Kobe Bryant envies Tim Duncan.
Both players have five championships — Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers and Duncan with the San Antonio Spurs — and both are considered all-time greats. But Duncan has had stability throughout his illustrious career, whereas Bryant has experienced ample roster and coaching changes.
“I can’t express to you how much I’m jealous,” Bryant recently told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “I’ve been up and down.”
Bryant has played with his fair share of good players, including Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most dominating big men in NBA history. There certainly has been more fluidity to his situation, though, which is something Duncan willingly will admit.
Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich are the glue that holds the Spurs together, but Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili also have been instrumental in San Antonio’s success.
“I’m in a system that allows me to play well,” Duncan told Medina. “With the kind of teammates I have and players we put together, it’s not just on one person’s shoulders. We can spread it out and continue to win.”
So, whose legacy is better; Bryant’s or Duncan’s?
“It’s equal,” Lakers head coach Byron Scott said. “Kobe is going to go down as one of the greatest shooting guards. Tim Duncan is one of the greatest power forwards.”
Photo via Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports Images
