Is Bill Simmons Crazy?

[K Xerxes]

Stats, FG%, overall TS, playoff numbers, rings as the man, etc. indicate that it's not really debatable.

Unless you have on permanent Kobe goggles, I don't see how you can realistically rank Kobe ahead of Duncan.

Lol, I find this quite ironic considering you-know-who.

[outbreak]

Hard to say who's better but neither can be ruled out as an incorrect answer.

[305Baller]

Most people would rather build a franchise around Duncan.

Count me in as one of them.

[chopchop20]

What's Kobe's advantage other than 1 more ring?

We could start with their head-to-head matchups in the Playoffs. Kobe's definitely been better against the Spurs than Duncan has against the Lakers.

[dh144498]

Stats, FG%, overall TS, playoff numbers, rings as the man, etc. indicate that it's not really debatable.

Unless you have on permanent Kobe goggles, I don't see how you can realistically rank Kobe ahead of Duncan.

if you don't think it's close then you are the one with the goggles....

[DMAVS41]

Despite all the things yall say about Duncan's greatness, why hasn't his team ever been dominant?

Kobe has went to 3 straight Finals on two separate occasions -- a 3-peat and a Repeat. People seem to forget how RARE a 3peat is.

Duncan has never repeated. In fact since the Lakers repeated in the 80's, only the '04 Pistons, Mavs, Heat, and Spurs have not repeated. That's almost 30 years.

The problem with this is that Kobe won 3 of his titles and went to the finals 4 of his 7 times as the 2nd best player on his team.

if Duncan was ever the 2nd best player on his team in his prime...trust me, you would have seen dominance. hell, if Duncan ever had a true 2nd star during his prime the likes of that Kobe did...you would have seen dominance.

Just imagine Duncan and Dirk playing 8 years together...or Duncan and Wade/Lebron playing 8 years together.

[tikay0]

Lol, I find this quite ironic considering you-know-who.

I'm not following.

[K Xerxes]

I'm not following.

Mr Stats man, you know, the player you hate with a passion.

[tikay0]

if you don't think it's close then you are the one with the goggles....

I'm not saying it's not close, I'm saying Duncan should CLEARLY be ranked ahead of Kobe.

That doesn't mean,

Duncan............................................ .......................Kobe

More like,

Duncan............Kobe

[chopchop20]

The problem with this is that Kobe won 3 of his titles and went to the finals 4 of his 7 times as the 2nd best player on his team.

if Duncan was ever the 2nd best player on his team in his prime...trust me, you would have seen dominance. hell, if Duncan ever had a true 2nd star during his prime the likes of that Kobe did...you would have seen dominance.

Just imagine Duncan and Dirk playing 8 years together...or Duncan and Wade/Lebron playing 8 years together.

Dude that's all SUBJECTIVE. The reality is that Kobe has 5 rings. He did 3peat. He did repeat.

Why do we have to go to the realm of make believe? If..coulda... shoulda... woulda...

It's equally subjective to say that.

1. Tony Parker was the best player on the team when the Spurs last won a title

2. Tony Parker is the best player on the Spurs NOW

3. Tony Parker has been the best player on the Spurs for the last 5 years or more

4. Kobe Bryant has been the best player on the Lakers for the last 10 years

[RossTalksSports]

As people have already mentioned Duncan has quite a few stats backing him up. One of the biggest reasons that Kobe gets the pub over Duncan is that he is playing in LA.

Just to stick with the Simmons thing, on his podcast the other day he complained about having to talk about the Lakers every day even though they were anywhere from an 8-10 seed during the course of the season. LA moves the meter as the NBA's flagship franchise. Since Kobe has that advantage, to anyone that neglects to take a closer look, it could appear that Kobe should unquestionably be the best player of his era.

[tikay0]

Mr Stats man, you know, the player you hate with a passion.

I criticize Lebron for being an unashamed stat padder, and when I rank him H2H, of course I use Lebron's stats as a measuring stick. When you rank him H2H with MJ, those stats go out the window, simply because MJ's stats are better, AND MJ is just the better winner, player, etc.

Stats definitely apply to Kobe and Duncan.

[SamuraiSWISH]

He's not crazy, he's actually extremely knowledgeable about the sport. A true basketball head. I enjoy his sincere enthusiasm, and like to hear him talk about the sport with no filter, even with his bias.

But to explain the rationale, he's just always been a prisoner of the moment type of guy, who also happens to have a childhood rooted hatred for the Lakers.

[Jacks3]

Simmons has always been a Kobe hater.

[TheWalkman]

Earth.