From the late 1990s to the early 2010s, Tim Duncan was one of the NBA’s best and truly unique players. While he was never a dominant or overpowering superstar, the seven-foot power forward/center routinely killed teams by filling up the stat sheet and delivering consistent excellence on both ends of the floor.
He led the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships, and he’s regarded as arguably the greatest power forward in the history of the game.
However, the 2000s are widely seen as Kobe Bryant’s decade. Bryant was simply a more overbearing player, both statistically and according to the eye test, and while both had very long careers, he was named to the All-Star team more times (18) than Duncan (15) was.
Today, Victor Wembanyama is the Spurs’ new centerpiece in the middle. The 21-year-old superstar center was asked during a live Instagram session to pick between Duncan and Bryant, and he went with the late Los Angeles Lakers great, although he almost changed his mind.
“Tim Duncan or Kobe? Tough question. Probably Kobe all-time… Eh, actually, I don’t know.”
Wembanyama, as special as he is, may never surpass Bryant on anyone’s list of the greatest players in NBA history, but he may have a real shot at equalling Duncan if he stays healthy and consistently has the type of help “The Big Fundamental” enjoyed throughout his 19-year career.
The French native averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game as a rookie during the 2023-24 season, and last season, he upped those numbers to 24.3 points, 11.0 boards and 3.8 blocks a game while increasing his shooting efficiency.
Unfortunately, his sophomore campaign was cut short due to a blood clot issue that was discovered in February. Wembanyama has been cleared to resume playing basketball, and with the new players the Spurs have brought on board in recent months, including star guard De’Aaron Fox and incoming rookie guard Dylan Harper, perhaps he will elevate them to their first playoff appearance since 2019.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Victor Wembanyama picks Kobe Bryant over Tim Duncan
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
