Kobe Bryant: Who had a better career — Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan?

Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan both were officially inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame over the weekend. There was a discussion on who had the better career on ESPN’s First Take. Stephen A. Smith stated Tim Duncan had a better career than Kobe Bryant. Lake Show Life breaks down Smith’s comments and the longevity of Kobe’s and Duncan’s career.

On Saturday, April 4th, 2020, the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 was officially released a starved sports public. The group will be headlined by one of the greatest, most skilled groups in Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the icon, Kobe Bryant.

Most believe that this class could be one of the most star-studded ever. That belief could be up for debate, but it will be the most memorable, emotional and influential class of all time. With the Basketball Hall of Fame making adjustments on the inductions this year, it was more exclusive than years past.

With the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic the world is facing as of this writing, there is a possibility of the Hall of Fame scheduled festivities being changed. But for this time, here’s the schedule of the major event.

• Friday, Aug. 28: Class of 2020 media availability
  Friday, Aug. 28: Enshrinement tip-off celebration and awards gala
• Saturday, Aug. 29: Red carpet show
  Saturday, Aug. 29: Enshrinement ceremony
• Sunday, Aug. 30: Hall of Fame’s Springfield celebration day

Sadly, with the NBA currently being suspended, social media and sports talk shows are being reduced to empty stats and “Who’s better than who” to pass the time until NBA commissioner and his colleagues find a work around for the global pandemic.

Last week, Ric Bucher took to Fox Sports’ “Speak For Yourself” to spread a narrative that LeBron James really didn’t want the season to continue because deep down he didn’t think the team had enough to win.

Lake Show Life went into detail on what this meant (We rolled our eyes too!) and why he said it from a media context. Now that the Hall of Fame class has been named, the discussion of the top two stars on the ballot came up on ESPN’s First Take.

Who had the better career? Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan? 

Stephen A. Smith sided with Tim Duncan having the overall better career than Kobe Bryant.

Despite the fact that comparing individual players with extensive resumes are about as irritating as casuals spouting statistical numbers to justify points, it’s important to note that this is a show that has to fill 10-15 hours weekly of sports content where there are none. All sports content creators, no matter how big or small are grasping at straws for anything interesting for the next 2-3 months.

That being said, Stephen A. Smith has his right to any opinion like everyone else. But here he’s wrong. The points made were valid but Kobe Bryant’s ability to adapt to the numerous challenges (Personal and professional!) and his all-around growth across the board gives him the edge.

Before the discussion and breakdowns of these players begin, let’s get some statements out-of-the-way. These two players are Hall of Famers that were foregone conclusions before they retired. Both players are all-time greats that are probably top 10 or 15 at worst. In short:

This is an article for thought and for the reader to make up their own respective minds. There are no wrong answers here.

If you look at these two by stats and championships, it would be almost impossible to compare based on the similarities of their accomplishments. Most casuals may give the edge to Kobe Bryant based on style of play, similarities to Michael Jordan and playing with an iconic franchise such as the Los Angeles Lakers.

Let’s compare the statistics for the record.

Kobe Bryant in 20 seasons:

• Career statistics: 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals
• Career accomplishments: 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 12-time All-Defensive, 4-time All-Star MVP, 2-time Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP, 5-time NBA champion

Tim Duncan in 19 seasons:

• Career statistics: 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 blocks
• Career accomplishments: 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 15-time All-Defensive, 1997-98 Rookie of the Year, 2-time NBA MVP, 3-time NBA Finals MVP, 5-time NBA champion

Now that the numbers are out-of-the-way, Lake Show Life looks at the essence that makes this debate so intriguing along with a few things that Stephen A. Smith missed.