Shaquille O’Neal greatly respects Tim Duncan. He has been keen to compliment the recently retired San Antonio Spurs legend in the past and the pair enjoyed some competitive battles against one another during their playing days.
The one problem that Shaq has with the way the NBA world has reacted to the end of Duncan’s career is that people are describing him as a big man.
Obviously the term “big man” is subjective and there aren’t many that O’Neal would consider when compared to his seven-foot frame. Duncan is listed as a 6-11 power forward and it is his position that Shaq believes rules him out of the “big man” category.
Duncan’s retirement has inspired many to pay tribute to the veteran forward. He won five championships and was a two-time league MVP. He has enjoyed a Hall-of-Fame worthy career and fans around the world are now attempting to measure just where the former Wake Forest standout ranks among the league’s greats.
When discussing Duncan’s career on The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal rebuffed the idea that Duncan can be listed as one of the greatest big men of all time and made it clear that he feels that big men only play in the center position.
“I only have one beef with how they're throwing this around. They're saying he's one of the greatest big men. Do you count power forwards as big men? Because I don't. I was always taught that the big man was a center. I know we got new rules and they don't have the center spot no more, but no.”
Although Duncan is undeniably one of the greatest power forwards of his generation, if not of all time, he transitioned into a center as his career progressed. During his final season in the NBA, Duncan almost all of his minutes at the five position. Warriors head coach and former teammate of Duncan, Steve Kerr, actually has argued the opposite of Shaq recently; Kerr believes Duncan isn't a power forward, but a center.
The Big Diesel may be concerned that Duncan’s praise as a great big man will diminish his already legendary status. His comments have sparked a debate on what exactly defines a player as a big man, besides being, you know, big… and a man.
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