In the past twenty years, no athletes have exemplified leadership, class, respect, and winning quite like Tim Duncan and Derek Jeter have done in their respective sports. The sports community, specifically basketball and baseball, have been fortunate enough to witness the greatness and loyalty of these two superstars over the past two decades.
As a kid who grew up playing both baseball and basketball during the years Jeter and Duncan were in their prime, it’s easy for me to say that these two superstar athletes are the epitome of fundamentals. If you’re slumping at the plate, a coach will always say to go back to the basics, shorten up your swing, and try to hit a line drive either right up the middle, or to the opposite field. What was Derek Jeter known for throughout his career? Exactly that. No one went the other way better than the Captain, whose inside out stroke was a thing of beauty for baseball fans to watch. As for Duncan, his nickname is, well, “The Big Fundamental,” which is quite telling as to how he has thrived off of the simplest of post moves and rebounding philosophies. Duncan won’t beat you by leaping for rebounds or making sexy moves in the post; instead, he has mastered the fundamentals, which has earned him his nickname over the years, as well as plenty of accolades.
Of course, neither of these players would leave the legacies they have, if they had not won at the highest of levels. Both Jeter and Duncan are proud owners of five championship rings, all of which were spread out throughout the entirety of their careers. They have made a combined 29 All-Star appearances, 15 of which belong to Duncan. This article would go on for ages if I listed all of the awards these future Hall of Famers have earned, but a few that stand out for Duncan are his two Regular Season MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, and 13 straight seasons on both the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams, a feat no other player has ever accomplished. As for Jeter, he won the World Series MVP award in 2000, is a five time Gold Glover, and is the all time hits leader for shortstops, among many, many other awards and records.
The loyalty and devotion both Duncan and Jeter have given to their respective franchises is absolutely remarkable. Duncan has spent all 18 years of his career (and counting) with the San Antonio Spurs, just as Derek Jeter played all 20 years of his fantastic career wearing pinstripes for the New York Yankees. We’ve seen dozens of superstars produce for multiple different franchises, which isn’t a bad thing by any means, but it always feels a bit more meaningful and special when an athlete gives everything he has to the franchise he grew up and grew old with. Duncan and Jeter will forever be icons in their franchise’s histories.
Derek Jeter will go down as arguably the classiest player to ever run out on to the diamond. The phrase that is often associated with Jeter is that he “does it the right way.” Jeter was always an upbeat leader with fierce competitiveness, who never mumbled a bad thing about anyone. It probably isn’t accurate to call Jeter soft spoken, but he definitely wasn’t the type of athlete who had an arrogant, outgoing personality with the media. Similarly, Duncan is one of the most well-respected, classy players in the NBA. Even with all the elbow shoving and dirty play that goes on as players fight for positioning and rebounds, it’s extremely rare to hear Duncan’s opponents speak negatively about his character (unlike Kevin Garnett). Jeter and Duncan have all the reasons in the world to be selfish, cocky superstars, yet they’ve always carried themselves with highest of class and respect for the game that they love.
As two of the greatest athletes of their generation, both Tim Duncan and Derek Jeter will undoubtedly be first ballot Hall of Famers. Between the championships, the accolades, and the way they go about their business, there are many striking similarities between their legacies. Find a sports fan who doesn’t have respect for Derek Jeter or Tim Duncan. It’s tough. Even the fans at Fenway Park, who have traditionally hated every New York Yankee with every ounce of their Boston Strong blood, gave Derek Jeter a standing ovation as he walked off the field for the final time in his career last fall. It’s tough to beat them, and it’s tough to hate them, which is why all sports fans should have nothing but respect and admiration for two of the greatest athletes of all time, Tim Duncan and Derek Jeter.
