Since Timmy Dunks passed the annual Real MVP award to LeBron beginning in 2008, has LeBron now become the equal of Dunks in his prime??
While I'm going to say "not yet", it's due only to longevity. As far as matching any of Duncans single seasons combined with playoff excellence, LeBron did it last year and is doing it this year. Duncan got robbed out of B2B Championships due to his condoning a re coach and some rigged Mav reffing. LeBron hasn't had much of a better road what with Potatoe Head and DWades idiotic pre ejack celebration that was no small factor in lighting a fire under the all-but-done Mavs.
LeBron has long since passed 2nd tier stars such McGrady, Kobe, Parker, Pierce. But has he equaled the mega stars like Duncan, Snaq?
If LeBron shines again in a 2013 repeat it will surely put him in the same air as Duncs. Regardless of 2014 +.
What about right here and now? I'm not saying total career. I'm asking has/is prime LeBrons reg + playoff season equaled any of Duncans?
Unfortunately most casual nba fans and some avid fans think Lebrons already more of a legend than Timmy. I'd be very surprised if Lebron didn't have a better career than Timmy when it's all said and done, but it's still td if bron were to hang them up IMO. Though I didn't see all of Duncan's prime, i have a good understanding of how dominant he was in every facet, but many don't.
Currently Duncan is 4-0 in the finals, and Lebron is 1-3.
FMVPs is a similar story — Duncan 3, Lebron 1
I can see Lebron potentially passing Duncan some day down the road, but right now it's all speculation.
I know you mean well Juggity but for now lets keep the fake media out of it.
Kirby Bryant has a 6-24 WWE belt.
My q is did last years Bron season + playoff and thus far this year equal Prime Duncan? As SpurSwag mentioned, doing a bit of everything.
Surely Duncan is head and shoulders ahead in terms of defensive impact? Also, Duncan did more with less IMO. Granted Duncan has always been on a more talented team than Lebron had in Cleveland, he's never had the kind of talent Lebron has on the Heat.
Tough to compare the two players who play completely different games and have never had comparable talent around them.
LeBron's career trajectory currently is such that he might only be behind one or two players when he retires, and has a shot at the GOAT. As good as Duncan is, we've never seen anyone in the NBA with LeBron's size/speed/agility/power.
Offensively, I think prime LeBron tops prime Duncan. Especially in today's league, where perimeter scorers dominate like low-post scorers used to dominate.
Timmy, the dude dominated like crazy in his prime!
I agree with Havoc... as great as Timmy's career looks, Lebron's ceiling is higher. Their MVP count seems to be a good summary of their comparison, imo. Since the team is an important variable in championships, it works against Timmy in this particular comparison with Lebron having 3 MVPs already and more to come. He'll be in a pretty elite group with Kareem, Wilt, MJ, and Bill.
Not sure LeBron has reached his peak potential.
My best guess is LeBron retires as the #2 player all-time. He'll never catch Jordan because of how he disappered in the 2011 Finals, but every other star ahead of him has had a pretty nasty series or two to stain his legacy like that (e.g., Magic giving away the 84 Finals, Bird getting swept in 83 by Milwaukee, etc.). LeBron's already top 10 all-time by age 28 and I don't see him slowing down any time soon.
You wil never EVER EVER............EVER know how good Duncan would have been had he played in the ty half of the league
Lebron will overtake him or he should but Lebron will never mature and always be a little boy chimping around and doing stupid celebrations. Timmy has him beat in that area and still beat in nba area so far
He's certainly in the category of "mega stars", but he is still below Duncan and Shaq in the all time rankings.
And I don't think he'll surpass them. Big men >>> versatile guard/forwards.
As for "career trajectory," Tim's is way more impressive. He was a top-3 MVP candidate in his second season (and frankly, he should have won it). He was considered the best player in the world by the time the Spurs reached the Finals in 1999. So his career started much more impressively than how Lebron's started. And it's not just because his team was better. He was better individually.
On a per game basis, LeBron is probably ahead. As a wing, he could play more minutes, so while they are very close in a per minute/per 100 possesions comparison(Worth roughly 10 points per 100 possesions in differential to their team) LeBron play 38-40 minutes, while Duncan played less.
LeBron is better offensively, But Duncan anchored some of the best defensive teams of all time. Really close. Duncan ahead in the early years of career, but part of that is straight out of high school compared to 4 years at College.
At this point Duncan is ahead, but imo LeBron will retire as the GOAT. There is nothing he can't do well, except play center.
I don't know but I'l tell you one thing, it would be a of a match up. Same as Prime Lebron vs. Michael Jordan
The question is prime vs. prime, not career accomplishments..
Essentially, it's 2003 Duncan vs. 2012 Lebron, which is a toss-up IMO..if Lebron's 2013 regular season dominance translates to a successful le run this year, this version of Lebron is probably the #2 peak of all-time behind '91 Jordan..we'll see if he can do it, though..
It's scary how good Lebron is tbh I didn't think he could live up to the hype, but he's blown that hype out of the water. It's a shame he has stains on his résumé with losing twice in the finals, because I think if he had been 2/2 or something now he'd be the 2nd best of all time as is. Losing to the spurs in the finals sucks for him because people will look at it like a disappointment that he lost in the finals without realizing just hhow incredible it is that he made it that far with that team. Those cavs had no business playing in the finals
View it like this...imagine if Duncan was in his prime now..would LeBron be MVP every year!?? lll no. Duncan at 36 is still top 5 big in the league. You put LeBron in his prime in Duncan's era he'd still be a top player but not as nearly as dominant has he's viewed now( Kobe, Pierce, Tmac, Carter etc..) the league is so watered down now with true talent and stars these days...only way LBJ surpasses is if he gets 5 rings lol
No he got on in the 2011 finals, deferred to wade, and was a choking pussy even scoring only 8 points in one game. This is after destroying teams prior to the finals.
The NBA had more top-tier individual talent in the previous era, but overall teams were worse IMO..
The 2002 Lakers, 2003 Spurs, 2004 Pistons and 2006 Heat were weak le teams, tbh..
Prime lebron is better than everyone even jordan
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