Tim 5 rings, 2 MVPs, 3 FMVPs, playing his entire career for one team and leading that team on the NBA top for 18 years... Still don't get how they pick LeBron over him.
Russell is probably top 25 because he was such an insane shotblocker and a great outlet passer, but 6 is ridiculous.
Tim 5 rings, 2 MVPs, 3 FMVPs, playing his entire career for one team and leading that team on the NBA top for 18 years... Still don't get how they pick LeBron over him.
Russell #7
So that makes Bird #6
Bird always has to be in the top 5 or top 6 in these guys eyes he is a white god. I think once the Boomers are dead in 20 some years Bird will be ranked lower.
He shouldn't be, Bird was a monster.
Wow. Should make a ST meltdown because no way is Lebron higher than Duncan. Even he'll tell you.![]()
All of that while being 15x All-NBA *AND* 15x All-Defense, while winning 50 games (or the equivalent) in every single season of his career, while having a realistic shot at having the most playoff games played of anyone in NBA history by the time he retires.
During Tim Duncan's career, his teams have not just managed to make the playoffs in every season; they've advanced at least a round deep in 14 of the 18 prior playoff seasons; they've qualified with a top-3 seed in the West in 14 of 18 seasons (likely to become 15/19). They've been the #1 seed on 7 different occasions; the #2 seed on 3 occasions; and the #3 seed on 4 occasions. Not just that -- they've finished with a top-5 record in the NBA in 16 of the 18 seasons (again, likely to become 17/19 this year; they tied for the 6th best record in 1997-98 and for the 10th best record in 2009-10).
Lebron is hard to rank because he still has a way to go. Having played in the Leastern Conference his whole career diminishes all the Finals appearances. I'm not sure why that isn't brought up more.
Shaq loses points to me because of his poor free throw shooting. He was often on the bench in tight games at the end because of his liability. That isn't true of any of the other all time greats.
Not a Bird fan? He was a horrendous defender, but so was Shaq, so was Magic, and Abdul-Jabbar wasn't anything to write home about either. But Bird was like a hybrid of Diaw and Ginobili with Gary Payton's at ude.
Top 10 all time is impressive with Duncan ranked over Olajuwon and Shaq. If you put the Lebron issue to the side, I think Duncan did pretty good.
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All of that and you can't forget the fact that he was absolutely unguardable in his prime in addition to being an elite passer, rebounder, shotblocker, and defender. He also adapted his game to changing tactics and his deteriorating body better than any player in history.
Pop's offense from 1999-2004 was basically just "give the ball to Timmy and GTFO the way" (aka 4 down), and we won 2 les with it.
I'd add that the Spurs either won the le or were eliminated by a team that at least reached the Finals in 13 of Duncan's 18 seasons (they were the champion or lost to the eventual champion in 8 of those 13 seasons).
BS, Curry isn't there.
Bird gets hurt by his longevity. He had 9 seasons of elite play before injuries derailed his career. Someone like LeBron, who is only 31, has already put together more quality seasons.
I'll admit I didn't see Bird/Magic in their primes, so maybe that's why I underrate them, but I'd take Duncan/LeBron/Shaq over those 2 without much hesitation.
i'm a big bird fan, there's a reason i quoted harlem instead of saying that outright. i have bird above aids, but below jabbar
Oh ok. Bird is starting to get underrated as time passes.
Laker fans in the comment section of the ranking are soo butt hurt that Timmy is above Shaq and Kobe. One of them even tried the cool argument of Kobe was more exciting and people paid more money to see him.
same thing Aids said when asked about his reaction to Kareem's opinion on TD/Kobe
Every site thinks their man should be 2nd, but agrees Jordan should be first. Why is it easier to put your guy ahead of everyone but Mike? Why not have Tim 1st? Russell has more rings than Mike. Bird never repeated.
The reason Tim is number 8 is because Tim spent a lot of time scraping by with high idle performances. Everyone here knows it. It's why he's still playing. Lebron is going to be number 5 I think, and that's fine because no one else I can think of outside that group could have made 5 consecutive Finals appearances on 2 different teams, where the fortunes of the teams just so happened to rise and fall with his arrival and departure.
So yeah, given the talent he's faced you'd have to put Lebron up there pretty high. You also have to weigh the "now" factor. Some "now" guy has to get a nod for top 5 and Tim is about to retire.
So LeBron is already Top 5? Not sure I'd go that far. I'd have Russell and TD ahead of him at minimum. Not sure LBJ was/is better than Shaq either.
Bird was transcendent and deserves to be lauded. But he could never play D like Timmy and with a 5 to 3 ring count I'd give Duncan the nod over Bird. That said, obviously, I'm biased.
must suck for Lakers fans that the media's POV has changed dramatically since 2010, tbh..if the ring count was 5-5 back in 2010 or even 2011, there still wouldn't be any media members putting Duncan ahead of Kobe..
Kobe not in the top 10 is pretty stupid, though..
Hakeems biggest gripe is he made and won the finals in the very 2 years MJ took a break. Thats no coincidence.
Literally MJ played 14 years straight. with a break of 2 years. and those 2 years Hakeem won and only in those 2 years
Hakeem s on TD tbh
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