Victor Wembanyama Gives Interesting Answer to Kobe Bryant vs. Tim Duncan Debate

Victor Wembanyama is widely considered to be the future of the NBA. Decades of basketball greatness precede him, and it was only a matter of time before he was put on the spot with a tricky question regarding legends of the sport.

In a recent Instagram Live session, the San Antonio Spurs center was having a blast with netizens’ comments when a question caught his attention: Between Tim Duncan and the late Kobe Bryant, who would he rank higher on the all-time list?

As difficult as the question was, Wemby tried his best to respond.

“Tim Duncan or Kobe? Tough question. Probably Kobe,” he said.

This bold take, however, was slightly dampened by Wembanyama’s additional statement: “Eh, actually, I don’t know.”

As the 7-foot-3 Frenchman progresses through his NBA career, he will certainly be posed with more questions concerning the greatest hoopers of all time. This particular query was a tough one, though, as both Duncan and Bryant had résumés filled with individual and team accolades.

On the one hand, Duncan was the cornerstone of a Spurs dynasty that won championships across three decades. Nicknamed “The Big Fundamental” for his stability and impeccable execution on both ends of the floor, Duncan bagged two NBA MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, 15 All-NBA selections, and 15 All-Star nods.

On the other hand, Bryant became one of the most feared scorers in NBA history by making one big shot after another in his 20-year career. Whether he was teaming with Shaquille O’Neal or leading the likes of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, the Black Mamba exemplified an insatiable hunger for success that no player has been able to replicate. Bryant’s accomplishments include one NBA MVP award and two Finals MVP awards; he was also a 15-time All-NBA selection and an 18-time All-Star.

Duncan and Bryant have five NBA championships apiece, so picking the “greater” player between them is no easy feat. The fact that they played different positions (Duncan as a traditional power forward, Bryant as a shooting guard) further complicates the ongoing debate.

In other words, Wembanyama could have made a case for either one of these Basketball Hall of Famers. In a way, his sheepish “I don’t know” is an acknowledgment that both Bryant and Duncan deserve to be recognized as the best of the best in the sport.