“I want a crack at him” – Kobe Bryant wanted to get his revenge on Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA in 1996, and Tim Duncan followed in 1997. For most of their careers, the two carried the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs to the top of the Western Conference. From 1999 to 2014, the two franchises won 10 of the 16 NBA championships, five each.
Advertisement
Apart from breaking the tie, Kobe wanted revenge on the San Antonio Spurs. Duncan and crew stonewalled the Purple and Gold’s quixotic attempt to pull off a four-peat after beating them in the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals.
“I want a crack at him,” Bryant said of Duncan in 2014 via ESPN. “I want to get another crack before it’s all said and done. I would love to play the Spurs in the playoffs one more time, you know what I mean? As a competitor, you want to have the most [titles], but at the same time, it’s well-deserved.”
After beating the LeBron James-led Miami Heat, Duncan had just won his fifth championship. It was an impressive feat, given Timmy’s age and the fact that they went up against a modern iteration of a super team. It proved that athleticism and youth are not the ultimate prerequisites of victory. A team only needs grit, mental fortitude, and heart to win that elusive gold.
The secret
While Kobe gave Tim his props, deep inside the Black Mamba’s heart, he had the edge over the star power forward. Yes, they both had five rings. But the Big Fundamental never powered the Spurs to back-to-back titles.
Advertisement
“I take comfort in the fact that we’ve been able to do that twice,” Bryant said, referring to a three-peat with Shaquille O’Neal and then the latter titles with Gasol. Bryant noted there’s a secret behind winning back-to-back chips. But he wasn’t keen on spilling them, especially to Duncan.
“I’m not giving up any tips,” Mamba said, laughing.
Jokes aside, Kobe acknowledged their relative success over the years. They first met in 1997 while shooting a Sprite commercial before Duncan’s rookie season. The two endured different paths to their accolades. Kobe and Tim played different positions and possessed different playstyles. What brought them together was a relentless quest for success.
“There’s two different ways of skinning a cat, two complete opposite ways,” Bryant said. “He’s a quiet competitor. I wear mine more on my sleeve, but he’s got the same competitive fire as I do. It’s been a joy to compete against him for all these years.”
Advertisement
Stiff competition
The Wake Forest standout had the same feelings for Bean. In his Hall of Fame induction, Tim gave Kobe his flowers, noting the Lakers icon pushed him to do his very best every single night. This was the true essence of competition.
“The greatest competition brings the best out of you,” Duncan said. “That is what he always did. You always have to be at your best and bring your best from start to finish if you are playing against him or any of his teams. That is what I appreciate about or remember playing against him and being on the court with him. “
Advertisement
“Fierce competitor, always demanding more of his teammates, more than it was probably possible. He wanted to win that much, he wanted it that much, and it was an honor to share the court with him,” the Spurs legend added.
Their rivalry defined an era — two legends, two dynasties, pushing each other to the brink year after year. And while they never got that final playoff clash, the mutual respect they forged through battles remains one of the NBA’s most enduring legacies.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.