Who was better: Kobe or Duncan?

Who was better: Kobe or Duncan?

Two of the best franchises in the last 20 years were Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. In fact, from 1999 to 2014, 10 titles were obtained by either Lakers or Spurs. This shows how incredible these two organizations were and a huge part of their success is because of Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

However, the two superstars were very different, maybe having just one thing in common: the wish to win every game. Kobe Bryant entered the league after finishing high school and he quickly became one of the best offensive players of his time. In spite of this, the first years of the Black Mamba’s career weren’t easy, as he was benched a lot in the favor of other veteran players. Instead, Tim Duncan started every game in his rookie season and he spent on the court almost 40 minutes per match. By doing so, in the beginning, the Spurs player had better averages than Bryant.

Under Gregg Popovich’s great coaching, San Antonio Spurs became a big force in the West and they managed to win the title in 1999. Tim Duncan was named the MVP of the Finals as he averaged 23.2 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 2.8 APG in that playoffs. Kobe and the Lakers responded in the next three seasons as the Californian team won three straight championships. However, Shaquille O’Neal won the Finals MVP every time so everybody said that Kobe Bryant was carried by Shaq.

The year 2003 was amazing for Tim Duncan, as he won his second straight MVP, while also winning the title and the Finals MVP award. Then, the Spurs won again in 2005 and 2007, so Duncan was considered one of the best in history winning 4 titles in 10 seasons. In 2008, LA Lakers lead by Kobe Bryant got into the NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics, so the “carried by Shaq” talks reappeared. In spite of the Finals loss, Kobe Bryant got his first and only season MVP, although his fans said that he was robbed 4 times because of his extra-basketball problems.

In 2009 and 2010, Bryant responded to the haters on the court, as he lead the Lakers to two straight championships and he was named Finals MVP both times. In the next three seasons, neither Lakers or Spurs manage to win another title as this period marked the longest interval since 1999 without the championship being won by one of these two rivals. Finally, in 2014, San Antonio Spurs won another title against the Miami Heat, and Tim Duncan got his fifth ring.

If we look at the stats, both players had amazing numbers. Kobe Bryant averaged 25 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG, while Tim Duncan had 19 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 3.0 APG. However, it is hard to say which player was better as they had different positions and roles on the court. I can say that Kobe Bryant was a bigger star and this is because in Pop’s system everybody is equal and everybody plays for the other. For the Lakers, this system would’ve been impossible because after Shaq’s departure Kobe was left with a bunch of role players so he had to take the team on his back.

Also, being in Los Angeles automatically gives you more attention and Kobe Bryant used to be more frequent in the eyes of the media. Take for example his last season when he announced his retirement almost 6 months earlier. After that, he was celebrated in every arena where the Lakers played. Meanwhile, Tim Duncan didn’t have a retirement tour, proving his humbleness. Also, after both of them got out of the NBA, Bryant remained connected with the press, he won an Oscar and an Emmy, he started a podcast and he wrote a book, just to name a few of the things he has done. I’m convinced that Duncan has done amazing things too but he doesn’t have the attention of the media.

In conclusion, both of them were amazing players, they were 5-time champions, they spent all their career with just one team and they left a legacy for the future so it is extremely hard to tell which one was better.

David Istrate, info@brainbasketball.net

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