Originally posted by LA9erFan:
I wouldn't have a problem with someone listing Duncan as one of the Top 5 players of all time. He wasn't quite as dominant on the offensive end as most of the other guys that are often mentioned, but he had a tremendous defensive impact on the game, which can't be said about Magic or Bird. He was also a consistently superb rebounder.
I think Magic and Bird get a bit of a pass in the "all-time greatest" discussions because their games were so aesthetically pleasing and because they were so dominant on the offensive end. Their defense gets kinda skimmed over.
And because their "feud" made for great headlines.