With news that a Kobe Bryant statue is set to be unveiled, some NBA fans might be wondering if the same should occur for others like Tim Duncan. As many of us might be aware, both Bryant and Duncan are Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs legends. Both of them, especially Bryant, are well known by the NBA community and acknowledged for being loyal to a single franchise throughout their careers.
Although the late Kobe’s statue will be installed next year, there appear to be no plans for the Spurs to do the same for Tim Duncan. In order to understand whether the Spurs star could be given the same honor, we should take a closer look at the situation and find out more.
Will Tim Duncan get a statue?
After the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant as well as his daughter Gianna and several others, the Lakers felt like doing something to remember the legacy and contributions of the Black Mamba to their organization. They decided to add a statue of Bryant to the collection present outside Crytpo.com Arena.
Kobe’s statue would be the 7th statue to join the others. The list of Lakers who already have statues outside their arena includes; Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Chick Hearn. The official date for its unveiling will be on Feb 24, 2024.
Vanessa Bryant and the Lakers announced that a statue honoring Kobe Bryant will be unveiled outside “The House That Kobe Built” on 2-8-24 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/0OG6OhsBjy
— ESPN (@espn) August 24, 2023
Coming back to Tim Duncan, he is one of the most underrated and overlooked players in the history of the game. Much like Kobe, Duncan won 5 NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs and was loyal to the same team throughout his entire career.
Despite being considered one of the greatest power forwards in the history of the NBA, there appear to be no plans for the Spurs management to erect a statue in his honor. Many fans have argued that building statues isn’t the “style” of the Spurs and that the franchise considered championship banners far more valuable.
In any case, fans should also remember that the Lakers are considered basketball royalty and one of the most popular franchises across the league. Having statues installed of former legends is a lot more in their stride when compared to the Spurs. Nonetheless, the Spurs might want to revisit this conversation in the future.