Am I off base with my thinking?

[HemisfairArena]

Phil Jackson said he would start a team with Bill Russell over Jordan and Kobe. Its shocking the NBA right now. Its the old adage...always build around a big man...but it goes beyond that...character, work ethic, skill set come into play. My thought is Tim Duncan is basically the modern day Bill Russell...a humble superstar who wins many titles, can carry a team for many years and doesnt crave the attention. Just happy to play the game. Bill Russell got a statue made of him and he was a little embarrassed by it and guess who came out crying that he wanted a statue since Russell got one?.....................Kareem Abdul Jabbar. See this is the difference between guys like Russell and Duncan...and guys like Kobe and Jabbar. Duncan is the best of his era. And a great coach will come along down the line that will say he would rather start his team with Duncan than with Kobe....just like Jackson picked Russell over Jordan.

[TrainOfThought5]

yes.

[houston spurs fan]

I'd pick LeBron. Especially in this era

[Obstructed_View]

I'm unsure what your thinking is. You agree with PJ?

[HemisfairArena]

I dont know if I agree with PJ simply because I wasnt there to see Russell play. I saw Jordan play and he was the best ever in my eyes but that is naive of me to say he was the best of all time when I never saw Russell, Wilt, Oscar, ect...

[Poolboy5623]

That's why it's pointless to compare different players from completely, different eras....it's one thing to compare guys 10-20 years apart...but beyond that is ..again, pointless. Reason being is the level of competition changes to drastically over the years, to get a fair comparison.

[TheGoldStandard]

I think he would say Russell is because he was a student of the game and he would kill the teams that Wilt played on because he was a team player. Russell didn't need to put up 40 a night to be a difference maker, he would rebound and assist and play great defense and he was a winner. Some guys have the will to win, they put there egos aside and do what they have to do in order to win and I think Duncan fits that mold. In his prime Duncan could get you 20 and 10 with his eyes closed but its the little things like assists or hockey assists from 4 down days. I'd build a franchise around Prime Tim 10/10 times.

[HemisfairArena]

Thats exactly what I was saying,GoldStandard. I agree 100%. Without even watching Russell and the fact Jackson picked him over Jordan or Kobe says something about character, skill, and integrity. Thats why I wanted to bring this to light. Duncan is a mordern day Bill Russell. All class, all skill...no drama.

[Kidd K]

I agree with the Russell/Duncan comparisons, but I wouldn't take Russell over Jordan in this era.

[Brunodf]

Team build around bigs>>>>>>>>team build around guards

[Nbadan]

All Russell did was win 2 NCAA championships.... Olympic Gold Medal..... 11 NBA Titles....

[DespЏrado]

Team build around bigs>>>>>>>>team build around guards
That used to be true but right now it's better to have borderline Bigmen and super star wings. The way the rules have changed highly favors penetration and kick play more than anything else. Having twin towers can be more detrimental than helpful if theycan't be effective outside of the paint.

[Dingle Barry]

I'm tired of having to read what that asshole thinks about anything every time I access ESPN these days.

[mudyez]

I'd rather watch him coach a team of Javal McGees than Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, Shaq,...

[Juggity]

I'm tired of having to read what that asshole thinks about anything every time I access ESPN these days.

:tu

[Russo21]

When Jordan retired in 1993 he was hailed the greatest of all time and had huge retirement ceremonies etc and it was big news around the world. Jordan comes back a few years later, wins 3 more championships, 3 more scoring titles, 3 more finals MVP'S and 2 more MVP's. Not a bad way to finish your career and add to your legacy. He accomplished more in his last 3 years then most do in a career. Then old man Jordan decides to come back and play not 1 but 2 failed years in Washington. Now people say they'd pick Russel over Jordan, possibly Magic over Jordan, Oscar over Jordan etc. So how much did that Washington comeback effect MJ's legacy. Pretty badly I think.

[Russo21]

The generational gap in sports is impossible to overcome. People evolve, the game evolves, rules change, training evolves, travel is better, recovery is better. Generations are just to hard to compare. A guy named Michael Jordan once said 'evolution knows no boundaries, there will be a player much greater then me'

[thiste]

I'd pick LeBron. Especially in this era

Wait till he has won 12 titles maybe... :rolleyes

[Richie]

People are saying it's not a big mans game anymore, but I don't agree. I think it's just a lack of quality big men out there at the moment.
Look at how Hibbert dominated the Heat the past two games. Any of the top big men over the past 30 years would lead their team to a title over this Heat team. Even in the first years after their prime, players like Hakeem, Duncan or Shaq would dominate today.

[Obstructed_View]

PJ played in the league with Russell his first year, and in the league with Magic in his last year, and he coached Jordan. He's in a pretty unique position to make that kind of judgment.

[m33p0]

The Pacers-Heat series(so far) is making that argument for him.

[moisaenz]

Hopefully spurs can validate that argument once again if they get to the finals.

[pjjrfan]

People talk about how competitive Jordan was but Russell was at the same level if not higher, plus Russell had to overcome a level of racism and bigotry that thanks to athletes like Russell and Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, and Jim Brown that Jordan didn't have to deal with at all. And look at where Russell played, Boston. People talk about how Jordan treated his adversaries by giving them little respect, Russell wasn't that much different, he had a way of saying things where he would basically make it know he didn't fear anyone on the court and didn't think that anyone could out play or defeat him, and this attitude rubbed off on all the Celtics. Athletes are different now than in Russells era, you got small forwards and guards that are as tall as Russell was, but his desire, confidence and attitude would have made him excel in any era in my mind.

[rascal]

Will the Spurs put a Tim Duncan statue up?

[rascal]

Team build around bigs>>>>>>>>team build around guards

That is why when the Spurs front office had both lottery picks Duncan and Robinson during the years 2000-2002 they dropped the ball losing to the lakers 3 years in a row by surrounding those two franchise bigs with trash players.

[DPG21920]

I'm unsure what your thinking is. You agree with PJ?

:lol I was thinking the same thing

[Bartleby]

Will the Spurs put a Tim Duncan statue up?

Maybe a Twin Towers statue

[pgardn]

Coaches want uber talented players who don't need supervision in their interaction with the team.

Jordan and Kobe required a coach who had to expend energy on making sure they did not alienate teammates. I presume a coach would rather coach the game of basketball, not referee internal strife.

My take on the post... Don't exactly know how Jabbar fits in though.

[kaji157]

Would be nice to have a team statue containing Robinson-Duncan-Bowen-Ginobili-Parker.

Impressive those guys did share a team.

A team statue would set forever the tone of what Holt, Pop and David set to do a long time ago.

[skulls138]

People are saying it's not a big mans game anymore, but I don't agree. I think it's just a lack of quality big men out there at the moment.
Look at how Hibbert dominated the Heat the past two games. Any of the top big men over the past 30 years would lead their team to a title over this Heat team. Even in the first years after their prime, players like Hakeem, Duncan or Shaq would dominate today.This. Also look how Memphis dispatched the Thunder and Clipps and how we dispatched Warriors. Teams with good big men shoot higher % shots.

[skulls138]

Don't exactly know how Jabbar fits in though.Me neither. Jabbar has been nothing but a model of greatness, consistency and a lack of drama.