There is an inconsistency in the way we are treating Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, two of the NBA’s greatest ever players, in the twilight of their careers.
As Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant prepare to go head-to-head for one of the last times at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Friday, something doesn’t quite feel right. There is a palpable imbalance in the respective celebration both men are receiving.
This is Kobe Bryant’s last season in the NBA, we know that now, and he is basking in the spotlight this strange and baffling “Farewell Tour” has created.
But we should err on the side of caution and treat this as Tim Duncan’s farewell season as well. A sobering thought, but there is every chance this is the last time, Tim, too, will be playing in arenas around the league. He isn’t likely to give us a heads up, that’s not his style, and there will be no poems from Tim Duncan when he decides to call it quits.
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He is much more likely to say goodbye with a 15-foot bank shot, walking into the sunset with a win, rather than an ovation.
We can daydream about what Kristaps Porzingis might become, drool over Karl-Anthony Towns‘ complete skill set, and attempt to quantify a limitless Anthony Davis; but there will never be another Tim Duncan; no one will win so much, for so long.
The NBA community let out a collective sigh of relief on Nov. 29 when Bryant announced his retirement. The Lakers have been a struggle to watch this year with Bryant burping up bricky jump shots at a ridiculous clip, stubbornly firing blank after blank, indifferent to the results.
It’s been painful to witness the naked basketball mortality of an NBA demigod, especially given the collateral damage to the poor young trio of players – Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell – who will inherit the scorched-earth remains of the Laker franchise post-Kobe next season.
Perhaps the most frustrating element of the Mamba meltdown has been the seemingly contagious indifference with which “Coach” Byron Scott has let it happen, out of some misguided respect for the legacy of Bryant, irrespective of the impact on a young team starving for some guidance and – I don’t know – coaching.
Hopefully this future trio’s growth isn’t permanently stunted by the obsession and ineptitude of Lakers past.
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Kobe is playing the worst he’s ever played while Duncan is still one of the most effective players in the NBA, making the gulf in celebration between the two so strange. It’s understandable I suppose in some respects, Bryant and Duncan are vastly different characters.
Kobe is taking one last big gulp of the spotlight before giving up on the life force that has sustained him all these years – he wants, or rather needs, this. Whereas, Duncan prefers to fly under the radar, much like his San Antonio Spurs this season in the slipstream of the imperious Golden State Warriors.
But that’s OK. We should celebrate the indefatigable brilliance of Duncan not with tributes, tokens and gushing nostalgia but with an appropriate appreciation of what he’s done and what he, somehow, remarkably, continues to do. The rarity of sustained sporting effectiveness that we are being treated is unprecedented and criminally underappreciated.
Tim Duncan on a basketball court is a nightly sporting phenomenon. One that makes you smile, not wince.
The decline of Kobe Bryant is also, no doubt, a phenomenon. Admittedly, it has been difficult to resist the odd, slightly sadistic allure of watching the rapid decay of Kobe Bryant as an actual NBA basketball player – but enough is enough, it’s inevitability a little depressing, it’s manner a little unnerving. It’s become a kind of pantomime.
A display of at best stubbornness, of compelling indomitable will, and at worst maniacal selfishness. An out of control ego, going beyond individuality to what can feel like an expression of ego in spite of, and at the expense of, the actual game of basketball that is being played.
At this point, I think it’s hard to argue against the premise that Tim Duncan is a basketball alien, who, devoid of athleticism after 18 years in the league, remains effective and at times dominant by virtue of his sheer mastery of a set of skills that make him the frontrunner for the title of greatest player of his generation.
He is an expert screen setter, exquisite shot blocker, a still favorable matchup for points in the post, a willing and on-point passer, the embodiment of the most enviable team culture in the NBA and beyond, the chameleon-like fulcrum of an ever-evolving Spurs system.
It is worth remembering, also, that much of this under-appreciation applies to Manu Ginobili as well as Duncan. Manu, while not as dominant and consistent as Duncan over the course of his career, is quietly having a mini resurgence this season. One of the most talented players of the last 20 years, Ginobili is a creative genius who could also be in his final year.
Perhaps these overlooked Hall of Famers in the twilight of their careers are victim of the aura of exceptionalism surrounding the Spurs generally.
They are so consistently elite, their brilliance becomes almost boring — from a non-basketball perspective. They are devoid of drama, shun the spotlight, and are naturally insular. People have been predicting the decline of the Spurs for years, and by keeping on keeping on, we are hypnotized into a trance of Spurs-ian exceptionalism.
But this season more than ever, with the emergence of Kawhi Leonard and the acquisition of LaMarcus Aldridge; the franchise is in good shape going forward, making the departure of two of its three longest-tenured stars more likely.
If this is Duncan’s last year, it is comforting that his legacy will continue in Gregg Popovich, the league’s best coach, with whom he shares a bond more father and son than star player and head coach. Something, incidentally, Kobe will no doubt envy, being stuck with his own personal puppet in Byron Scott, who’s probably not even the best coach in his own house.
It will continue in Kawhi Leonard, a budding superstar with whom Duncan’s quiet demeanour has resonated, along with an emphasis on winning habits and hard work.
It will resonate in the fans, who have been given a two-decade long basketball education, a headful of memorable moments, and a sweet tooth for success. His fingerprints and DNA pervade the franchise he was the foundation of.
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Kobe Bryant is a top-15 player of all time, his achievements and talents were enthralling, addictive, unforgettable. His undeniable brilliance will be celebrated 60 times between now and the end of the season, but this celebration should be at least matched when Tim Duncan comes to town; not necessarily overtly, but quietly, with a disbelieving smile, and a dropped jaw.