Duncan vs. Kobe: Revisited

[HairyGOATee]

I just wanted to revisit this since Kobe passed away somewhat recently, and tbh, these two came into the league at around the same time, won championships around the same time, and then retired together. In a vacuum, their careers are remarkably similar and they should both be seen as top 10 players of all-time.

But who do you think was greater than the other?

[70sFan]

Duncan - better peak, prime and longevity. I'm biased of course, but I don't see any reason to pick Kobe.

[HairyGOATee]

Duncan - better peak, prime and longevity. I'm biased of course, but I don't see any reason to pick Kobe.

It's close tbh. Kobe had more flash and a wider array of scoring moves.

[limbo]

98: Duncan
99: Duncan
00: Duncan (unless you wanna count getting injured and missing the Playoffs against him)
01: Kobe (narrowly on the basis of getting super hot during the Playoffs)
02: Duncan
03: Duncan
04: Duncan
05: Duncan
06: Kobe (though Duncan was amazing in the Playoffs while Kobe was horrible, so you can flip in on that basis)
07: Duncan
08: Kobe
09: Kobe
10: Kobe
11: Kobe
12: Duncan
13: Duncan
14: Duncan
15: Duncan
16: Duncan

Don't think there's much to 'revisit' here, honestly... Duncan was WAY better until 2000, clearly better until 2006 (outside that 2001 year, where Kobe played above the mean) and better post 2011.Duncan peaked higher, has a stronger prime (though similar length) and better longevity.

[Gus Fring]

Duncan has just got too much going for him. I think most people on this board agree.

[VDT]

For their time probably Duncan, for the present Nba i would pick Kobe probably.

Wings that are athletic, efficient volume scorers that are doing everything (defense, playmaking, rebounding) at a high level are extremely rare.

[HeartBreakKid]

For their time probably Duncan, for the present Nba i would pick Kobe probably.

Wings that are athletic, efficient volume scorers that are doing everything (defense, playmaking, rebounding) at a high level are extremely rare.

7 footers that do what Tim Duncan do are more rare, which is why all time great 7 footers dominate so well - there is less counter play to elite bigs.

[No-more-rings]

This is going to backfire if you’re trying to get people to give Kobe a boost. Kobe was legendary and RIP but this thread isn’t going to do him any favors.

[Amares]

Duncan easily, nothing will change here, it's already closed topic.

[LakerLegend]

Duncan has just got too much going for him. I think most people on this board agree.

This is going to backfire if you’re trying to get people to give Kobe a boost. Kobe was legendary and RIP but this thread isn’t going to do him any favors.

Duncan easily, nothing will change here, it's already closed topic.

Nonsense...Kobe dominated Duncan's teams head to head, and Duncan didn't have 3 years of his peak stolen by being forced to play with the likes of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker.

[70sFan]

Duncan has just got too much going for him. I think most people on this board agree.

This is going to backfire if you’re trying to get people to give Kobe a boost. Kobe was legendary and RIP but this thread isn’t going to do him any favors.

Duncan easily, nothing will change here, it's already closed topic.

Nonsense...Kobe dominated Duncan's teams head to head, and Duncan didn't have 3 years of his peak stolen by being forced to play with the likes of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker.

When did Kobe dominate Duncan exactly? Did I miss something or what?

[limbo]

When did Kobe dominate Duncan exactly? Did I miss something or what?

Technically, he did dominate the series against the Spurs in 2001

[Dutchball97]

Both won 5 rings but you could argue Duncan was the main reason for all those rings while Kobe can only say that for 2. Duncan also had better consistency, while Kobe had his ups and downs. Then we can also confidently say Duncan peaked higher.

I definitely think they're in the same ballpark but Duncan has the better peak and better overall career. At least if we're strictly talking about their impact on the court.

[LakerLegend]

Duncan has just got too much going for him. I think most people on this board agree.

This is going to backfire if you’re trying to get people to give Kobe a boost. Kobe was legendary and RIP but this thread isn’t going to do him any favors.

Duncan easily, nothing will change here, it's already closed topic.

Nonsense...Kobe dominated Duncan's teams head to head, and Duncan didn't have 3 years of his peak stolen by being forced to play with the likes of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker.

When did Kobe dominate Duncan exactly? Did I miss something or what?

01,02,04,08.

If we take out 99 where Kobe was 20 years old and playing on a dysfunctional team it's 4-1 in Kobes favor in playof series, and he dominated Duncans teams.

[ThaRegul8r]

Why, exactly, would this need to be revisited?

Kobe and Duncan both retired the same year. This topic has been done and redone. Why would Kobe's death (R.I.P.) change anything? Neither one of them has done anything that would cause anyone to change the opinion they had prior to Kobe's death.

The whole compulsion to make comparisons makes me shake my head. People were immediately talking about all-time rankings just after Kobe's death, and I found it odd that people who were purportedly Kobe fans couldn't just think about the memories they had of him, they had to talk about where he ranked on imaginary lists, as if trying to capitalize on his death, that it should give him a boost, which was crass and tasteless. I found it odd that, while Kobe wasn't one of my favorite players, and I'm not going to suddenly pretend that he was because of what happened, it seemed like people for whom he supposedly was one of, if not, the favorite player, had less respect for him as a human being who prematurely lost his life in a tragedy.

After looking down the rest of the forum after reading this topic, I see from the two locked Kobe vs. Magic threads started by the same poster that this is part of a larger agenda. Which is typical on internet basketball forums.

[70sFan]

When did Kobe dominate Duncan exactly? Did I miss something or what?

Technically, he did dominate the series against the Spurs in 2001

Sure, but that's far from dominating him consistently. Besides, Duncan had far worse team and was quite dominant on his own for half of the series.

[70sFan]

Nonsense...Kobe dominated Duncan's teams head to head, and Duncan didn't have 3 years of his peak stolen by being forced to play with the likes of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker.

When did Kobe dominate Duncan exactly? Did I miss something or what?

01,02,04,08.

If we take out 99 where Kobe was 20 years old and playing on a dysfunctional team it's 4-1 in Kobes favor in playof series, and he dominated Duncans teams.

Kobe was worse in 2002, it seems that you haven't watched this series

[No-more-rings]

Nonsense...Kobe dominated Duncan's teams head to head, and Duncan didn't have 3 years of his peak stolen by being forced to play with the likes of Kwame Brown and Smush Parker.

When did Kobe dominate Duncan exactly? Did I miss something or what?

01,02,04,08.

If we take out 99 where Kobe was 20 years old and playing on a dysfunctional team it's 4-1 in Kobes favor in playof series, and he dominated Duncans teams.

Duncan significantly outplayed Kobe in 02, comfortably outplayed him in 03, and 04 you can make a case for either. In 08 Kobe was at his peak and Duncan was far removed from his.

01 is really the only time Kobe clearly outplayed him when both were in their primes.

You have every right to defend Kobe’s legacy as a Laker fan but don’t be dishonest.

[LakerLegend]

When did Kobe dominate Duncan exactly? Did I miss something or what?

01,02,04,08.

If we take out 99 where Kobe was 20 years old and playing on a dysfunctional team it's 4-1 in Kobes favor in playof series, and he dominated Duncans teams.

Duncan significantly outplayed Kobe in 02, comfortably outplayed him in 03, and 04 you can make a case for either. In 08 Kobe was at his peak and Duncan was far removed from his.

01 is really the only time Kobe clearly outplayed him when both were in their primes.

You have every right to defend Kobe’s legacy as a Laker fan but don’t be dishonest.

You're being dishonest, or didn't watch those series.

[70sFan]

01,02,04,08.

If we take out 99 where Kobe was 20 years old and playing on a dysfunctional team it's 4-1 in Kobes favor in playof series, and he dominated Duncans teams.

Duncan significantly outplayed Kobe in 02, comfortably outplayed him in 03, and 04 you can make a case for either. In 08 Kobe was at his peak and Duncan was far removed from his.

01 is really the only time Kobe clearly outplayed him when both were in their primes.

You have every right to defend Kobe’s legacy as a Laker fan but don’t be dishonest.

You're being dishonest, or didn't watch those series.

I watched whole 2002 series not so long ago. Duncan was indoubtly the best player on the floor in this series, better than Shaq and Kobe.