Name

BOB PETTIT

TIM DUNCAN

Nickname

None

The Big Fundamental

Height

6-9

7-0

Weight

215

260

Career
(Seasons)

1954-65
(11 NBA seasons)

1997-present
(6th NBA season)

A-S Selections

11

5 (includes 2003)

First
All-Star Game

1955
(in New York)

1998
(in New York)

Age (first A-S Game)

22

21

A-S scoring average

20.4 ppg

13.5 ppg

Best A-S
performance

1958:
28 pts., 26 reb., 1 asst.

2000:
24 pts., 24 reb., 4 asst.

A-S Game MVP

1956, 1958, 1959 (co-MVP), 1962

2000, co-MVP with Shaquille O'Neal

Career avg.

26.4

22.9

Best season

31.1 ppg (1961-62)

25.5 ppg (2001-02)

Most memorable performance

Leading St. Louis Hawks to 1958 NBA title

Leading San Antonio Spurs to 1999 NBA title

Bob Pettit in his prime: 56k | 300k

How alike are Bob Pettit and Tim Duncan? Just look at Duncan's half-jesting nickname given to him by Shaquille O'Neal: the Big Fundamental.

Then, take a look at the video to the right and watch the first shot Pettit takes: a 15-foot, one-handed set shot.

While he is reluctant to venture out much further than 10 feet and a one-handed set shot may be too fundamental even for him, no power forward, or center for that matter, has better all-around, low-post skills than Duncan. Save for Scottie Pippen, no one uses the glass better on offense than Duncan. He's also excellent when it comes to cleaning the glass, as he grabs rebounds at a pace of 13 per game, good for second in the league.

With 22.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game for his career, what you get with Duncan is consistent excellence, not flash. That's not to say he's not competitive or ferocious on the blocks. On the contrary, Duncan is tough to handle down low. His array of hook shots with either hand and powerful drop step leaves many a defender looking silly. That, and he can run the floor and finish with a flourish on the break.

Before Karl Malone, the 6-9, 215-pound Pettit set the standard for power forwards. When he retired after the 1964-65 season, Pettit was the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 20,880 points. That total is now good for 23rd on the all-time list.

One of the things that made Pettit so good was his ability to venture away from the hoop and drag slower big men away from the basket. Pettit, as you could see in the video, had the ability to hit the 20-foot shot. He was also a load to handle on the blocks. Three seasons he led the NBA in free throws made and averaged 10.3 attempts per game for his career.

Pettit was named to the All-NBA first team 10 of his 11 seasons, MVP twice (1956 and 1959) and is the only player to win the All-Star MVP four times. Duncan looks like he could have a Pettit-like career. Both have one NBA title (Pettit -- 1958; Duncan -- 1999) and both were Rookies of the Year (Pettit -- 1956; Duncan -- 1998). Duncan has one NBA MVP (2002) and he has been named All-NBA first-team in his first five seasons.

Fundamentally the same, indeed.