The 2000s era was marked by extraordinary players who dominated the league in their own unique ways, but two faces of the league in terms of success during that period were definitely Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan .
The two Hall of Famers split 10 Larry O'Brien trophies between 1999 and 2014, while losing in three Finals, meaning that over 15 years, they participated in 86 percent of NBA Finals.
Of course, some may find Duncan's name less attractive and would rather pick LeBron James , Allen Iverson, Paul Pierce , or Tracy McGrady, among other great stars of that time, but one thing cannot be denied — the Big Fundamental is one of the greatest players of all time.
People often overlook him due to his quiet nature when compiling lists of the greatest players ever; however, Bill Simmons didn't waste time proving just how dominant the San Antonio Spurs center really was.
"That's outrageous. The Tim Duncan slander, I just think he is the most underappreciated superstar of all time. I have Kobe like 10th or 11th all time, but Duncan has to be seventh and I don't think it's debatable. (Wilt) Chamberlain was a loser for most of his career, he got traded multiple times. You know who was never being traded ever? Tim Duncan ," Bill Simmons said.
The statement itself is debatable because, when it comes to Kobe's legacy, people often argue that he's the closest thing we've ever seen to Michael Jordan, which alone would put him in the top 3 greatest players of all time. However, the reality is a bit different.
First and foremost, with all due respect and glory to the late LA legend and icon, his accolades do not compare to Jordan's, and it's much fairer to compare him to Tim Duncan. A three-time Finals MVP and two-time league MVP already puts Duncan ahead of Kobe, while he was also a 10-time All-NBA First Team and eight-time All-NBA Defensive Team member.
That alone speaks volumes about how long and at what high level the 6-foot-11 power forward dominated. From his rookie year in 1997/98, he practically became the face of his franchise, while Bryant only elevated his legacy after Shaquille O'Neal left the Los Angeles Lakers .
We could debate the accolades of the two legends for days and probably never reach a conclusion about who's better. Still, perhaps the best perspective comes from former Jordan teammate BJ Armstrong, who witnessed greatness firsthand and says Duncan is the closest thing to MJ .
"Tim Duncan was a marvelous player," B.J. said . "He played the game from the four, the five position. He was one of the unique players, like a Michael Jordan, who could get to spaces on the court you couldn't do anything about."
"Tim Duncan, to me, is a player that is really as unique a talent as I've seen in the NBA. And you're going to have a player that's going to counter a talent like Michael Jordan, who was utmost flawless technically in his game, Tim Duncan can do that."
The Big Fundamental had domination like MJ, longevity like LBJ, and drive like the Black Mamba, and for that reason, he should not be left off these lists just because he quietly did his job. Many great teams existed during that period, featuring many great players who, due to Duncan and the Spurs, were unable to win titles.
For comparison, we could also take Nikola Jokic , whom many people now put in their top 10 lists, but looking at team and individual success, we come to the conclusion of just how dominant Duncan really was, because everything Jokic does is greatness, but in terms of accolades, he's not even close to Duncan.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
