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ing Ay!!!!
Authored by Kostas Bolos - 24th June, 2005 - 2:16 pm
Somehow, you just know there’s a critic out there in Medialand
who still continues to doubt Tim Duncan’s place in NBA lore.
Inexplicably, even after Duncan played an instrumental role in
San Antonio’s third NBA Championship in seven years, there
will still be so-called pundits who’ll attempt to find a
in his armor.
Will the Tim Duncan doubters please stand up, already and
admit the error of their foolish ways.
Yes, we’re talking about those of you who referred to Duncan
at various points of these Finals as “Tiny Tim” and “Tim the
Timid” and a “choker,” and who was nothing without mentor
David Robinson playing by his side, and as a player who every
other game had to defend some kind of legacy as if his
reputation in the league had seemingly been tarnished.
Duncan didn’t need to prove himself to anyone in this year’s
Finals. Not only because he doesn’t particularly care what any
of us in the media have to say about him, but more importantly
because he quite frankly shouldn’t have had his legacy
questioned to begin with.
Yet it was throughout the last two weeks.
Duncan is an NBA all-time great. He is a sure-fire
first-ballot Hall of Famer, and arguably – if there is a
debate - the greatest power forward in league history. Charles
Barkley and Karl Malone, as great as they were, would trade
resumes with The Stoic One in a heartbeat if they could.
He was even before capturing his third Finals MVP in as many
attempts. He was even before missing six consecutive free
throw attempts down the stretch in Game 5, when some of you
had the audacity to actually jump off the Duncan bandwagon
(let’s not forget that the Spurs probably do not head back
home up 3-2 if it were not for most of Duncan’s 26 points and
19 rebounds in Game 5). He was even before his heroic
performance in the Finals finale.
Yet still, Duncan’s legacy was questioned.
Duncan, by his own admission (the true greats are always their
harshest critic and are constantly striving for perfection),
needed to have a better outing in Game 7, and he did.
While his 10-for-27 shooting performance was less than
legendary, Duncan made the plays – on both ends of the floor –
when they counted the most, particularly down the stretch,
when Duncan simply took over the game after his Spurs found
themselves in a nine-point hole midway through the third
quarter.
Duncan’s stat line, for the most part (25 points and 11
rebounds), looked nice, but as usual, his play went beyond
stats. He simply did all the little things (diving for loose
balls, setting up teammates) necessary to win a championship.
Heck, Duncan even made his free throws, hitting on 5-of-6
attempts from the charity stripe.
What else can you ask for?
“He put his team on his shoulders and carried them to a
championship,” Pistons center Ben Wallace said. “That’s what
the great players do.”
“You follow your leader,” added point guard Tony Parker.
“Timmy is the leader of this team, and he just carried us.”
“His complete game is so sound, so fundamental, so unnoticed
at times, because if he didn’t score, people think, ‘Well, he
didn’t do anything,’” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said.
“But he was incredible and he was the force that got it done
for us.”
"He was great the whole series," Pistons head coach Larry
Brown said. "Sometimes, I don't think numbers reflect the
contribution a guy makes. But a lot of the shots they made,
open shots, came as a result of us having a hard time guarding
him. That's why he's such a great player."
Duncan’s biggest attribute, unfortunately (because it
shouldn’t be), is also his biggest flaw. His game is as
complete as one’s can be, yet because he isn’t flashy and
doesn’t run his mouth a la Rasheed Wallace - another terrific
talent, but unfortunately someone whose play on the court in
these Finals did not come remotely close to the amount of
talking he did off of it – he will never truly garner the
respect he deserves.
Let’s face it: there are many who are back on the Duncan
bandwagon today – but you know that will change once the Spurs
find themselves in a must-win playoff game a year from now,
when the same detractors, the ones who doubted Duncan in this
year’s Finals (and you know who you are), will once again be
all over him should San Antonio find themselves with their
backs against the wall, because, sadly, in our
what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world, you are only as good
as your last accomplishment.
Duncan has slowly but surely been carving his legacy for the
last several seasons as arguably the best player of his
generation. He certainly didn’t tarnish it with his
performance in these Finals, win or lose.
Duncan only solidified his status, and he will continue to do
so in the years to come as the Spurs figure to be an NBA
powerhouse for quite some time. With a nucleus including the
29-year-old Duncan, the 27-year-old emerging superstar Manu
Ginobili and the 23-year-old Tony Parker, and one of best
managerial tandems in the league in Popovich and GM R.C.
Buford, San Antonio’s future is bright.
In other words, you haven’t heard the last of Tim Duncan.
So for all of you who questioned the man’s legacy, shame on
you.
It was never up for debate.
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ing Ay!!!!
Mvp 06!
He's the greatest he has so much more talent where that came from he truly carries his team with or without putting up points he willed his team to that victory. In the last 6 minutes of the game, he either scored or assisted on every Spur basket. And you just had a feeling he was gonna blow up after he dove for that loose ball. He shows unbelievable heart everytime he plays, and if the team is doing bad he beats himself up even though its out of his control
Nice article. Well put. The players and coaches all know his greatness, it's the bozos in the media that probably can't even bounce a ball who are the loudest critics.
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