A young LeBron James showed no mercy on Tim Duncan, shocking fans in San Antonio with a monster dunk on The Fundamental.
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When we speak of athletes defying the laws of genetics, LeBron James, sits right at the top. Standing at 6″9′ and weighing 250lbs, the Lakers superstar is a flawless combination of strength, speed, and agility. There is a reason why the Cavaliers rookie had the attention of the world before his NBA debut.
The kid from Akron had unimaginable expectations as he made his debut, living up to it to the fullest. For his age, James was already a grown man, going up against the stalwarts of the league. A teenage LeBron faced the likes of Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, the Pistons’ Ben Wallace, and Chauncey Billups.
A generational talent, James was neck-to-neck with all the biggies of the league. At the peak of his athleticism, the former ROTY was a walking highlight reel, accounting for some of the best dunks in the last two decades.
Speaking of his high-flying moves on the hardwood, it is almost next to impossible to look past his posterization on Duncan, leaving the thousands of fans in San Antonio stunned.
The Statue of Liberty Slam.
Though they shared a great deal of mutual respect, James and Duncan had their matchups on the hardwood, including 3 NBA Finals. However, with a 2-1 record, Timmy had the edge over LBJ. Nonetheless, the two MVPs are tied an overall 10-10 in their battles on the hardwood.
Interestingly, Bron’s first Finals appearance came against the Spurs in 2007. Coach Gregg Popovich and his crew had put the clamps on the Cavaliers rookie, which proved to be a turning point in the former scoring champion’s career.
One of the highlights of this rivalry remains, James posterizing Duncan with a one-handed slam, almost dropping the Spurs forward to the ground. The poster had Spurs fans taken aback, given James was only three years into the league and was still upcoming compared to Timmy.
Frequently pitted against each other, James and Duncan had distinct styles. While the former Cavs superstar was known for his bulldozing ways in the paint, Timmy was one of the most skilled bigs the league had ever seen.
