“Tim Duncan Made Me Better”: Former Nets Star Discusses How Spurs Legend Helped Him Grow as a Defender in the NBA

Every NBA star remembers the one competitor they played against that helped improve their game. It’s in moments like a championship series that they get pushed to dig deeper and find that fighting spirit. Kenyon Martin had that experience during his battles with Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in the 2003 Finals.

That year, Martin and the Nets were looking to add a trophy to their display case and felt poised and ready to do it after losing the year prior, 2002, to the Lakers in the Finals. Unfortunately, the Spurs were in their way, and for the second straight season, the Nets went home empty-handed.

“They a** got lucky,” said Martin during a recent interview on All The Smoke. “We split the first two games on their floor.”

Stephen Jackson, who co-hosts ATS, jumped in since he was a member of that 2003 Spurs team. “J-Kidd was busting our a** bro,” said Jackson, referring to NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.

Martin jumped back in to talk about how much closer the series could have been if they had defended their home turf. But Tim Duncan decided to play lights-out ball in that window. “Timmy was a problem,“ added the 47-year-old star.

The group then discussed how often the Nets had to double-team Duncan in that series. Not long after, Martin reminded listeners that when he guarded the iconic big man, he didn’t need any additional help.

“One thing for sure, two things for certain. When Employee 6 was guarding him, there was no double-teams. He might have scored and did his thing, but you can go ask that man today: did he have to work for each and every one of them,” he stated. “I figured out how to guard people because of having to guard him.”

How did Kenyon make TD’s life a living hell? “He never shot that bank shot on me ever. I wouldn’t allow it. I’m a crowd him. Therefore, I’m gonna take something away, you’re gonna have to do something else.”

Duncan still managed to put up numbers. Martin doesn’t feel bad about that. In fact, he praised TD for helping him become a smarter defender. “Shout out to him. He made me better. Tim Duncan made me better,” he stated.

It’s always nice to see former players recall the intense showdowns they had with Hall of Famers. Playing against such elite talent does push players past their limitations. Sometimes that helps a legend excel, while other times it shows a lesser player that they need to work harder.

TD is widely considered one of the best 4/5s of all time. Even Shaquille O’Neal listed him in his Top 10 players who have ever stepped foot on the court. Martin’s admission that he improved as a defender from guarding Duncan only adds to the legend.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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