As Kobe faces Duncan for 78th time, comparison unavoidable

[ace3g]

LOS ANGELES – When Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan square off for the 78th time Friday night, it will be nothing like the good ol' days for two of the league's preeminent oldie-but-goodies.

At least not for Bryant.

While the San Antonio Spurs look fully capable of defending their title and winning a sixth championship during the Duncan era, Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers are mired in a campaign so miserable that executives the league over keep wondering when – a la 2007 – he'll demand a trade.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2014/11/12/kobe-bryant-tim-duncan-los-angeles-lakers-san-antonio-spurs-gregg-popovich/18932075/

[Captivus]

I wonder what players have faced each other the most...

[horsielove]

I wonder what players have faced each other the most...

if u consider ur mum and i to be "players", then i'd think we'd be rank as #1 m8, tbh.

[ace3g]

ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
(https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo)Most Games With 25 Pts, 10 Reb, 5 Blk - Last 3 Seasons
Anthony Davis 9
Tim Duncan 5
Dwight Howard 4

[mkurts]

What comparison ?

One is probably the best all round power forward ever and a winner, the other a rapist bricking loser living a fantasy in his own mind

[milkyway21]

ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
(https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo)Most Games With 25 Pts, 10 Reb, 5 Blk - Last 3 Seasons
Anthony Davis 9
Tim Duncan 5
Dwight Howard 4



Davis will be the future.
But, Dwight Howard winning the DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YR 3X
Duncan recorded the most blocks in a playoff series and has NO DPOY :depressed

[scanry]

I wonder what players have faced each other the most...

Probably Tim & Kobe. No one's lasted this long and faced in 7 playoffs series.

[Spur|n|Austin]

ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo
(https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo)Most Games With 25 Pts, 10 Reb, 5 Blk - Last 3 Seasons
Anthony Davis 9
Tim Duncan 5
Dwight Howard 4



Not sure Davis will ever find a great GM like RC or a coach like Pop, but Davis may be as close as it gets to seeing another TD in regards to skill.

[Kidd K]

Davis will be the future.
But, Dwight Howard winning the DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YR 3X
Duncan recorded the most blocks in a playoff series and has NO DPOY :depressed

Duncan also has the 2nd highest career defensive rating of all time and led the league several times. No DPOY.

[letmk]

TD has been the unquestionably #1 guy in 4 championship teams (no disrespect to Tony, but TD was the best player in the '05 run and the Suns, not the Cavs, were the biggest challenge), while KB was the #1 guy for two championship teams, and that's even arguable as Gasol was largely under-appreciated during their run. Plus, even put aside his volume shooting to get his points, the biggest overrated part of KB's career is his defense. When his defense was mediocre, or at best league-average, he was still voted to All-NBA Defense Team simply because of his reputation and fake-hussle (the best quote from JVG), much like Derek Jeter's pick as Golden Glove.

[spurs1990]

I'm going to get basted for this remark but I feel sorry for LA.

It's not as fun beating them when they're this down. I mean it'll always be a great thing giving them that L but seeing them without a Steve Nash, or Nick Young, or Randle takes some of that steam off.

[Uriel]

Great read. :tu

[pookenstein]

It's a different market, man," Bryant said. "San Antonio's not doing $2 billion TV deals – or $5 billion – so it's a different market. Even with my deal, you have a significant amount of cap space available. But I think the advantage that they've had, and that (Duncan) has had and been very fortunate with, is they've had the same guys since he's been there. That really helps.

"You've got Manu there. You've got Tony there. Those guys have been through the ups and downs and they have that familiarity, and then they build with pieces around that. The same coach. The same system. Here, I've had to go through so many different coaches, so many different systems, it's crazy.
So why did he run off Shaq again? Or Dwight?

[BillMc]

So why did he run off Shaq again? Or Dwight?

Or prove to be so selfish in his playing style, and so willing to throw other players under the bus, that no major FA wants to sign in LA for God's sake, the sunny, entertainment capital.
Even Pau eventually took his talents to the shores of Lake Michigan.

[Captivus]

if u consider ur mum and i to be "players", then i'd think we'd be rank as #1 m8, tbh.

Keep up the good posts.

[Captivus]

Probably Tim & Kobe. No one's lasted this long and faced in 7 playoffs series.

Just made a thread about it.

[Drom John]

Pairs chosen rather than calculated

Wilt Chamberlain/Bill Russell 87 games (51 Regular Season)
Tim Duncan/Dirk Nowitzki 86 (33)
Larry Bird/Maurice Cheeks 85 (29)
Tim Duncan/Steve Nash 83 (37)
Bill Russell/Jerry West 79 (25)
Moses Malone/Robert Parish 76 (11)
A.C. Green/Karl Malone 71 (7)
Gary Payton/Karl Malone 71 (21)
Gary Payton/John Stockton 70 (21)
Julius Erving/Robert Parish 70 (19)
Gary Payton/Clifford Robinson 68 (7)
Reggie Miller/Kevin Wills 64 (6)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Elvin Hayes 60 (0)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Robert Parish 59 (26)

[Cry Havoc]

TD has been the unquestionably #1 guy in 4 championship teams (no disrespect to Tony, but TD was the best player in the '05 run and the Suns, not the Cavs, were the biggest challenge), while KB was the #1 guy for two championship teams, and that's even arguable as Gasol was largely under-appreciated during their run. Plus, even put aside his volume shooting to get his points, the biggest overrated part of KB's career is his defense. When his defense was mediocre, or at best league-average, he was still voted to All-NBA Defense Team simply because of his reputation and fake-hussle (the best quote from JVG), much like Derek Jeter's pick as Golden Glove.

Duncan was almost unquestionably the best Spur in last year's playoffs.

[Chomag]

Hopefully Davis can get on a well ran organisation. I would hate to see his teletexts go to waste.

[Dre_7]

Not sure Davis will ever find a great GM like RC or a coach like Pop

It would be nice to dream though!

[ajh18]

This article reveals something interesting about Kobe: he seems totally oblivious to the fact that HE is the main reason for the Lakers' lack of continuity over the years.


But I think the advantage that they've had, and that (Duncan) has had and been very fortunate with, is they've had the same guys since he's been there. That really helps.

"You've got Manu there. You've got Tony there. Those guys have been through the ups and downs and they have that familiarity, and then they build with pieces around that. The same coach. The same system. Here, I've had to go through so many different coaches, so many different systems, it's crazy.


Part of me (is jealous), maybe a little bit, but the situation's different," Bryant said. "They've had consistency, had a core group, and we haven't.

Um, yeah Kobe. Shaq left cause of you. Dwight didn't re-sign because of you. If I remember right Pau didn't seem to be a big fan. And there are multiple reports now of people not wanting to play with you. You replace Kobe with Duncan on the Lakers in 1998 and that team never splits up and probably wins 5-7 titles instead of 3.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

TD has been the unquestionably #1 guy in 4 championship teams (no disrespect to Tony, but TD was the best player in the '05 run and the Suns, not the Cavs, were the biggest challenge), while KB was the #1 guy for two championship teams, and that's even arguable as Gasol was largely under-appreciated during their run. Plus, even put aside his volume shooting to get his points, the biggest overrated part of KB's career is his defense. When his defense was mediocre, or at best league-average, he was still voted to All-NBA Defense Team simply because of his reputation and fake-hussle (the best quote from JVG), much like Derek Jeter's pick as Golden Glove.

I think you mean 2007

[jag]

Kind of sad to see Kobe go out like such a clown. Kind of how it was sad to watch Shaq go out the way he did.

Spent his career being a douche and it's coming back on him.

[milkyway21]

Nothing beats the Spurs rivalry with the Lakers in the Duncan era.
2000, 2001, 2002 uggh that .04 was a heart-breaker :( that's why title 2003 was one of the sweetest.

[letmk]

I think you mean 2007

Yes, I meant 2007.

[Sean Cagney]

Nothing beats the Spurs rivalry with the Lakers in the Duncan era.
2000, 2001, 2002 uggh that .04 was a heart-breaker :( that's why title 2003 was one of the sweetest.

We did not play them in 00 as Tim was hurt and the Spurs were out in round one. Did you mean 99? That was the year the Spurs shut down the forum and swept LA.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

Nothing beats the Spurs rivalry with the Lakers in the Duncan era.
2000, 2001, 2002 uggh that .04 was a heart-breaker :( that's why title 2003 was one of the sweetest.

04 was the year with the 0.4 shot

[hitmantb]

Nothing but respect for Kobe, he may be an ego-maniac but to see him leading the league in scoring after what would be a career ending injury for most is amazing. Most of the scoring leaders in the past were high volume shooters (cough cough, Allen Iverson), gotta cut some slack for a 36-years old.

The guy is the most dedicated basketball player on this planet and I still believe his playing style is much closer to MJ's. LeBron is too much of an NFL player for me, unfair power/speed combination and doesn't have that gorgeous mid-range fade-away with so much finesse. Does anyone else have that move in today's NBA? It is truly unstoppable when Kobe/MJ had it going in their primes. I guess with the focus on 3's this shot is more or less extinct.

It is too bad Duncan never played with a top-10 all time player in his career. Duncan/Kobe would have been insane.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

Tim Duncan leads the all time series 39-38, so he needs to win tonight to extend his lead over Kobe

[Mr Bones]

Kobe's going to keep rationalizing it, but his enormous salary is the biggest problem the Lakers have. Saying the markets are different in L.A. and San Antonio, he neglects to mention that that means he can also easily make more money outside of basketball than Duncan can. The average commercial endorsement is much more lucrative in L.A. than in S.A.... Any way he spins it, it's still a matter of him thinking of himself above the team and winning, and that's why he's going out a loser on a non-playoff team, breaking embarrassing records, and Timmy is going out challenging for championships. Add to that the difference in personalities-- Tim never had players the quality of Pau or Dwight leave him-- and Kobe is pretty much set to spend his final years with a more and more tarnished reputation while Duncan will be lauded forever for doing things the right way.

[DrunkTXLabrat]

They both go to show. There are contrasting ways to win.

Whether you force out your Shaq or almost reluctantly retain your big 3. Consistent winning takes more than one legend.

It's really nice to have a stand up personality legend, with a loyal staff. But beware virtuosity, you may end up complacent. On the other hand, being shrewd can also be affective. But when the mighty grow old and unlucky, who wants to help the selfish prick?

[Galileo]

Tim Duncan vs. Kobe Bryant

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=duncati01&p2=bryanko01