Throughout the many eras of the NBA, there have been great rivalries. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird revolutionized the league with their rivalry, which stemmed from college. Similarly, Tim Duncan and Marcus Camby shared a rivalry since their college days too. According to Camby, the hype leading into the matchup rivaled the likes of Wilt Chamberlain against Bill Russell.
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In a recent episode of The Real Talk, Camby opened up about the Spurs legend and their rivalry. Camby said,
“I had some battles in college with Tim Duncan. I remember that game that we had my junior year. They were hyping up the game so much. It was like Wilt Chamberlain versus Bill Russell.
“I remember the hype going into that game was very crazy. Ironically, we end up playing the Spurs in the 1999 Finals and the Spurs got the best of us, and he got his first NBA title. Those are great memories but sad ones too.”
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Camby and Duncan’s first big matchup against each other came in their junior season. The University of Massachusetts led by Camby took on the Duncan-led Wake Forest team on December 6, 1995. The matchup didn’t disappoint as the two stars went at each other.
In the end, Massachusetts came out with a 60-46 win due to Camby outplaying Duncan. Camby finished the game with 17 points and nine rebounds while Duncan put forth nine points and 12 rebounds. However, Duncan got his revenge when the two went head-to-head in the 1999 NBA Finals.
Duncan bested Camby to win his first title
In Camby’s first season with the Knicks, he helped lead the team to become the first eighth seed to clinch a Finals berth. The only thing standing in front of him making history was a familiar foe.
In Duncan’s sophomore season, he propelled the Spurs into title contention. San Antonio had too much firepower, which the Knicks couldn’t find an answer for, en route to winning the franchise’s first title. That marked the first and only time in Camby’s career he appeared in the Finals.
As he recalls the experience, Camby is very fond of those moments even though he wasn’t able to win the championship. Regardless, Camby was able to string together a successful NBA career including winning the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year award.
