By Nick Moyle, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-07-19 15:57:25
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2014年5月19日，在AT&T中心举行的西部决赛第一场对阵俄克拉荷马雷霆队的比赛前，圣安东尼奥马刺队的蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)在奏国歌时肃立。
20世纪末，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)为圣安东尼奥带来了球队历史上第一个NBA总冠军。随后，在新千年的前十五年里，这位马刺队低调的超级巨星赢得了足够多的总冠军戒指，足以戴满他那只巨大的右手的每一根手指。
在取得了所有这些胜利之后，毫无疑问，邓肯会出现在ESPN最近公布的21世纪100位最佳职业运动员名单中。真正让一些马刺球迷感到愤怒的是邓肯的排名。这位五届总冠军和2020年奈史密斯篮球名人堂成员排名第16位，排在奥运游泳巨星凯蒂·莱德基和西部联盟宿敌沙奎尔·奥尼尔之间。
邓肯是排名第四高的NBA球员，排在斯蒂芬·库里(Stephen Curry)（第14位）、科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)（第10位）和勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)（第4位）之后。美国游泳传奇人物迈克尔·菲尔普斯、美国网球巨星塞雷娜·威廉姆斯和阿根廷足球巨星莱昂内尔·梅西排在詹姆斯之前，位列前三。
值得注意的是，ESPN专家组在评选百强时，并未考虑邓肯的前两个半赛季。这意味着他们不能将他的1998年最佳新秀奖、1999年NBA总冠军或四次入选最佳阵容和最佳防守阵容的荣誉考虑在内。
“邓肯辉煌职业生涯的前两个半赛季是在世纪之交之前，但这并没有阻止他在这份榜单上占据一席之地，”ESPN的安德鲁·洛佩兹(Andrew Lopez)写道。“即使没有最佳新秀和他的第一个NBA总冠军，邓肯在21世纪初的表现也为他赢得了两座MVP奖杯。‘石佛’也是联盟历史上最出色的防守球员之一，他在2015年38岁时最后一次入选最佳防守阵容。”
关于邓肯是否应该在他那一代篮球运动员中排名更高，将会引发激烈的争论，但这正是ESPN想要通过这份将来自体育界各领域的超级巨星进行比较的主观榜单所达到的目的。但为了进行比较，让我们快速浏览一下这份榜单上的21世纪NBA球员前四名的成就。
邓肯 : 四届总冠军，两次总决赛MVP，两次常规赛MVP，13次入选最佳阵容，13次入选最佳防守阵容，14次入选全明星。常规赛场均得到18.8分、10.7个篮板、3.1次助攻和2.1次盖帽。
詹姆斯 : 四届总冠军，四次总决赛MVP，四次常规赛MVP，20次入选全明星，19次入选最佳阵容，6次入选最佳防守阵容，三次全明星赛MVP，NBA历史得分王。常规赛场均得到27.1分、7.5个篮板、7.4次助攻和1.5次抢断。
科比 : 五届总冠军，两次总决赛MVP，2007-08赛季MVP，18次入选全明星，15次入选最佳阵容，12次入选最佳防守阵容，四次全明星赛MVP。
库里 : 四届总冠军，2022年总决赛MVP，两次常规赛MVP，10次入选全明星，9次入选最佳阵容，2022年全明星赛MVP，两次得分王，职业生涯三分球命中数第一。常规赛场均得到24.8分、6.5次助攻、4.7个篮板、3.9个三分球和1.5次抢断。
除了邓肯之外，前马刺队前锋科怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)也以第85名的成绩入选。休赛期与圣安东尼奥签下一年合同的克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)排名第83位。
ESPN百大运动员排行榜中的NBA球员
第4名 – 勒布朗·詹姆斯
第10名 – 科比·布莱恩特
第14名 – 斯蒂芬·库里
第16名 – 蒂姆·邓肯
第17名 – 沙奎尔·奥尼尔
第23名 – 凯文·加内特
第28名 – 尼古拉·约基奇
第35名 – 德维恩·韦德
第39名 – 凯文·杜兰特
第41名 – 德克·诺维茨基
第42名 – 扬尼斯·阿德托昆博
第51名 – 史蒂夫·纳什
第67名 – 詹姆斯·哈登
第69名 – 贾森·基德
第83名 – 克里斯·保罗
第85名 – 科怀·伦纳德
2014年6月15日，在AT&T中心举行的2014年NBA总决赛第五场对阵迈阿密热火队的比赛结束后，圣安东尼奥马刺队的科怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)、蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和队友们在赛后庆祝。马刺队以104-87获胜。
邓肯兑现了他在2014年总决赛中夺冠的承诺后庆祝，这让他在三个不同的十年里都获得了总冠军。
文件资料图：2016年12月18日，在圣安东尼奥举行的球衣退役仪式上，圣安东尼奥马刺队的蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)在听取特邀嘉宾对他的评价。与科比·布莱恩特一起首次入选篮球名人堂的还有：15次入选全明星的邓肯、同样15次入选全明星的凯文·加内特以及10次入选WNBA全明星和四枚奥运金牌得主塔米卡·卡钦斯。(美联社照片/达伦·阿巴特，文件)
蒂姆·邓肯和已故的科比·布莱恩特在带领各自的球队总共获得10个NBA总冠军后，于今天入选名人堂。
2007年6月14日，在俄亥俄州克利夫兰，圣安东尼奥马刺队在击败克利夫兰骑士队赢得NBA总决赛后，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)(左)手持拉里·奥布莱恩冠军奖杯，而他的队友托尼·帕克(Tony Parker)(中)手持他的MVP奖杯。路透社/露西·尼科尔森(美国)报道时间：2007年6月17日，圣安东尼奥马刺队将在接下来的几周里出现在勒布朗·詹姆斯的噩梦中。报道时间：2007年6月17日，圣安东尼奥马刺队将在接下来的几周里出现在勒布朗·詹姆斯的噩梦中。
点击查看原文：Tim Duncan ranked among top 20 in ESPN's top 100 athletes of the centu
Tim Duncan ranked among top 20 in ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the centu
San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan stands during the national anthem before Game 1 in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday May 19, 2014 at the AT&T Center.
Tim Duncan delivered San Antonio its first NBA title in 1999, as the end of the 20th century approached. Then, over the first decade and a half of the new millennium, the Spurs’ spotlight-averse superstar went on claim enough championship rings to fill every finger on his enormous right hand.
After all that winning, there was no doubt Duncan would appear somewhere in ESPN’s recently unveiled list of the 100 best professional athletes of the 21st century. It was where Duncan landed that will likely have some Spurs fans up in arms. The five-time champion and 2020 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee landed at No. 16, sandwiched between Olympic swimming demigod Katie Ledecky and longtime Western Conference rival Shaquille O’Neal.
Duncan was the fourth-highest ranked NBA player behind Stephen Curry (No. 14). Kobe Bryant (No. 10) and LeBron James (No. 4). American swimming legend Michael Phelps, American tennis marvel Serena Williams and Argentine soccer sensation Lionel Messi took the top three spots ahead of James.
Now, it should be noted that Duncan’s first two and a half seasons were not considered when ESPN’s panel voted on the top 100. That meant they were not allowed to factor in his 1998 Rookie of the Year award, 1999 NBA championship or four combined All-NBA and All-Defensive selections.
“The first 2½ seasons of Duncan’s stellar career came before the turn of the century, but that didn’t stop him from cementing his spot near the top of this list,” ESPN’s Andrew Lopez wrote. “Even without a Rookie of the Year and his first NBA title, Duncan’s run in the early 2000s banked him both of his MVP awards. The Big Fundamental was also one of the best defenders the league has seen, earning his final All-Defensive team nod in 2015 at 38 years old.”
Debate will rage over whether Duncan should have ranked higher among his basketball peers, which is precisely the sort of thing ESPN intended with a subjective list pitting superstars from across the sports world against each other. But for the sake of comparison, here’s a quick look at how the list’s top four NBA players of the century stack up.
Duncan: Four-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, two-time regular-season MVP, 13-time All-NBA, 13-time All-Defense, 14-time All-Star. Averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 blocks in the regular season.
James: Four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP, four-time regular-season MVP, 20-time All-Star, 19-time All-NBA selection, six-time All-Defense, three-time All-Star Game MVP, NBA’s all-time scoring leader. Averaged 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals in the regular season.
Bryant: Five-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2007-08 MVP, 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, 12-time All-Defense, four-time All-Star Game MVP.
Curry: Four-time champion, 2022 Finals MVP, two-time regular-season MVP, 10-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, 2022 All-Star Game MVP, two-time scoring leader, career leader in 3-pointers made. Averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 3.9 3-pointers and 1.5 steals in the regular season.
In addition to Duncan, former Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard also made the cut at No. 85. Chris Paul, who signed a one-year deal with San Antonio this offseason, was No. 83.
NBA players in ESPN’s Top 100 rankings
No. 4 – LeBron James
No. 10 – Kobe Bryant
No. 14 – Stephen Curry
No. 16 – Tim Duncan
No. 17 – Shaquille O’Neal
No. 23 – Kevin Garnett
No. 28 – Nikola Jokic
No. 35 – Dwyane Wade
No. 39 – Kevin Durant
No. 41 – Dirk Nowitzki
No. 42 – Giannis Antetokounmpo
No. 51 – Steve Nash
No. 67 – James Harden
No. 69 – Jason Kidd
No. 83 – Chris Paul
No. 85 – Kawhi Leonard
San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and teammates react after Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat Sunday June 15, 2014 at the AT&T Center. The Spurs won 104-87.
Duncan celebrates after making good on his vow to win the 2014 Finals, giving him championships in three different decades.
FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2016, file photo, San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan listens while special guests speak about him during his jersey retirement ceremony in San Antonio. Joining Kobe Bryant as first-time finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame are: 15-time All-Star Duncan, fellow 15-time All-Star Kevin Garnett and 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings. (AP Photo/Darren Abate, File)
Tim Duncan and the late Kobe Bryant are entering the Hall of Fame today after leading their teams to a combined 10 NBA titles.
San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan (L) holds up the Larry O’Brien Trophy while teammate Tony Parker (C) holds up his MVP trophy after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Finals basketball series in Cleveland, Ohio, June 14, 2007. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES) Ran on: 06-17-2007 The San Antonio Spurs will be making appearances in LeBron James nightmares for the next couple of weeks. Ran on: 06-17-2007 The San Antonio Spurs will be making appearances in LeBron James nightmares for the next couple of weeks.
By Nick Moyle, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News