Tim Duncan Had A Better NBA Career Than Kobe Bryant, Says ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith

Tim Duncan Had A Better NBA Career Than Kobe Bryant, Says ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith

Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith of ESPN’s “First Take,” compared the impressive NBA careers of two new NBA Hall of Famers. On Monday (April 6th), Stephen A. Smith and the “First Take” crew discussed former San Antonio Spurs forward, Tim Duncan and late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Both legendary NBA champions are among the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020. They both also have five championship rings plus multiple NBA Finals MVP trophies. However, Stephen A. Smith took on their nearly two decade careers giving Duncan a slight edge over the Laker superstar. He said on Monday (April 6),

“I have to say Tim Duncan, with all due respect to my man Kobe Bryant, when you consider the model of consistency that Tim Duncan was able to put forth — David Robinson has a title because of Tim Duncan.”

He adds,

“Tim Duncan is a five-time champion, as that chart just showed, just as many titles as Kobe Bryant, more NBA Finals MVPs. You’ve got to take that into consideration the fact that he is universally recognized as the greatest power forward to have ever played the game, a 10-time All-Defensive First Team player.”

Tim Duncan was among the powerhouse of the Spurs who stripped Bryant’s Lakers of two titles in 1999 and 2003, igniting the Lakers vs. Spurs rivalry. However, Smith’s co-host of ‘First Take,’ Max Kellerman took on the defensive of Bryant. He says,

“I have to go Kobe Bryant. Charles Barkley’s right. Kobe Bryant is the closest thing we’ve ever seen to Michael Jordan…One of the reasons (the Lakers) were perceived the way they were, the primary reason, is Kobe was perceived as the best player in the game. And by the way, Tim Duncan was in the game back then, and in his prime.”

As reported, both NBA icons Duncan and Bryant will be inducted into the Hall of Fame among the greatest of all-time during the weekend of Aug. 28-30.

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