Antoine Walker faced several legendary big men throughout his 12-year NBA career. During an appearance on the Club 520 Podcast, the three-time All-Star was asked about the players he faced early in his career who made him realize he was no longer in college. When pondering his “Welcome to the NBA” moments, two names came to mind, Dennis Rodman and Tim Duncan.
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The 48-year-old underlined Rodman as his toughest matchup to score on, lauding the Worm’s strength and quick feet. Rodman was in the prime of his career with the Chicago Bulls when Walker entered the league in 1996-97, so it’s no surprise that the six-time champion gave the rookie fits with his defense.
As for the defensive side of the ball, Walker pointed to Duncan as his biggest challenge, saying of the Big Fundamental,
“I mean, footwork, big dude, got all the moves… [Duncan] ain’t gonna talk to you, he doing it and he ain’t giving you nothing back.”
The former Boston Celtic wasn’t exaggerating about his problems with Duncan, as the Hall of Famer won 16 of his 19 career matchups against Walker. While the two never met in the postseason, Timmy dominated the 2006 NBA Champion in their matchups, averaging 21.8 points and 12.6 rebounds against Walker’s teams.
As arguably the greatest power forward of all time, Duncan certainly isn’t an uncommon name when it comes to big men who humbled their opponents. In fact, the soft-spoken Spur once even schooled an up-and-coming superstar in the twilight of his career.
Tim Duncan dominated Nikola Jokic early in the center’s career
Nikola Jokic is a three-time MVP with the Denver Nuggets now, but even the Joker couldn’t escape from Duncan’s down-to-earth dominance. Now in his ninth year in the NBA, Jokic has established himself as a legend in his own right, but he still remembers how an aging Duncan humbled him as a 20-year-old rookie. At the 2023 NBA Finals Media Day, Jokic said,
“I remember when [Duncan] played against me, he was a little bit older, but he still gave me the easiest 20 points ever in life probably.”
As his own “Welcome to the NBA” moment, Duncan’s dominance will likely stick with Jokic long after he retires.
An All-Star in his second-to-last campaign in the NBA, Tim Duncan was an imposing force until the very end. The five-time champion remains one of the league’s most highly regarded former superstars and the catalyst of the greatest sports dynasty of the 21st century. While never outspoken throughout his memorable career, Duncan did all the talking he needed to with his play on the court.
