1999 WCSF, Gm 4: Shaq vs. Duncan

Heading into the playoffs the San Antonio Spurs were prohibitive favorites to win it all. They had the experience, the chemistry, defense and a young Tim Duncan in his second season that would be the heir apparent to an aging David Robinson. After defeating the Timberwolves in four games, San Antonio's next opponent would be the young L.A. Lakers who were led by Shaquille O'Neal. A charismatic center that was in his 7th year and had failed to produce a championship despite being touted as "the most dominant". The Spurs were in complete control during this series and wound up sweeping the Lakers just as the Utah Jazz had done a year before. San Antonio would later advance to the NBA Finals where they captured their first championship and Duncan was named Finals MVP.

This series started a rivalry between Shaq & Duncan as both players would lead championship contenders heading into the new millennium. From 1999-07 either Shaq or Duncan would appear in the Finals and with the exception of '04, they would both end those series' as champions.

Many sports fans tend to have short term memories and can be prisoners of the moment. This would explain the questionable voting of Kobe Bryant as Player of The Decade despite not having the resume that Shaq or Duncan possessed and not being nearly as dependable in the postseason. It's understandable why people would vote for him. Kobe is more exciting to watch due to being a perimeter player who had the ability to score at a high rate and he was coming off his first championship run as the leader of the Lakers. Not to mention that by that point Shaq had declined significantly since the early '00's and Duncan (while still great) was not the same player. The fact still remains that his body of work was not as impressive as his contemporaries.

Combined achievements from 1999-07

8 championships
6 Finals MVP's
3 League MVP's
17 All-NBA Selections
12 All- Defensive Selections