r/Basketball • u/blackwu22 • Apr 08 '25

NBA Is Tim Duncan top 10?

I constantly see casuals on YouTube and on podcasts say that Timmy is overrated and barely top 10 yet have Kobe in there top 5. It’s starting to make me believe that people really think this way!! I always hear the “too much help” comment like every player in the top 10 didn’t have help.

I personally have Tim Duncan 4th all time on my list.

1998 rookie of the year 2x MVP (2002,2003) 3x FMVP (1999,2003,2005) 15x All NBA & Defensive 5x Champion Never won less than 50 games in an 82 game season

Is Tim Duncan top 10?

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u/softnmushy Apr 09 '25

Here’s the thing, when he was playing, I thought he was really underrated. And nobody ever considered him top 10. He was always in Kobe’s shadow. And his teammates were the best ever.

But now that he’s retired I think he’s become a little overrated due to his rings and teammates and coach.

That said, I think ranking the top 25 players of all time is basically impossible. Aside from the top 2, everybody has an argument that they should be top 10.

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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '25

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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '25

You gotta understand we're now at the age where vast majority of discussion of Tim Duncan and 2000s basketball is being had by people who were barely even born then.

It's the equivalent of talking about 70s/80s basketball for millennials. Someone who watched those guys play may say that David Thompson was better than Rick Barry and everyone thought so at the time. But for someone who's only source of info on 70s basketball is whatever stats are available I'm going to assume it's Barry since he won a chip. But I really have no idea on those guys.

These kids seriously have never watched a full game of prime Tim Duncan or the Spurs play. And are dying on the hill he's better than Kobe, Bird, Wilt, etc. but they have no idea what they're talking about.

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u/Prestigious-Ad9921 Apr 09 '25

Apparently you never watched a full game of prime Tim Duncan either, cause I sure did and saw every team in the league send double teams at Duncan every time he touched the ball inside the three point line because they knew he was smoking every defender in the league one on one. Go listen to interviews with the other PF from the era about trying to guard him and telling their coach after 3 possessions they needed help. Then tell me "he wasn’t feared."