I high-lighted in this one, I couldn't help myself!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19039734/
Forget LeBron, Duncan is real heir to Jordan
Spurs star isn’t flashy, explosive, but is game’s ultimate winner — like Mike
OPINION
By Mike Wise
Now that LeBron James has become ABC's savior of the NBA Finals — and LeBron says he is honored to be compared with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and Gandhi — we interrupt this homeroom crush for some genuine education.
The San Antonio Spurs are going to school Cleveland and win their fourth le, in six games or fewer, because they have the best player on the floor in the series. Tim Duncan, despite getting less love than jury duty, is maybe the largest difference-maker since Michael Jordan. Shaquille O'Neal is the only other big man who's won more from Duncan's generation.
It's nice that LeBron has evolved so quickly, overtaking Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade from his draft class. But filling Kobe's excitement void from the playoffs is not the same as being on the verge of winning more les than Larry Bird.
When the Spurs are finished polishing off Cleveland, Duncan will not only eclipse Bird's three rings, he will join Magic and Michael as the only leading men with more than three championships with the same franchise since Bill Russell. Four decades after Russell, Duncan would join a class of three.
When the Cavaliers' nice, little run is done, Duncan will be 4-0 in the Finals, leaving him two short of Michael's perfect 6-0 mark. And Duncan's team might have two more left in them after this season. Magic was 5-4 and Bird 3-2 on the game's grandest stage. Shaq is 4-2, has participated in six of the last 13 Finals and is the only player in league history to lead three different franchises to championship series.
But San Antonio winning will give Duncan as many les as Shaq. Many observers believe this fact vaults Duncan past O'Neal as the greatest player of his generation. That might be a bit much, given that only two players in NBA history have better winning percentages than the teams O'Neal has played on: Magic and Bill Russell, considered the greatest winners of their respective eras.
But it would put Duncan on par with Shaq. Given that he has more tread on his tires left than the big fella, it's not hard to envision the 31-year-old Duncan leading the Spurs to at least two more Finals.
While Cleveland is deservedly being celebrated for slaying the Philistines from Detroit, Duncan led the Spurs out of a Western Conference very few believed they could navigate at the beginning of the season.
After Dallas beat them in Game 7 of the semifinals in San Antonio a year ago, the Spurs and their star were viewed as that old, creaky team spiraling downward. No way they were supposed to get by Phoenix when Amare Stoudemire was healthy. No way anyone would stand in Dallas's path to a le it should have won a year ago.
Before the playoffs began, the Spurs were generally thought of as no better than the third-best team in the West behind the Suns and Mavericks. Their style was thought of as too plodding and predictable to stay with Steve Nash and Shawn Marion and Jason Terry and Josh Howard in the open court.
The perception of Duncan mirrored his team; he was coming off a season in which his body was breaking down and there were simply too many quick, young big men to rise up over.
As usual, his detractors missed the importance of Duncan. His game has never been about explosiveness; it's about efficiency. His degree of difficulty has nothing to do with hang time and more to do with angles and trajectory, all the skill-level amenities missing from contemporary front-court players.
Even his position — a center-power forward hybrid — prevents flat-out comparisons to other great pivots. Kevin McHale and Karl Malone are all-time greats on the blocks, but McHale played with Bird and Robert Parish in his prime, as did Malone with John Stockton. David Robinson was winding down when Duncan joined the Spurs.
Drama is at a premium for Duncan, too; he's had the same coach, Gregg Popovich, his entire career. Often expressionless and unemotional since his days at Wake Forest, where the Duke student section referred to him as "Spock," there is a monotony to the way Duncan plays and carries himself that doesn't resonate in a culture run by celebrity.
He gets penalized for consistently playing and living between the lines while so many of his look-at-me peers obliterate the boundaries and become more popular for it. Polarization sells; professionalism is so '90s.
That's how the guy who kept his head down, motored forward and did nothing but win and put up numbers — while silencing the conversation about him and his team being too old — is cast as the black hat next to the young, fresh gun in the NBA Finals. That's why Tim Duncan's journey to scaling Shaq as the most important player of his generation is nothing more than a subplot going in.
LeBron James reinvigorates the "Next Michael" debate after a sterling week of basketball. Meanwhile, if anyone wanted to look long and hard, Tim Duncan belongs at the top of that class more than Kobe, more than Dwyane Wade and certainly more than LeBron. More than any of them, he's won at a higher level.
Championship wise Duncan is the next Jordan. But being "Jordan" isn't all about winning championships. What Jordan did was make fans excited about the NBA. Lebron is doing that. He is a very good player, and probably will become a great player, but he is the reason people outside of San Antonio and Cleveland will watch the finals. The people are watching for Lebron not Tim Duncan, so in that aspect he is doing just what Jordan did. Plus, he is only 22, give him a break.
I saw this one posted a while back already
Hey Dan.......here we are again. Yeah I agree, I am happy the Cavs made the finals for this reason.......he is a draw. Yes even though duncan might possibly be the best player we have seen at his position in the last 10 years or even all time, he isnt a draw. Yes its amazing that he is this good at 22.. it was amazing what he was doing at 18 in high school. I was excited to see this guy in the league. As far as the "JORDAN" comparison, I frankly am tired of them. They say that about every stud that comes in the league. To honest I dont think we will ever see anyone like Jordan. He was who he was and isnt fair to him or the players he is compared too.
Lol
well saying your the next Jordan is just saying you have the abilities to be the best, which he could. But to actually be the next Jordan you have to be the best, and be lucky. I mean winning 3 in a row on two different occasions is amazing, even for Jordan, but don't think that there was some luck factored into that. If Jordan got drafted by a team with a ty front office (like say the Bullets) I don't think he wins three in a row in the early 90's. But, no matter what, your judged by your play and championships.Hey Dan.......here we are again
Sorry. I looked back several pages and didn't see it.
It's tough with search off.
Someone can delete/merge if needed.
I'm no great fan of Shaq, but that's a heck of an accomplishment.
Honestly, all I have to say in response is that if Lebron had San Antonio's backcourt they would win the championship every year. Duncan is a great post player but he couldn't hold Lebron's jock strap, Duncan has never been on an average team and carried them the way Lebron has. We'll see what happens tomorrow, but I'm calling it right now, the Cavs will have an opprotunity in this series to close it out. The fact that the media once again has given them no chance makes me even more sure of it, San Antonio fans (and behind the scenes, players also) are already ready to proclaim themselves champions before the series has started. Let's see what ya got, Lebron is ready to elevate his game again and he'll have the entire team ready for a fight.
Proof please.San Antonio fans (and behind the scenes, players also) are already ready to proclaim themselves champions before the series has started.
And you know this how?
You'd better be praying that's the truth, because it's the only chance the Cavs have.
You are the biggest dumbass I have ever seen. What about Duncan's help BEFORE Manu and Tony arrived? Other than Robinson, who was there??
Absolutely disgusting.
-Mars
Neither are the next Jordan. There will never be another Jordan, but there is nothing wrong with that. I think its a safe bet to say their will never be another LeBron or Duncan as well. Both those guys will, however, be the next guys that future players are judged against.
Glad you posted this, even if it was done before, I missed this the first time:
Did Shaq really "lead" the Heat to the Championship? I think that's overstating a bit.
Maybe I'm just nitpicking here, but Shaq has four rings, 3 MVPs.
IF Tim wins MVP again, he will have 4 Championship and 4 MVPs.
(and really, on two "different" teams, since the 1999 Spurs and 2005 Spurs where totally different teams).
I agree. It's like the old theory that we will never see the "greatest rock band ever" No matter who does what, he will always be compaired to the fictonal and actual traits given to the ancestors. So no matter what Lebron does (even if he does turn out better than Jordan) he will not be given the credit Jordan has, becuase we compare him to Jordan.
It's like when your really into a girl (or guy if there are girls reading) and you love everything about her (or him), and they dump you. No matter who you date, for most of your life you will always compare them to that person.
The Cavs are going to have to really show something not to be considered the weakest Spurs opponent in ANY of their championship runs. On paper they are by far the worst team.
Wow, you need to get off this forum. That was the stupidest post I've ever read in my life. If anything LeBron can't hold Duncan's jock strap. Let's not forget that LeBron plays in the East where being below .500 is good enough to make the playoffs.
What's with the all these "heirs" to Jordan? Kobe, Wade, LeBron, and now Duncan. Has MJ become the Shawn Kemp of re ed and unnecessary media comparisons?
You don't actually think the Heat get to the finals without Shaq, do you? Is it a coincidence that the guard who plays on the same team as Shaq is considered one of the top slasher/scorers in the league?
Wouldn't a more apt comparison for Duncan be Chamberlain or Kareem?
I mean statistically, Timmeh couldn't hold Wilt's jock, and Tim doesn't yet have 6 rings like Kareem...
But Tim isn't a perimeter player either.
and nobody compares to Russell
Very true.and nobody compares to Russell
I honestly think that Wilt is better than Russel. But I seem to be in the minority.
Duncan has also never had the opportunity to go through that juggernaut that was the eastern conference playoffs this year. As for your super secret "behind the scenes" knowledge that the Spurs players are taking the Cavs lightly, I can only conclude that your stupidity knows no bounds.
The next Jordan is actually in the NFL and plays QB for the Tennessee ans.
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