duncan-and-jordan© Provided by BasketballNetwork.net
Tim Duncan won five NBA championships, just one short of Michael Jordan. The Big Fundamental has also won many individual accolades, so it’s surprising that his name was never mentioned in the GOAT discussion.
Former Chicago Bulls guard B.J. Armstrong, who played on the Bulls’ first three-peat team, argues that The Big Fundamental is the second-best player of all-time behind MJ.
“Tim Duncan was a marvelous player,” said Armstrong. “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.”
Armstrong says that Duncan would have been a problem for the Bulls
Armstrong went on to declare that if there was a player who would’ve given the Bulls and Jordan personally the most issues during their championship runs, it would’ve been Timmy. Fortunately for them, Duncan was drafted in 1997, so he was a rookie during their Last Dance.
Overall, Duncan only played five games against MJ and the Bulls, all during the regular season. Jordan won their head-to-head meeting 3-2, but in those five games, Duncan averaged 21.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game, and he was still a rookie that year.
“Technically speaking,” added B.J. “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. He can do things not only offensively but defensively. He can control the game, and I thought he was very unique.”
Norris Cole says Duncan should be among the GOATs
The Spurs won 56 games during Duncan’s first season, but they lost in Round 2 to the Jazz, who went on to face the Bulls in the 1998 NBA Finals. After the dynasty team disbanded, it was Timmy and San Antonio who emerged with five championships, three Finals MVP awards, and two MVP trophies.
“Tim Duncan, bro, full respect; Tim Duncan is one of the GOATs. I know people love the Kobe era, but Tim Duncan had a lot to say in that era,” said former Miami Heat guard Norris Cole during his interview with the Run Your Race podcast.
Cole has a valid argument. Many people call the post-MJ time the Kobe era. However, Duncan also had a lot to say during that period. And considering how his career unfolded, Armstrong may be correct that TD could’ve been the Bulls’ biggest problem in the 90s.
