For 16 seasons, San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan has amassed an NBA resume that would make any NBA player envious. From four NBA titles, two NBA MVPs, countless All-Star appearances to three NBA Finals MVP trophies, there is no doubt he is destined to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Currently, his Spurs are in the thick of things with the Miami Heat as they battle for the 2013 NBA crown and should Duncan get title No. 5, his legacy will only grow beyond what it is today.
Recently, NBA great Earvin "Magic" Johnson spoke with the media via a conference call and gushed over Duncan and his position among the greatest of all time. Needless to say, Magic has nothing but love for the "Big Fundamental" and says should he win a fifth championship, Duncan dominates this generation.
"With this fifth one, he dominates his generation. He and Kobe (Bryant) would be the greatest winners during this time. And domination-wise, he'll by just as dominant as any big man that's ever played, and also be a great winner as well. So it would just increase. He's made his teammates better, too. That's what I like about him. He's in that Bill Russell mold in terms of making their teammates better – doing all the little things."
Magic joins Duncan with Bryant as the greatest winners of all time and while that may be true, Duncan gets the edge over Kobe as far as off the court. Duncan never has been in the headlines for off-the-court issues, nor ever squabled with teammates. That is a complete player.
And should Duncan win title No. 5, the question then become if it is enough to push him outside of the top-10 players of all-time and into the top-5 list?
"We've already got him in the top-10. You can slide him up there anywhere you want to put him, because it's not just how – it's not just him winning five, but it's how he won five. It's the way he played the game, how he approached the game," said Magic.
However, should Duncan not win another championship, it would not be a knock on him. He has earned the respect, has the resume to back it up and has nothing else to prove. He is a winner, period! He will go down as not just simply the greatest power forward ever, but be remembered as one of the best basketball players of all-time.
"And you know, I told him the other day, I said, 'you know, you're one of my favorite players of all time, beacuse it's always been about winning and about the team.' And you know me, I'm the same way, so that's why I love Tim Duncan," said Magic.
"He's so intelligent and I just love him, I love everything about him."
Whether you are a Spurs fans or not, there is no doubting Duncan's greatness. Every team and fanbase wishes they had a player like Duncan.
So soak in Duncan while you can and love everything about what he does before he calls is a career in the NBA.
