These are the Titans of my generation. On one side you have Duncan, has bested Kobe and LeBron the last 15 years, has won championship in 3 different decades, is the ultimate team player, gets you 20 and 10, anchors the defense and always delivers in big games. (2003 Finals game 7 signature moment in case you forgot)
The other side, Kobe Bryant, who was the side kick from 1996 to 2004, including his first 3 titles, then became MJ Jr. scoring 81 in a game and becoming the top player on his way to 2 titles in 09 and 10. A bit of a head case at times, but it's also what makes him great. The only true assassin besides Jordan. Also the toughest player I've ever seen and someone who is consumed not by basketball but by the art of winning.
Then there's the young gun, LeBron James. Like Wilt Chaimberlain, he does whatever he wants with the basketball, guards Melo, Kobe and Chris Paul. He has 2 rings and his legacy is FAR from over now that he has returned to Cleveland. If he wins 1 ring in the basketball slum that is Cleveland, it is every bit as good as two in L.A. or five rings in the basketball powerhouse of San Antonio.
Case for Duncan:
Kobe and LeBron had to wait for their chance to win. They needed the right team around them. Kobe did great with Shaq, and then waited for Pau. LeBron waited for nine years before winning with Wade and Bosh. Duncan didn't have to wait for anyone or anything. He won two years after getting drafted. He won his first ring with David Robinson at center and his fifth with Tiago Splitter. He won his first ring with Avery Johnson at point and his next four with Tony Parker. Whether you have hall of famers or journeymen around him, the result is the same. Championships.
Case for Kobe:
He has it. He is tough as nails, as he proved by playing half a game with a broken leg. He will do anything to win. You would have to shoot him to get him off the court. He is a one man wrecking crew. In the modern day NBA he scored 81 points in a game. He refuses to be denied and makes no excuses for his game or team. In 2013 he played 38 minutes a game, carrying the Lakers to playoff position before his body broke down on him. At 35 years old, he is prepared to carry the load for a struggling Lakers team through what will be a tough 2014-15 season. He is the old man of the NBA, the only one worthy of MJ comparisons, and if anyone could even be mentioned in the same sentence as Michael Jordan, that's a feat in and of itself.
Case LeBron:
A true freak of nature. He can carry any 4 four scrubs to an NBA finals (2007), which is something that Kobe and Duncan have not had to do. A walking triple double, and lock down defender. The best basketball handyman of all time. Avenged a 2011 Finals collapse with a 2012 ass whooping of every other NBA team. Not to mention his takes a lot of criticism for his streaky jumpshot while his 27 points per game is a top five all-time career average. He also led the Heat to four straight Finals and two championships.
Overall winner: Duncan
The best way to judge the best player is to see their most recent success. The Spurs won the 2014 NBA Finals. No it wasn't Duncan's team anymore, but he was a driving force behind their success. The Spur swept Kobe's "superteam" and destroyed the Heat in the finals. LeBron has now changed teams twice in his prime. Kobe and the Lakers will not be relevant for at least a couple of years. If I'm picking one man over for one team over a 15 year stretch, it has to be Tim Duncan.
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