Nice article on Tim Duncan, his game, and his popularity (or lack thereof). http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...ncan/index.html
Great article. It really got me laughing as soon as I started reading. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Imagine a parallel universe in which Tim Duncan was the most popular player in the NBA. The streets would be dotted with black No. 21 Spurs jerseys, sportscasters would refer to him, shorthand, as "T-Dunc" or "Tim-peccable"; a sports drink would pump the jingle, "I Want to Get to the Rim like Tim!" and, across the gyms and blacktops of America, teenagers would catch the ball on the left block, mechanically turn, fire up a bank shot and then yell, "I just went TD on your ass!" He would have his own best-selling highlight video (Come Jump Hook With Me), nappy half-beards would be the rage and, instead of sticking out their tongues, youngsters would mimic the Duncan Blank Stare after made baskets.</div> Tim is a superstar, and we all know it. Even though he may be boring to watch, he's still one of the top players in the game today.
He is without a doubt a superstar. He has two rings (gonna get his third this year), and just because he isnt a flashy player that doesn't make him not a superstar. That is the problem with basketball these days players are more worried about making flashy moves or dunks rather than putting the ball in the hoop. If Tim Duncan, was doing 360s and stuff like that, he would be everybody and their mothers favorite player. Sorry went on a bit of a rant there...lol...
He is a star but doesn't have the luster of a superstar player. Duncan is the best player in the game in my opinion, but his style of play is foreign to todays style of play. These days kids are not watching the NBA to see the fundamentals, they want entertainment. That's why Duncan is a popular guy with most of the young generation.
Duncan is probably only liked by Spurs fan. I dont know anybody around here that likes Duncan. Hes a boring, but a good basketball player. What makes him boring is, he just goes there and does his job..lol, which i respect. But he shows no emotions neither, hes like someone with a no-adredaline problem. Hes just so boring to watch. Tim Duncan is not a superstar, hes an all star. Superstars are people that fans enjoy watching, like Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Kevin Garnett..Those guys are superstars because they are fun.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting legendisdope:</div><div class="quote_post">Duncan is probably only liked by Spurs fan. I dont know anybody around here that likes Duncan. Hes a boring, but a good basketball player. What makes him boring is, he just goes there and does his job..lol, which i respect. But he shows no emotions neither, hes like someone with a no-adredaline problem. Hes just so boring to watch. Tim Duncan is not a superstar, hes an all star. Superstars are people that fans enjoy watching, like Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Kevin Garnett..Those guys are superstars because they are fun.</div> He is to a superstar. How many rings do all ur superstars have? 0. Duncan is one he way to a third, in only 8 seasons. Superstars don't have to be fun. You are a superstar if you play like a superstar which Duncan does.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting legendisdope:</div><div class="quote_post">Duncan is probably only liked by Spurs fan. I dont know anybody around here that likes Duncan. Hes a boring, but a good basketball player. What makes him boring is, he just goes there and does his job..lol, which i respect. But he shows no emotions neither, hes like someone with a no-adredaline problem. Hes just so boring to watch. Tim Duncan is not a superstar, hes an all star. Superstars are people that fans enjoy watching, like Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Kevin Garnett..Those guys are superstars because they are fun.</div> You're right, he's not a superstar. Sure he's arguably the greatest PF to ever play the game and leads a team that's consistently been a contender/champion team his entire career and is going for his 2nd ring in 3 years and he's won MVP 2 years in a row like those other non-superstars who did it before him (Jordan, Russell, Magic) but no, you're right, he's no superstar. I guess he'll have to fall short of leading his team to the playoffs or just flat out destroy his team from the inside out or depend on a huge center to draw D away before he can join the ranks of superstardom. Otherwise he'll just have to settle for being THE BEST PLAYER CURRENTLY PLAYING THE GAME!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j0se:</div><div class="quote_post">What makes him so boring? He's not that wildly explosive like alot of popular players?</div> I would have to say his style of play like you sort of said in your post. He doesn't have that flashy style of play where you'll see him throw down a big dunk from the foul line. And that's what people want to see these days they want to see someone on a SportsCenter highlight that dunked the ball from the foul line. He is a winner and would do anything on the court to get the job done and win the ball game for his team.
People these days want a dunk from Vince and a crossover from Iverson. But what makes Tim special is how he prefected his fundamentals. Tim will be able to play like how he is today for many years to come. But all the flashy players that you guys mentioned like Vince and Lebron will not be able to do so. Lebron won't have hops, Vince won't have explosiveness, Iverson won't have quickness and so on.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting legendisdope:</div><div class="quote_post">Duncan is probably only liked by Spurs fan. I dont know anybody around here that likes Duncan. Hes a boring, but a good basketball player. What makes him boring is, he just goes there and does his job..lol, which i respect. But he shows no emotions neither, hes like someone with a no-adredaline problem. Hes just so boring to watch. Tim Duncan is not a superstar, hes an all star. Superstars are people that fans enjoy watching, like Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Kevin Garnett..Those guys are superstars because they are fun.</div> I disagree, while he may be boring to watch. I don't dislike him. He's a great player who is definately a top 5 player in the league. How can u not be a superstar when your a top 5 player? Look at tapes of when he won his first title he was full of emotion and you'll see it. There are people out there who enjoy his game and like to watch it. He's not good he great.
Duncan is my favorite player in the game today, and I'm not a Spurs fan. His calm, emotionless demeanor is one of things I like most about him. He never has to show up the other team. He doesn't do a WWE impersonation like Alonzo Mourning when he makes a good play. His game is pure, and an absolute joy for me to watch. He's like a samurai. He takes down his opponent with an absolute minimum amount of movement and energy expended. Personally, I think its damn cool. Honestly, I think its annoying when players over-celebrate plays they make on the court. It makes them look cocky and arrogant. When Jordan made a great play, he didn't have to yell out loud or pount his chest. He walked silently and calmly back to the bench with the same glare on his face that he had throughout the game. Same with Hakeem. It shows that they're respectful, mature, and mentally strong.
I don't know about others, but I personally think Duncan is just as exciting as anyone in the league... sure he doesn't have flashy moves, but flashy moves don't win games... seeing Duncan get the ball in a pivotal moment and seeing him operate in the post is exciting to me, winning close games and championships is exciting, much more than a dunk in a meaningless game where the score is heavily skewed between two sub .500 teams. Of course he is a superstar, he just has a very calm demeanor, its his personality, but don't think for one bit that he's not excited as hell underneath.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Tim Duncan is not a superstar, hes an all star. Superstars are people that fans enjoy watching, like Lebron, Kobe, Wade, Kevin Garnett..Those guys are superstars because they are fun.</div> I agree with you, Duncan is not a superstar but it all really comes down on how you define "superstar". In terms of entertainment value, money, skills, endorsements and basically putting butts in the seats and so on, Duncan is not a superstar. If defined in that particular way Yao and LeBron are arguably the best superstars in the game. But in terms of overall accomplishments and just flat-out basketball Duncan is beyond superstar status, he's a walking GOAT similar to how Jordan was in his days. Personally, I say who cares about entertainment when it comes to being a superstar, entertainment doesn't win games playing the right way wins games even though it may be boring.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sebastian P:</div><div class="quote_post">He is to a superstar. How many rings do all ur superstars have? 0. Duncan is one he way to a third, in only 8 seasons. Superstars don't have to be fun. You are a superstar if you play like a superstar which Duncan does.</div>Kobe has 3 rings actually, and he listed him in that list. To me, Duncan is a superstar. He's been an All Star almost every year, has 2 rings, 2 MVPs, an All Star Game MVP, and 2 Finals MVPs to boot as well. He's got the resume of a hall of famer and is one of, if not the best player in the NBA today. Just because you're boring doesn't mean you're not a superstar. He dominates the game and makes it look fairly effortless. He's next to impossible to stop a lot of the times and he comes up in the clutch situations (see game 4 of the '04 WCF before DFish broke the Spurs hearts with 0.4 left). He is a superstar.
People just think he's boring because he uses the fundamentals of the game which makes him so great. He doesn't break any ankles or take anyone off the dribble like KG or Marion, he'll back you down, and hit the jumpshot. The fundamentals the make him so great is the reason that people don't like him.
Duncan isnt a flashy player, but he is a pleasure to watch. I wouldnt consider him boring at all. I love watching him play. He is, imo, the best basketball player in the world right now and probably the best pf of all time. I wish there were more players in the NBA like Tim.
Well first of all, what is everyone' definition of a superstar? The way I see it, superstars are celebrities. They're popular and influential. Tim Dancan is none of those things. I like Duncan alot, and I think he is one of the best in the league. Maybe even THE best, but that doesn't make him a superstar. Being a superstar has nothing to do with skil or talent, its about popularity. Britney Spears is a superstar, but she can't sing or write songs if her life depended on it. Do you understand what I mean? TD ain't no superstar, just one of the most talented and skilled players in the history of the NBA. Theres a difference.
