TD's; now if he would have won a title or two while in Minni, then it's another story.

[TDMVPDPOY]

lol whoever mention KG, the 'what if'...only interested in facts

[dunkman]

Shaq, perhaps Dirk. Kobe and KG were not clearly the best players of their teams when they won championships.

[wildbill2u]

I don't think you compare all players at all positions for individual rivals. Therefore I don't think you include Shaq because he was a center who camped out beneath the basket while Timmy played most of his career at PF and still does.

Timmy's individual rivals were other Power Forwards.

That leaves Garnett as his biggest rival who has a lot of individual honors as well as great stats over approximately the same number of years, but never could lead teams to multiple championships or garner MVP honors.

CD98 listed most of the other candidates at PF :Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Elton Brand, Old Karl Malone, Explosive Antonio McDyess, Amare Staoudamire. All of them were good and had some longevity to build stats for comparison, albeit with some qualifiers such as Old and Explosive.

He was referring I suppose to the various things like age and injuries that eventually took their toll on all the players--but the record is what it is. TD never had a disabling injury that bothered him long term like McDyess and he looks good for another couple of years as a serviceable player on the roster if not quite at his previous superstar level.

[Leetonidas]

Timmy guarded Shaq's fatass when it mattered. Shaq is Tim's only real rival, the two dominant big men of their generation and yes Timmy played PF for most of his career but he also played C half the time. imo it's Shaq and then probably KG though the Spurs/Wolves didn't match up a lot in the playoffs, followed by Dirk...?

[Ryan Fitzpatrick]

Shaq.

[dunkman]

KG wasn't an rival, because Duncan won always tbh.
Shaq and Dirk were/are his rivals. Kobe to lesser extent.

[RoyerReptiles]

Why is it that position is so important in this? Are you going to tell me that Magic and Bird aren't rivals because one played guard and the other forward? They're probably the biggest and most important single player rivalry in the history of the NBA as well as being the best players on the biggest team rivalry at the time.

With that being said, I do believe that you can and should take the two "Big Men" positions into account when you look at this. Centers should ABSOLUTELY be included, especially when you consider Duncan's style of play. He's a center that played the Power Forward position because David was already on the team. This being the case, you absolutely have to include Shaq as a rival and in reality you have to conclude that Shaq was his biggest. The Spurs most heated rivalries include the Mavericks and Suns, but when it comes down to it the Lakers were the biggest during the Shaq years. The Spurs and Lakers were the two teams to beat for a decade and their best players just happened to be the two best big men in the game. Shaq and Duncan squared off constantly and went head to head when it mattered. Winning those playoff series usually meant a trip to the finals. The KG talk really only centered around him being a very gifted power forward at the same time that Duncan was in his prime, but I would never say they went head to head enough when it mattered to create any sort of rivalry. How many times did they square off in the playoffs, once? '99, first round? Duncan and the Spurs spanked them 3-1. Does that equate to a rivalry? Real team and individual rivalries that are remembered well are created in the playoffs.

Just think about all of the Lakers/Spurs series and how many times Duncan and Shaq went toe to toe. Can you really tell me with a straight face that KG even gets into that conversation? Just being another good big man at the same time Duncan was does not a rivalry make.

[ajballer4]

Dirk and Shaq

[therealtruth]

Why is it that position is so important in this? Are you going to tell me that Magic and Bird aren't rivals because one played guard and the other forward? They're probably the biggest and most important single player rivalry in the history of the NBA as well as being the best players on the biggest team rivalry at the time.

With that being said, I do believe that you can and should take the two "Big Men" positions into account when you look at this. Centers should ABSOLUTELY be included, especially when you consider Duncan's style of play. He's a center that played the Power Forward position because David was already on the team. This being the case, you absolutely have to include Shaq as a rival and in reality you have to conclude that Shaq was his biggest. The Spurs most heated rivalries include the Mavericks and Suns, but when it comes down to it the Lakers were the biggest during the Shaq years. The Spurs and Lakers were the two teams to beat for a decade and their best players just happened to be the two best big men in the game. Shaq and Duncan squared off constantly and went head to head when it mattered. Winning those playoff series usually meant a trip to the finals. The KG talk really only centered around him being a very gifted power forward at the same time that Duncan was in his prime, but I would never say they went head to head enough when it mattered to create any sort of rivalry. How many times did they square off in the playoffs, once? '99, first round? Duncan and the Spurs spanked them 3-1. Does that equate to a rivalry? Real team and individual rivalries that are remembered well are created in the playoffs.

Just think about all of the Lakers/Spurs series and how many times Duncan and Shaq went toe to toe. Can you really tell me with a straight face that KG even gets into that conversation? Just being another good big man at the same time Duncan was does not a rivalry make.

Duncan would have been a really good center but at power forward he basically dominated with his length. At center he would have to use his quickness more and length has always bothered him. Phil Jackson use to switch Shaq on Duncan in the fourth quarters.

[eric365]

more importantly, who is tiago's rival?

ian mahinmi

[William Hung]

Rasheed Wallace and it's not even close. That rivalry goes all the way back to college.

[ffadicted]

Shaq

[Libri]

Keith Van Horn

Oh wait, it was only the first season. :lol

[Proxy]

Rasheed Wallace and it's not even close. That rivalry goes all the way back to college.

Who is Rasheed Wallace? I'm looking through my books of champions, winners, and mvps.... and there's no Rasheed Wallace. (besides 04 of course) I think you mean Shaq.

[Arcadian]

I always viewed Kevin Garnett as his primary individual matchup. They played the same position, they would often guard each other, and they were both versatile superstars who helped their teams in many facets of the game. The main difference is that Garnett preferred to play point-forward and Duncan preferred to command the low post, but they still have a lot in common overall. I always looked forward to watching the Spurs and T-Wolves play each other in the regular season more than anyone else, just so I could enjoy the Duncan-Garnett matchup. For those who are being hard on KG...it's funny how soon we forget 2002-2006, when many were calling him the best player on the planet. I never agreed with that, and I always argued for Duncan's superiority, but I at least can admit that it was a serious comparison.

Shaq was his biggest rival in terms of achievements, and just by virtue of the fact that they are the two best players of their era. But Garnett was his biggest individual rival.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

Obviously Shaq, and Dirk. KG? It's only a rivalry if it's competitive, and Timmy flat out owned KG. Not to mention, KG isn't in the same breath as Tim or Shaq.

[Arcadian]

Centers should ABSOLUTELY be included, especially when you consider Duncan's style of play. He's a center that played the Power Forward position because David was already on the team.

I don't accept this reasoning. Young Tim Duncan was both too versatile and too skinny to play center in the late 90s and early 2000s. It would have been a waste of his talent to stick him in the paint and make him play center. Watch some old videos on Youtube to remind yourself of what he did. He ran the floor, attacked the basket from every angle, used a plethora of pump fakes and low post moves to get defenders off their feet, and basically scored from anywhere on the court. That's not a center, that's a versatile forward. Therefore, he would have been suited to the position regardless of David Robinson's existence.

[Arcadian]

Obviously Shaq, and Dirk. KG? It's only a rivalry if it's competitive, and Timmy flat out owned KG. Not to mention, KG isn't in the same breath as Tim or Shaq.

Haha, really? If they were to play a game of one-on-one, you don't think that would be a competitive game?

[RoyerReptiles]

Watch some old videos on Youtube to remind yourself of what he did. He ran the floor, attacked the basket from every angle, used a plethora of pump fakes and low post moves to get defenders off their feet, and basically scored from anywhere on the court.

Wow, you just described David Robinson in his prime. Wait a minute, wasn't he a center? Maybe he didn't have as many pump fakes, but he wasn't your prototypical center either just as Duncan isn't your prototypical power forward. Who cares, though, the point is that Shaq and Duncan were huge rivals. Lakers VS Spurs, Shaq VS Duncan. Those were the days! Don't let the examples distract you from the point of the post.

[HarlemHeat37]

Shaq, from a legacy and history perspective, but in all honesty, there wasn't much of a comparison from the fans and media, until it was looked at in retrospect..Shaq and Tim didn't have much in common, stylistically..

However, as an individual, it would be Garnett..KG had the misfortune of playing for a shitty franchise, for the majority of his career, which hurt the potential growth of a Duncan-KG legacy..

Spurs fans generally dislike Garnett and disregard his status, but during their primes, both players were often compared to each other, and they were unquestionably the 2 best two-way players in the NBA..the 2 most unselfish superstars in the NBA, as well..

While KG was more of a finesse big, both players were highly comparable..great passers, elite defensive players, both possessed solid inside-outside combinations..Duncan(particularly from '98 to 2003) and KG both represented a different type of hybrid post player in the NBA(Garnett more on the outside, Duncan on the inside, but still hybrids)..

[Wild Cobra Kai]

I never considered KG a rival to Tim. He couldn't even lead his team out of the first round, most years. He didn't ring until he moved to BOS with some better crunch time players than himself. Contemporaries? Yes. Rivals? Not so much. Tim just owned his ass six ways to Sunday.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Shaq, from a legacy and history perspective, but in all honesty, there wasn't much of a comparison from the fans and media, until it was looked at in retrospect..Shaq and Tim didn't have much in common, stylistically..

However, as an individual, it would be Garnett..KG had the misfortune of playing for a shitty franchise, for the majority of his career, which hurt the potential growth of a Duncan-KG legacy..

Spurs fans generally dislike Garnett and disregard his status, but during their primes, both players were often compared to each other, and they were unquestionably the 2 best two-way players in the NBA..the 2 most unselfish superstars in the NBA, as well..

While KG was more of a finesse big, both players were highly comparable..great passers, elite defensive players, both possessed solid inside-outside combinations..Duncan(particularly from '98 to 2003) and KG both represented a different type of hybrid post player in the NBA(Garnett more on the outside, Duncan on the inside, but still hybrids)..

I'm SO tired of hearing that shit. KG had multiple All Star team mates over the years at different positions in the front court and back court, and at least the talent that Tim did most years.

[100%duncan]

your requirements doesnt match with kg

[TDMVPDPOY]

fkn morons in this thread who mentions KG are idiots.......there should be no excuses if ur taking up 1/2 ur teams salary cap...if ur earning max money u shouldnt be makin excuses

[Wild Cobra Kai]

KG never rang enough because he was always short on his supporting cast. 2004 was an exception because they were ready to rumble for the championship then, only that they were beaten by the Lakers.

Tim has had guys like Ginobili, Parker, Bowen, and other bunch of guys who knew what they needed to do and were damn good at it. Who has KG had pre-Boston? Aside from Spree and E.T., a bunch of guys who were good but were not good enough.

But I guess one knack on this "rivalry" is that Garnett has rarely shown up when it matters.

Kind of makes it NOT a rivalry when one player is constantly a no-show.

KG's All Star team mates:

Starbury
Tom Gugliotta
Terrell Brandon
Wally Sczerbiak
Sam Cassell

[silverblk mystix]

If, by rival, you mean someone who is a main reason that Timmy does not have more titles?

Then it is Gregg Popovich.

If you really want to be honest. Most of you don't, though, and you will never admit that if not for Pop...Timmy would have 6 or 7 rings.

[will_spurs]

Shaq, clearly.

I don't think KG belongs in the same conversation, I'm pretty sure Tim would have just washed the floor with KG if they had played against each other more often. I mean, KG is good but he's not "I can stop TD in his prime" good.

[Killakobe81]

Shaq, perhaps Dirk. Kobe and KG were not clearly the best players of their teams when they won championships.

:lol

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Garnett, easily. Was everyone like born in 2005 or something? From 99-07 the TD vs. KG matchup was arguably the best and most contested in the NBA. Tim usually won, but KG certainly had his nights.

As some here are so fond of pointing out, that was only the regular season. KG was a Beast in the regular season, and a Bonner on the post season. Tim just owned his ass after Fiesta every year. No rivalry at all in the REAL season, which is all that counts.

[ALVAREZ6]

KG. Similar builds, same position, both played great ball on both sides of the floor in their primes. Shaq was a massive center who simply couldn't be contained by anyone in his prime. You can consider both rivals, but I think KG is the #1 rival.

[therealtruth]

As some here are so fond of pointing out, that was only the regular season. KG was a Beast in the regular season, and a Bonner on the post season. Tim just owned his ass after Fiesta every year. No rivalry at all in the REAL season, which is all that counts.

He wasn't a Bonner. He just suffered from the same criticism Lebron is getting about showing up in the fourth quarter and being able to win.

[DMC]

more importantly, who is tiago's rival?
His head fake.

[DMC]

KG never rang enough because he was always short on his supporting cast. 2004 was an exception because they were ready to rumble for the championship then, only that they were beaten by the Lakers.

Tim has had guys like Ginobili, Parker, Bowen, and other bunch of guys who knew what they needed to do and were damn good at it. Who has KG had pre-Boston? Aside from Spree and E.T., a bunch of guys who were good but were not good enough.

But I guess one knack on this "rivalry" is that Garnett has rarely shown up when it matters.
You said a mouthful with that last line. The all time greats showed up when it mattered most, and the rest are just stat whores.

[tmtcsc]

Shaq

[DesignatedT]

If KG would have stayed in the West than it would probably be him hands down but his move to the east kind of killed that. But it's still Shaq and KG.

[hater]

Duncan never had a rival. saying KG was his rival is like saying TMac was Kobe's rival

Don't remember Shaq + Duncan going one on one either. Neither could guard the other.

Same goes with Dirk.