Tim Duncan Wouldn’t Be the Player He Became Without David Robinson, Says Rasheed Wallace

Tim Duncan is probably the best power forward in NBA history. His hefty resume can easily put him in the GOAT conversation. However, Rasheed Wallace doesn’t think Duncan was the anchor of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty. In fact, the 50-year-old thinks that the Big Fundamental’s Hall-of-Fame career was mostly possible due to David Robinson.

The Spurs drafted Tim Duncan with the #1 pick in the 1997 Draft. He joined Robinson on the team, a legitimate superstar who was the face of the franchise at the time.

Having a superstar player like Robinson as his teammate helped Duncan’s growth in the early days.

On his Sheed & Tyler pod, Wallace anointed Robinson as the most athletic center of all time and declared that his presence made Duncan more effective.

Since the opposition defense was mostly focused on curbing the versatile offensive production of The Admiral, his frontcourt mate had it easy on the offensive end. Robinson was also an All-NBA First Team Defensive Player, which eased Duncan’s burden on both ends.

Wallace explained,

“I don’t think The Big Fundamental[Duncan] would have been able to do what he did if it wasn’t for David Robinson, because not only was David Robinson like a phenomenal athlete when it came to basketball, strong as sh**…I’m [Robinson is] fast, I’m athletic, I can shoot, I can knock a 15-footer down with no problem.”

“I can put it on the floor. I can pick-and-pop, I can pick-and-roll, I can play defense, I can block shots. I can go out there and show on pick-and-rolls, force the man to go around,” he added.

Wallace pointed out that Duncan facing off against Robinson during team practices would have further sharpened his offensive arsenal. Timmy D had to think out of the box to score against the much more athletic and highly disciplined Robinson, which probably helped him upgrade his game.

For Wallace, it was a major reason why he could do well against much more athletic match-ups in the long run.

“I see why Tim Duncan, as good as he was, because this the motherfu**er he go up against every night. Tim Duncan’s not athletic at all but he know how to play athletes because of going up against David Robinson,” the former Detroit Pistons star added.

Robinson and Duncan formed the most formidable big-men duo at the time. Their on-court chemistry translated into a close bond off the court as well.

Duncan chose his former frontcourt mate to present him during the Hall-of-Fame enshrinement speech. In May 2021, three months before the enshrinement, Robinson spoke glowingly about Timmy D.

He praised Duncan’s earnestness and was glad to be a main part of his hall-of-Fame enshrinement,

“He doesn’t mess around. If he calls your name, he is serious about it. I am honored and grateful that he wants me to stand beside him and present him to the Hall…”

Duncan also acknowledged Robinson’s contributions in shaping his incredible career. These two laid the foundation for the San Antonio Spurs’ winning culture under the guidance of Gregg Popovich.