Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 2:25 pm  |  191 responses

Tim Duncan Reportedly ‘Hates’ Kevin Garnett


As two of the greatest power forwards not only of their generation, but of all time, the careers of Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan will always be linked. Just don’t expect the two legends to become buddies anytime soon (or ever), according to a terrific profile of Duncan in SI this week: “In fact, Duncan hates Kevin Garnett. Hates him the way liberals hate Sean Hannity. This information comes from very reliable sources, who talk about how KG has made a career of trying to punk Duncan, baiting him and slapping him and whispering really weird smack into his ear. They talk about how funny this is, because the worst thing you can do as an opponent is piss off Duncan. Then, as Malik Rose says, ‘he f—— destroys you.’ Duncan’s lifetime numbers versus Garnett’s teams, by the way: 19.4 points per game, 11.6 boards and a 44-17 record, including the postseason. Duncan is diplomatic about the topic. Asked if perhaps all those years battling Garnett have softened his feelings for the man, led to a Magic-Larry type of kinship, Duncan leans back on the couch in his hotel room and grins. There is a pause. A longer pause. Finally he says, ‘Define kinship.’”

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  • hushabomb

    Remember that they play on different teams. Its natural that they are competitive with each other.

    So imagine if KG and Duncan played together. I’d reckon they wouldn’t talk trash to one another

  • Cutter

    Garnett is a punk and Duncan is a stand up guy. Duncan’s abilities clearly dampen Garnett’s. If it wasn’t for the trade to Boston Garnett would be a just another championship less allstar who’s attitude sum up his career.

  • manu

    i love this hate for KG

    too bad the guy averaged over 20,10,5 for six straight seasons and 20,10,4 for nine straight

  • K.a.

    More like a soft giraffe is the wackest thing ive read on here.

    There are 2 ppl who used to give timmy problems. Rasheed as a blazer n kg as a wolves. Rasheed is all world man to man technique wise, weve seen him destroy somebody like a very green dwight in the playoffs. But im inclined to believe now (besides quickness n length) it mustve been annoying for timmy going up against kg n his out of play antics, now that hes rep is more open in boston. Ive always thought dude as a punk since his potty mouth in the olympics n always thought his street cred as fake (those and 1 commercials) so im bias when i say ive always preferred duncans game n approach. Duncans always been known to be a cold customer so i can believe if kg resorts to ish like that just to see if he can get under timmys skin.

    On whos better we could go thru the woulda shoulda coulda’s but ill go with timmy. I prefer my 7 footers to play closer to the basket one way or the other thank you very much.

  • @Scalabrine for MVP

    Your name and your comment are clear evidence of your stupidity.

  • rdenejc

    duncan isn’t crazy enough to understand kg. no one is.

  • Kennedy

    I think ppl have touched on it but Duncans dominance around the basket both offensively and defensively can’t be underscored. That allows shooters on offense spacing, it invites double teams that get those shooters open looks, it gets other bigs in foul trouble when you go to work in the post. And on D plz, Duncan has straight up dominated every rd of every playoff series he was in from 99-07 aside from the lakers 3 pt yrs. As a spurs fan I’ve always viewed Shaq as TD biggest measuring stick. Those two actually had battles in the playoffs. And as far as supporting cast’s, TD is the biggest reason the spurs have been able to do what they do. Selflessness and Team above all. And if not for a D. Fisher .04 sec shot and a Dirk and one in 06′ when Manu should have given him the points and not fouled he may have 6 rings instead of 4. Might get #5 this year.

  • Quan

    When you have nothing nice to say about someone else, defer! That’s what TD did. KG’s intensity in battle is great to watch as a student of competitive athletics.

    As far as the Finals are concerned, the contrasting styles make a Spur-Heat series the best to watch. They also own the best defenses of the four teams left. Heat freestyle against Spur system, and Spur precision against Heat defensive intensity. They are both run and gun and take their share of three point shots!

  • Scot Peirson

    First of all, Chris Ballard’s article about TD is brilliant. The part of the article that no one seems to mention is that Popovich said that Timmy is a CENTER–and has been one for 16 years. Which, first of all, should throw any and all of ANYTHING Shaquille has said about being the MDE, Last Center Standing, etc…HOLLOW. Then again, TD’s 39/16 against Shaq in Game 6 of the 2003 Western Semis or his 40/14 against Shaq in Game 1 of the 2008 Phoenix/SA matchup should have sent that message.
    As for Kevin Garnett…he’s essentially become the NBA’s Ray Lewis, a guy who wins one title and then becomes eternally obnoxious because he’s a “champion”. When he was hurt in 2009, but sitting on the bench F-bombing anyone running past him on the floor, be they players or referees, I lost all respect for him. That isn’t leadership–that was just bullying (Or a poor attempt at it). His mouth has gotten worse as his skills have deteriorated, he’s getting dirtier on the floor (That bone that he threw into the back of Andre Iguoadala’s head during Game 7 of the Sixers/Celtics being the latest of many examples…), and in reality, IT JUST DON’T WORK (See LBJ laughing at KG near the end of Game 1…). KG has become the African-American version of Bill Laimbeer, and someone who has become in serious need of getting clocked one time on floor.

  • DukeFromDeep

    Duncan may have more rings and a few better post moves, but Garnett makes D such a priority it changes the team. I would take prime KG over Duncan anyday!

  • tpathi1

    I just read the sport illustrated article..so unless POP is being sarcastic should we be considering Tim Duncan a Center or PF? I battled my friends for years on this subject, I always felt that Duncan was a Center and should be compared with the other great Centers throughout the history of basketball. To say he is a PF is fine, but gives him a great advantage as he is also the biggest PF of all time.

  • AndreJ

    Guess what? you can’t omit the rings as someone suggested, you can’t switch the teams same person suggested. Even if you could, doesn’t gaurantee the same results. Example A:TD didn’t call his coach weak. So we have an issue already,Remember Rodman was in SA and he was the best rebounding FWD who could defend 3,4 & 5 positions but his antics got him traded. I have know problem with either. We measure winners on rings. David left TD w/2 had 0 b4 TD. They rebuilt around TD and he led them. Another example for good measure. TD knee injury, same players Manu,Parker & Bruce league dogged them.

  • William

    Hoopla hoopla everybdy knws kg the worst soccer player n Duncan not that good of a balerina if I had to choose one ill pick big foot

  • Peter

    All the TD fans saying Duncan is better then KG…my god.

    Duncan it so damn overrated it’s rediculous. Yes, Tim Duncan is one of the top PF’s to play the game – he and KG are probably both top 5, top 10 at the worst.

    BUT so many people list Duncan as he greatest PF of all time, and he definately is not.

    On the NBA All-Time list Karl Malone is ranked:
    * 2nd in scoring
    * 1st in free throws made and attempted
    * 6th in total rebounds
    * 10th in steals

    Duncan is ranked:
    * 26th in scoring
    * 27th in free throws made and attempted
    * 18th in total rebounds
    * 9th in blocks

    You cannot judge a players ability based on titles won, because championships are a TEAM achievement. You can only judge individual performance based on individual achievements – that’s why most people still consider Wilt a more dominant player then Russel.

    TD was given a massive advantage due to circumstance – he came in to the NBA as a guy who would have so obviously been a Center on any other team, which would have led to him having to match up against guys like Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson, Mutombo. The Spurs already had Robinson, which allowed him to slip down to the PF spot where he has a MASSIVE size advantage over every single player he matched up against.

    Karl Malone was a relatively undersized PF at only 6’9″ yet still was more dominant at that position individually then Duncan has ever been – his positions on the all-time leaderboard prove this. It makes me sick to death when young people of today’s generation label Duncan as the greatest PF of all time without showing any respect at all to past legends like Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and Moses Malone.

    The fact that Duncan has 4 titles and Malone has none does not make him a better player. Steve Nash has no titles, Derek Fisher has several – is Fisher a better player then Steve Nash? No chance.

    Now onto Duncan vs KG…

    These two guys are even interms of the impact they had on the game, more or less. They are both equally great PFs, but they are also very different PFs in terms of the way they dominated the game. Duncan really plays more like a traditional big man – he dominates with his rebounding, his shot blocking and his scoring in the paint. KG is not as dominant in the paint or as a shotblocker, but he has essentially redefined the PF position with his versatlity and ability to do everything on the floor. He is without a doubt one of the greatest passing PFs of all time (possibly THE greatest) and his athleticism allowed him to defend every position on the floor – add that to one of the best midrange shots and one of the best free throw showing PFs of all time, along with his dominant rebounding and he is every big as good a Duncan.

    Both players are so good in their own ways that you really can’t put one above the other – they will forever go down in history as equally great players, much like Ewing vs Robinson.

  • dswish

    Who doesn’t hate KG

  • anonymous

    duncan doesnt hate nobody… hes like a saint

  • Dunk.fan

    You can put up all the numbers you want…. Duncan is the best ever, and its not numbers. He makes everyone around him better, he’s consistent and clutch, he coaches on court, AND most important, his peers think he’s the best. He used to kick Karl Malones ass.

    Four rings, his team contends every year, and even as his dominance wanes, he remains able to compete against athletic MONSTERS like Blake. Karl Malone is the most overrated ever, Barkley and McHale were much better players.

  • TexasPsycho28

    Long time… but KG would be a different player. Less talk, less barking, the same amount of iffy or illegal screens but yeah. He may have been known as a nicer guy since Pop doesn’t let guys pull that crap unless they’re one of the untalented guys who has to play that way. Bowen, the 50 year old Horry, Danny Ferry, and others were the guys who actually started stuff throughout the years with the Spurs. Duncan and Ginobli(aside from flopping)have looked like the nicest guys you’d ever meet compared to them.

  • LakerFanJohn

    You are a fool. Duncan has QUIETLY been one of the better NBA power forwards to EVER play the game. KG is a HOFer but he is NO Duncan. I’m a Laker fan and I despise both the Spurs and the Celts. But Duncan’s record against KG is no mistake. That and he’s carried himself with class for so long. KG has become a pathetic thug.

  • LakerFanJohn

    I approve this message!

  • OneStep

    That’s an enormous club that TD is a member of. A 44-17 record against him too? Wow. That’s what separates the great from the good.

  • Dirk Diggler

    KC? He has a band of sunshine

  • Ex-writer

    I once had a couple beers with an NBA Forward who will remain unnamed, and the Celtics were on TV. “I hate that guy,” he said, motioning to Garnett. I asked for clarification. “Everyone in the league hates Kevin Garnett,” he said. True story.

  • alfonso

    KG is 7″1 Duncan is barley 6″11

  • alfonso

    Tim Duncan plus stephan marbury = 3 titles because of duncans leadership demeaner and defence

  • alfonso

    yea he would hes 2003 spurs that one the title had no talent on it he won that championship by himself

  • alfonso

    nope KG would have crumbled against those shaq led laker teams, chris webbers kings, Duncans wolves, the Blazers, and nowitzkis mavs

  • alfonso

    garnett is 7″1 if any should be a 5 it should be garnett

  • pposse

    thats what they list him as..there is no way KG is 2 inches taller than Duncan, and if you put into account weight and strength into the equation then duncan is by far bigger than KG

  • kinshipray

    Define kinship

  • donny

    KG is cool as hell

  • donny

    San Antonio kills me. They think all their players are the most upstanding perfect gentlemen in all aspects of the game. Come On Man!

  • MrSuper

    Oh man, McHale was a beast in the post, able to defend superbly as well. Karl couldn’t really block shots plus he was the receiver of Stocton’s assists. We can’t call Malone (6’9″, 250 pounds) “undersized”, really, but he could run the floor like no other PF. Does anyone have statistics from Duncan – Malone matchups?

  • Johnny

    Is this a joke? Duncan a Center? Who cares what anybody says, he has played PF his whole career. He RARELY went one on one against Shaq, only for spot minutes here or there. There is no way on earth he could guard Shaq, just ask him. Shaq was lined up as the Center, and Duncan as the PF. Also, Shaq in his prime is far more of a force than Duncan in his prime. To Duncan’s credit, his prime lasted longer and he’s still effective past his prime. The longevity award goes to Duncan, the biggest 10 year impact goes to Shaq, period. BTW, that 40/14 against Shaq in 2008 was against Amare and Diaw, but don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.
    On the Garnett issue, I completely agree. Duncan has wiped the floor with him his whole career, and stopped him from going anywhere his whole career. The constant cussing, and fake look Garnett gives (The “I’m the most intense bad-a** in the world look) has gotten so old. Garnett is a tireless worker which he deserves credit for, but he’s a complete classless punk, and Duncan is a level above him.

  • Honey

    If this is true I understand. I saw Kevin Garnett hit TD in the back of the head during a game. Hate is strong but I understand.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/4BLVWHDEOOYSGVBWIZ4A2AMXW4 Cristian

    your mom

  • http://www.facebook.com/scot.peirson Scot Merideth Peirson

    Go back and read the article–Pop said Duncan was SA’s starting center. Just as he had been for 16 years. I’ve always looked at the situation as a cross-match. Duncan might not have matched up with Shaquille during the Lakers’ years, but he didn’t have to since Robinson was there. But Shaq got seriously undressed during the 1999 playoffs by Timmy during San Antonio’s sweep of the Lakers. Timmy was using that bank off the left block repeatedly, and when Shaq finally made a step at him, Timmy would blow by him (If you could call Timmy’s speed “blow-by”) for dunks. Phil Jackson made sure that he had bodies he could throw at Tim when the Lakers threepeated–Horace Grant, A.C. Green, Big Shot Rob, Madsen–before Shaquille. When Shaq HAD to cover Timmy…it was ugly for Shaq.

  • Juan Gotti

    Lmao rite!… KG used to be dat dude but he do waaaayyyyyy too much now… time for his xtra ass to retire!… lol

  • C0P0

    I know a good many of players that dislike Garnett. He has a rather low favorability with his NBA colleagues. Everyone has to remember, it’s not a country club, it’s a competitive sport. Don’t like, just beat him.

  • Steve Sarah

    Guy… Karl Malone is also ranked #1 on MOST TURNOVERS in a career. everyone sleeps on that

  • John Jordan

    actually not in the least.

    Kevin Garnett is tied for the most All-Star games in NBA history. KG is also twice the defensive player as Duncan averaging more blocks and steals in a career. So the great is both TD and KG.

    Plus how many of those 61 games was KG on a team not even close to the level of SA was? TD is great don’t get me wrong, but it helps to have arguably the best PG in the game since 2001, while KG has had Rondo for 4 years. Anyone remember who his PG’s were in Minnesota? The most notable sh it break was Stephon Marbury.

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